Living Blues
The Gem Theater
January, 2000

Review by Paul "El Dormido" Taylor

Click here for photos.

For decades KC has not had a musical center as in its hey day in the ‘20s and ‘30s. But the anchor for KC musicians, spiritually and factually, is the Mutual Musicians Foundation, still an ongoing enterprise, at 18th and Highland.

Back last September when the call went out to the blues community that Living Blues Magazine was going for a panoramic spread on the KC scene, and 200 musicians of various hues, stripes, styles and formats came together, it was to stand in front of the Foundation in unity to the common bond of music. It was thrilling to see everyone gather around, from the legends of local music (like Little Hatch, Millage Gilbert, Myra Taylor) through the front line working entertainers (like Linda Shell and KC Kelsey, Eugene Smiley, Washboard Chazz, Richard Townsend) to the younger men and women investing themselves into the music (Fast Johnny Ricker and Beth Robinson). At that point, at that time, there was a stirring of what really could be a renaissance for the KC music scene, because it was about KC music. And that day they got up to swing together on stage at the afternoon jam.

So its highly appropriate that the Mutual Musician’s Foundation again took the lead as the focal point in gathering together Kansas City’s finest music maker’s in a demonstration of the excellence and vitality of KC’s music tradition. The Foundation in the person of Ramonda Doakes, executive director, hosted Living Blues at the Gem Theater. The cream of the crop was offered up in a once in a lifetime program, some performers coming from deeply buried in the night life of the working musician, not always with the names in lights, not always readily recognized as a brand name, not frequently beheld by a Westport crowd, but awe inspiring nevertheless.

After the unveiling of the group photo by Dwayne Gilley, Art Jackson and Perry Reed, the show was led off by the house band with Duck Warner’s vocal invocation, Everyday I Have the Blues. The band was hosted by Duck on trumpet and vocals, and fronted by Everett DeVan on keyboard, Eugene Smiley on guitar, Adam Paige on bass, Little Brother Fraser on pipe and drums, Kenny Glover on saxes, and Tim Perryman on trombone.

Smiley, one of the best of KC’s vocal bluesmen, attempted another tune the likes of which we’ll never know as he was victimized by the vagaries of the sound system. The balance was all out of kilter, with Adam Paige’s bass way up too high, no working vocal mic except for Duck’s, and a general anarchy distorting the glamour of the show. Eventually it got straightened out but not without some mishaps along the way.

Each of the guest artist appeared for a 2 song set backed by the house band augmented with various sideman from the different bands represented.

The effervescent Lawrence Wright took the first spot stepping up on organ, invoking his hey day when he was the stellar name on the KC music scene with his band, the Starlighters, that featured a host of outstanding sidemen including the late strat master, Albert Collins.

Lawrence led the house band through an uptempo number, and then he slowed it way down and growled out some nitty gritty, down in the alley blues. His playing evoked memories of the great soul/jazz/blues grinders like Jimmy Smith, but his own unique flair and style were well on display.

King Alex and Doug Henphill, his guitar player, put out 2 sweet blues numbers, including the title tune from his release, Hot as a Coffee Pot. King’s effortless singing and the guitar playing meshed so well together in capturing that purity of blues that echoes BB King’s showtime style.

Linda Shell and KC Kelsey let loose with Linda’s signature opening tune, Let the Good Times Roll. Her pure voice rose above the band putting her stamp on the theater.

Richard Townsend danced and sang his way through his set with a grace and joy of performance that marked him as a performer who needs to be seen around a lot more.

Mary Moore, in a signature performance, took a seat and belted out Sitting and Drinking, a song she goes way back to high school with. With intuitive backing by Everett DeVan, Mary plumbed the depths of the song for its emotional impact, and put it right on the audience. And they responded enthusiastically.

Bill Carter cut through the proceedings with his jagged, piercing lines, lighting a fire with his crackling guitar. Resplendent in a white suit and wide brimmed hat, Bill is another performer not seen nor heard often enough around town.

Millage Gilbert took up a spot next to Smiley and put out some straight ahead, no frill blues. Millage played with a direct precision, control and effortlessness that befits him as one of KC’s premier bluesmen. Millage has recently performed in Europe to appreciative audiences and come out on stage with an energized performance.

And then Little Hatch took stage center and brought it all home. He was resplendent in a gold coat, white shirt open at the throat. He took the microphone, wrapped it around his shoulders, and took over the show.

His take on Scratch My Back was hypnotic and riveting, the whole band falling in command of the blues master, coming into rhythmic focus like a locomotive. Through both of Hatch’s numbers, Millage Gilbert just burned, with long, loping guitar lines wringing out the blues. This was a special Millage performance.

Hatch’s singing was consummate, bringing the deep blues out like a force of nature. His every inflection drove nuance through the hall, bringing a standing ovation from the capacity crowd.

An intermission was declared. Unfortunately I was out of the hall for most of the jazz showcase but I do know that Roy Searcy played before the jazz set started. I remember Roy playing at Putsch’s on the Plaza back in the ‘70s and was looking forward to seeing him. However, this gives me the perfect excuse to catch him at Stroud’s up North.

The jazz house band featured the venerable Luqman Hamza on piano, Kenny Glover on sax, Sonny Kenner on guitar, Gerald Dunn on sax, Al Pearson on trumpet, Bob Bowman on bass, and Todd Strait on drums.

My correspondent noted to me that Claude ‘Fiddler’ Williams was wonderful. His rendition of Over the Rainbow brought tears, and Back Home in Indiana was superb.

I was able to return to the hall in time to catch the evenings closing act, Myra Taylor. My correspondent says that Myra is like Human Champagne, the effect she has on the audience.

For me she is the summation of all the music that had gone before, the blues as well as the jazz. Her style encompasses all the emotional force and inflection of the blues and its phrasings. But she also sings with musical ease and craft of an accomplished jazz artist.

But even more, Myra is a consummate performer. Not only does she have a marvelous voice, she sings with such personality and characterization that listening to her is like participating in a drama. And she is so adept at precisely turning a phrase to great dramatic effect.

Luqman Hamza was smooth as silk accompanying her. He had worked together with Myra in preparation for the show and the preparation enabled him to provide Myra with a sensitive and intuitive accompaniment. Another singer said that Luqman is like fine wine, such a powerful presence, and delivery. He complemented Myra so very well.

Gerald Dunn also supported Myra with a marvelous solo, interpreting and invoking Myra’s singing style.

Myra’s final tune was On the Sunny Side of the Street, done with a definite strut. She adds a twist by closing out the song in the style of Louis Armstrong, growling scat and all. She does Louis cold, nails him perfectly, and plays it out without once losing his character. Myra was so fine, so infectious that the audience was still singing the song as they filed out of the Gem on into the night.

The After Party - Out and About at 18th and Vine

The late night party and on going jam are intrinsic to KC music. It was the jams in the many clubs of the district where the hometown musicians over and over proved themselves against out of town talent. It was in the fervent heat of the jam that the unique style of KC music defined jazz for its time, and forever, with Big Joe Turner leading the way through rhythm and blues to the birth of rock and roll on the one had, and Charlie ‘Yardbird’ Parker transmigrating the form to bop and beyond.

The Mutual Musicians Foundation has held an ongoing jam every Friday and Saturday night for, truthfully, decades on end. These days the jam is usually under the paternal guidance of the veteran jazz piano player Donald Cox. As part of the Living Blues at the Gem celebration, the Foundation started off their late night jam at 10:30, but the place was packed and expectant way before the musicians got there.

Jazz ruled the night at the Foundation as well as down the street at the Blue Room where you could here the hot saxophone shredding the sonic landscape from the outdoor PA. But we headed over to the Mardi Gras where the Eugene Smiley Band was leading the party. Little Brother on drums, Adam Paige on bass, Jeff Lucas on keyboards, Dewey Rucker on a very burning saxophone, and Smiley on guitar.

One of the qualities of Smiley’s band is they know how to get the people to partying, invariably. They had that Bus Stop thing going for awhile, that’s for sure.

They also blend together some of the sweetest harmonies, with Smiley, Lucas and Duck Warner joining together. Their performance of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On was passionate, soulful and soaring.

And Smiley is the gracious host, acknowledging other artist’s in the audience and including them on the bandstand. Various musicians stepped in and out of the lineup taking their turns keeping the blues party rolling, and it definitely was a blues night.

Smiley demonstrated what the audience at the Gem missed. He sang the blues with soul and purity. He is an assuredly vocalist who can do the blues from a whisper to a scream, and take you along with him. While he is gracious as a band leader, fostering outstanding performances from all the musicians on stage, when he sings, he takes command.

Smiley prevailed upon Mary Moore to do While You Been Stepping Out. The deep groove the band dug was filled by Mary’s powerful vocal. But she gets to preaching, gets the crowd participating, and the whole joint rocked.

Visiting bluesman Jimmie D. Laine, in town with Chad Kassem from Salina’s Blue Heaven Studio, was drafted by Smiley to play some guitar and sing. Jimmie is a gracious man with a blues heritage that stretches from the musicians who defined Chicago blues through to the most modern of players. His father, of course, is the late guitarist for Muddy Water’s great bands, Jimmy Robinson. In Jimmie D. Laine’s hands the guitar becomes an instrument of cultural transmission, carrying to us a living blues legacy.

In other words, he can flat out play the blues. And he did. This is the kind of experience comes in the best of moments, listening to the pure music unadorned, forceful, moving, up close, impromptu. Just this one time, just like this.

Jimmie and Smiley closed out the show with The Night Time is the Right Time, and truer words were never sung than on this night of magic and celebration. May it ever be so in Kansas City, where music has been king and will be once again.

--Paul "El Dormido" Taylor

Don't forget to check out the photos.