Jazz Town: Christian McBride returns to Folly, Branford Marsalis spins through Kansas

Christian McBride makes it all look easy.

He’s perhaps the best-known virtuoso of the bass working today in jazz, holding down a busy schedule as a performer and recording artist, including a gig Saturday at the Folly Theater.

Bassists have a difficult role in jazz, having to pluck on just about every beat of every bar while defining the harmonic direction of the whole band on a heavy, unforgiving instrument that’s hard on hands and spines. But McBride does it virtuosically and prolifically, all over the world, and if there are any signs of stress, he isn’t letting them show.

McBride has been through Kansas City often over the last decade — as a bandleader in 2008, 2010 and 2011, as part of an all-star package in 2013 and as a guest on the “12th Street Jump” radio show in 2014. This time is different because he’s leading a stripped-down piano-bass-drums trio (with, at last report, pianist Christian Sands and drummer Jerome Jennings). It’s a texture where everything is exposed.

It’s maximum McBride.

The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St. Tickets are $20 to $50; call 816-474-4444 or check FollyTheater.org. McBride will participate in a question-and-answer session for ticketholders at 7 p.m.

Taking over Kansas

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Branford Marsalis emerged in the 1980s on the leading edge of a wave of jazz “young lions,” some of whom didn’t have much staying power. Thirty-five years on, he shows staying power every time he plays.

And he’s playing in our region quite a bit this week, though not in Kansas City.

Marsalis is bringing his long-running quartet on a tour of Kansas. The quartet, now with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner, has been the principal format for his explorations for most of those 35 years. It’s his laboratory, his workshop and his playground. And this week they’re making the Sunflower State their playground.

This exemplary quartet will be in Manhattan at McCain Auditorium at Kansas State University at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets are at K-State.edu/McCain. They’re at the Lied Center at the University of Kansas at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Tickets are at 785-864-2787 or Lied.KU.edu. Then they’re in Fort Scott, at the Ellis Family Fine Arts Center at Fort Scott Community College, at 8 p.m. Thursday. Tickets are at 800-874-3722, ext. 5850.

Noteworthy

▪ The National Blues Museum opened Saturday in downtown St. Louis. If you’re interested, check NationalBluesMuseum.org.

▪ Pianist Charles Williams’ trio plays the next show on the jazz series at Johnson County Community College, at noon Tuesday in the Recital Hall in Carlsen Center.

▪ Players and singers from Kansas City Kansas Community College have a showcase on the next installment of the Spirituality and All That Jazz series. Jim Mair leads a jazz ensemble, a Latin combo and a bebop combo, and John Stafford leads a vocal group. It’s at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 W. 47th St.

▪ The Blue Room, 1600 E. 18th St., has the band Groove 101 leading the Monday jam at 7 p.m. Bassist Karl McComas-Reichl brings his group at 7 p.m. Thursday. Bassist Bob Bowman leads a trio with a longtime friend, the magnificent drummer Steve Houghton, at 8:30 p.m. Friday; the no less magnificent Indianapolis pianist Steve Allee rounds out the band. Drummer Brandon Draper collaborates with his father, organist and singer Paul Draper, on a show Saturday night; the band includes trumpeter Hermon Mehari, trombonist Brian Scarborough, tenor saxophonist Rich Wheeler, vibraphonist John Kizilarmut and bassist Ben Leifer. The show is at 8:30 p.m.

▪ The Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand Blvd., has the Foundation 627 Big Band at 8:30 p.m. Sunday; the band MG3, a vehicle for guitarist Myles Gorham, at 9 p.m. Monday; organist Ken Lovern’s trio at 9 p.m. Tuesday; the New Jazz Order big band at 7 p.m. Wednesday, followed by Lovern’s OJT band at 9 p.m.; pianist Michael Pagán’s big band at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by saxophonist Brett Jackson at 9 p.m.; pianist Tim Whitmer at 5:30 p.m. Friday, followed by organist Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 at 10 p.m.; and singer Molly Hammer at 6 p.m. Saturday, followed by OJT again at 9:30 p.m.

▪ The Westport CoffeeHouse Theatre, 4010 Pennsylvania Ave., has trumpeter Nate Nall’s group at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

▪ The Art Factory, at 5621 W. 135th St., Suite 2630, in Overland Park’s Prairiefire development, has trumpeter Stan Kessler’s Parallax band at 8 p.m. Saturday.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 3:00 AM with the headline "Jazz Town: Christian McBride returns to Folly, Branford Marsalis spins through Kansas."