Wed, Jan 25, 2012
Now in its 21st season, the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College has built a reputation for high quality, diverse programming, with a schedule of visiting artists ranging from chamber ensembles and jazz quartets to international orchestras, and from one-person comedy showcases and avant-garde dance companies to grandly staged Broadway musicals. Since assuming the role of general manager in 2009, Emily Behrmann has endeavored to broaden the Series’ target audience and further expand its offerings on the stages of the JCCC’s Carlsen Center.
This week, Behrmann sat down with Victor Wishna to discuss the state of the Performing Arts Series—its successes, challenges, and plans for the future—and what it means to be both “a Johnson County alternative” and an integral part of Kansas City’s growing and glowing performing-arts scene.
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Tue, Jan 24, 2012
Poncho Sanchez and his Latin Jazz Band threw quite the party out at Johnson County Community College’s Yardley Hall on Saturday night. It took the full effort of the group to overthrow the strict tenets of audience decorum and get the crowd dancing, but they succeeded, with heavy grooves, energetic rhythms, and a healthy dose of soul.
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Wed, Jan 18, 2012
Acclaimed jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon makes her long overdue debut at the Folly Jazz Series with a breathtaking performance of beloved standards and takes from her most recent album, "Homefree."
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Wed, Dec 28, 2011
Another musical season kicks off this spring, and no Kansas City season would be complete without jazz! Check out all the different offerings, from local legends to visiting giants, the Kansas City metro area will host in the coming months.
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Wed, Dec 28, 2011
Another musical season kicks off this spring, and no Kansas City season would be complete without jazz! Check out all the different offerings, from local legends to visiting giants, the Kansas City metro area will host in the coming months.
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Wed, Dec 21, 2011
Despite the drizzly and dreary weather, the music was sizzlin’ inside Helzberg Hall last Monday night, where DuPue Brothers Band warmed the audience with lively genre-crossing holiday cheer.
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Wed, Dec 21, 2011
Celebrated violinist Mark O’Connor brought an entourage of diverse styles and talented performers to his Folly Jazz Series appearance Saturday night for sizable, appreciative crowd.
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Tue, Nov 15, 2011
Max Weinberg and three other rock veterans brought to life a collage of the musical styles that formed not only the careers of the musicians on stage, but shaped American rock history.
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Wed, Nov 02, 2011
In a stop on his first-ever solo tour, iconic jazz and funk keyboardist Herbie Hancock presented re-imagined and experimental versions of his original compositions to a near-capacity audience at the Lied Center of Kansas last Sunday night.
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Wed, Oct 26, 2011
Over 400 fans enjoyed an uplifting concert by premier post-bop saxophonist Joe Lovano and his band Us Five at the historic, century-old Gem Theater last Friday. The event marked the beginning of the 15th season of the American Jazz Museum’s Jammin’ at the Gem Series.
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Tue, Oct 18, 2011
Although jazz lovers are fortunate with Kansas City's rich jazz culture and heritage, audiences are also treated to excellent jazz greats who continually visit the metro. Among those greats, is the inimitable musical icon Herbie Hancock who stops at the Lied Center this month on his first-ever solo tour.
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Tue, Oct 11, 2011
Rhythm & Ribs Jazz and Blues Festival, a Kansas City staple, offered an eclectic menu of musical delights for every taste and every age.
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Tue, Oct 11, 2011
Sir Threadius Mongus held strong as the band played for an intimate gathering on October's First Friday. Celebrating their newest EP, the former Tulsans join the ever-growing list of artists who now call Kansas City home.
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Wed, Oct 05, 2011
The longstanding Folly Jazz Series presented the Yellowjackets, a quartet of talented and innovated jazz musicians who also have withstood the test of time.
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Wed, Oct 05, 2011
A collaboration between Miles Davis Properties and Blue Note Records, touched down for the Performing Arts Series at Johnson County Community College’s Carlson Center last weekend with a mixed-media presentation on the life and music of Miles Davis from 1949 to 1959.
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Tue, Oct 04, 2011
Talented jazz trumpeter, educator and advocate Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra shined on the Harriman-Jewell Series last Saturday night, proving Helzberg Hall isn't just for classical.
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Tue, Oct 04, 2011
The UMKC Conservatory Concert Jazz Band and Wind Symphony performed in Helzberg Hall for the opening concert of the Conservatory Artist Series. Joined by the PRISM Quartet, the program included works by Bobby Watson, William Bolcom, and John Corigliano.
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Tue, Aug 30, 2011
Kansas City, true to its frontier heritage, has a scene that is pushing the boundaries of the sonic world and pioneering artistic collaborations. From the smallest galleries and grittiest bars to the shiny opulence of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Kansas City’s musicians and artists continue to forge new trails for experimental experiences combining music, dance, theatre, and film.
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Tue, Aug 30, 2011
You can’t start a new season of music in Kansas City without jazz! From locals to legends and combos to big bands, find out what Kansas City has in store for jazz lovers this fall.
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Tue, Aug 23, 2011
Emanuel Ax and Marc-André Hamelin are among the visiting pianists coming to Kansas City this fall. Jazz fans can catch Grammy-winning pianists Herbie Hancock and Peter Nero as well. 2011 marks Liszt's bicentennial and both UMKC and KU will present festivals in his honor. Organ aficionados will surely want to catch performances by David Briggs and Jan Kraybill.
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Wed, Jul 27, 2011
River Cow Orchestra's inexplicable level of communication through spontaneous musical creation and effortless mastery is showcased in their Zen Jazz performance for the Kansas City Fringe Festival.
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Tue, Jun 28, 2011
Seven jazz acts will take the Folly Theatre by storm for the 2011–12 season including the Yellowjackets, Peter Nero, Mark O'Connor, Nnenna Freelon, Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, John Pizzarelli Quartet, and nineteen-year-old saxophonist Grace Kelly is the Folly Jazz Spotlight artist.
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Tue, Jun 28, 2011
The 7th Annual KC Fringe Festival is an unfiltered, uncensored sampling of Kansas City’s cultural arts and runs July 21–31st, 2011. The 11-day festival is jam-packed with live theater, dance, performance art, visual art, spoken word, puppetry, storytelling, film and fashion.
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Wed, Jun 08, 2011
Bobby Watson and Elizabeth Suh Lane's Bach Aria soloists mixed jazz and classical in attempts to marry the two. Though not quite third stream or Uri Caine, the results pushed both outside of their respective comfort zones.
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Tue, May 10, 2011
Blending the sounds of Kansas and New York Cities, Karrin Allyson and friends closed the Folly Theater's Jazz Series on Saturday with tastes of many genres and styles.
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Tue, Apr 19, 2011
What do a banjo player, classical bassist, and Indian tabla player have in common? A lot of talent, for starters. Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain presented a concert full of jaw-dropping technique, impressive improvisatory chops and universal appeal.
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Tue, Apr 05, 2011
Making heady jazz accessible, Joe Lovano and Us Five's two sets of recurrent themes graced the Folly Theater's stage as part of the Folly Jazz Series.
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Wed, Feb 16, 2011
How often does one have the opportunity to hear an NEA Jazz Master perform in one of "DownBeat’"s best jazz venues? Jazz lovers in Kansas City enjoyed just such a chance last Friday night when venerable founding father of modern jazz Ellis Marsalis and his quartet performed at the Folly Theater.
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Wed, Feb 02, 2011
There is no shortage of stars on the Harriman-Jewell Series' 2011–12 season. Vocalists, dancers, jazz greats, pianists, and instrumentalists abound across the eighteen concerts and three performance venues: the Folly Theater and the Kauffman Center's Helzberg Hall and Muriel Kauffman Theatre.
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Tue, Jan 18, 2011
Earl Klugh and his quartet presented an intimate concert experience to a packed audience at the Folly Theater with a program that was equal parts energetic and relaxing.
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Tue, Jan 11, 2011
Kansas City is bursting with chamber music and jazz concerts this spring. The multitude of events coming up in the metro in both categories are sure to be fun and entertaining.
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Tue, Dec 14, 2010
With two CDs to his credit, Chicago-native Sachal Vasandani received "DownBeat"'s 2010 Rising Star award. He channeled Sinatra in his Kansas City debut Saturday night in the Folly Jazz Series' Spotlight concert.
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Tue, Dec 07, 2010
The Boston Brass, along with the Brass All-Stars Big Band, played a selection of holiday tunes from their albums, "Christmas Bells are Swingin’" and "The Stan Kenton Christmas Carols," at Johnson County Community College's Yardley Hall.
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Tue, Nov 02, 2010
Marilyn Maye is a high-steppin’, song-beltin’ dame! "Her Party at the Playhouse" cabaret show at Quality Hill is one for the ages.
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Tue, Oct 26, 2010
Enduring neo-swing ensemble Big Bad Voodoo Daddy wows the Lied Center with their tribute to legendary band leader Cab Calloway.
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Tue, Oct 12, 2010
Veteran rockers Los Lobos brings their Tejano-Mexican music to the Folly Theater in a cool, stripped-down showcase for the Cyprus Avenue Series.
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Wed, Oct 06, 2010
Though his name may not be familiar, Sammy Cahn's songs certainly are. Quality Hill Playhouse paid tribute to this legendary American songwriter in their new cabaret revue, "Come Fly With Me."
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Tue, Oct 05, 2010
Bluegrass? Newgrass? Rockabilly honky-tonk? It doesn't matter what you call it because the Punch Brothers bludgeoned sonic convention to a pulp during their performance at the Lied Center.
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Tue, Oct 05, 2010
Glitzy and glamorous, the Heartland Men's Chorus opens their 25th season with vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway. "The Nanny" crooner brings wit and pizazz to the Folly.
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Thu, Sep 30, 2010
Kansas City’s premier jazz and blues event – Rhythm & Ribs - is just a week away, and it’s already creating good vibrations with Rhythm & Ribs Artist-in-Residence and jazz trumpeter Nicholas Payton; a Donny Hathaway Tribute band featuring Kirk Whalum and guest Lalah Hathaway; and the hard-hitting, old school soul sounds of Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players.
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Tue, Sep 28, 2010
The Bad Plus, in their Kansas City debut, has found its niche and is developing a new style of jazz with a progressive outlook, experimental emphasis and respect for improvisation.
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Fri, Sep 17, 2010
BongoTini gives audiences an aural trip to the tropics through exploring the wonderful possibilities of 1950s and 60s-inspired exotica.
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Tue, Sep 07, 2010
The City of Prairie Village and the Prairie Village Arts Council has just announced the line-up for the inaugural Prairie Village Jazz Festival. This free event will be held on the Prairie Village Municipal Campus at Harmon Park (7700 Mission Road) on Saturday September 11 from 3:00p.m. until 9:00p.m.
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Tue, Aug 24, 2010
The Ruel Joyce Recital Series at Johnson County Community College marks its 22nd year with another line-up of Kansas City’s finest classical musicians. The recitals, which are free and open to the public, are scheduled at noon Monday for nine weeks, Sept. 13–Nov. 8, in the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center, JCCC.
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Tue, Jun 29, 2010
Now showing: “Atlantic Diaspora: The Musical and Social Influences of Africans in Mexico and the United States” is part of an expanding cultural diversity project between the American Jazz Museum, the Mexican Consulate, and the Mattie Rhodes Center.
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Tue, Apr 27, 2010
Christian McBride, renowned jazz bassist, and his band Inside Straight concluded this season's Folly Jazz Series with a rousing concert this past Saturday night.
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Tue, Mar 30, 2010
The New York City woodwind quintet Imani Winds is perfect blend of individual personalities, accomplishments and sheer talent. During last weekend's UMKC Signature Series performance, it was wonderful to see a traditional chamber ensemble express such exuberance for new music.
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Wed, Mar 24, 2010
Make sure to head down to the American Jazz Museum for their 2nd Annual Vine Street Boogie Silent/Live Auction on Saturday, April 10. And a portion of the proceeds will go to KCMetropolis.org to help keep the performing arts vibrantly visible in Kansas City!
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Tue, Mar 16, 2010
After a seemingly endless winter in Kansas City, the idea of taking a sojourn to Brazil seemed like a godsend - even if the only way to accomplish that was vicariously through masters of the bossa nova. For the few hundred lucky jazz lovers who ventured downtown to the Folly Theater last Saturday, a vacation to the tropics wasn't such an arduous trek after all.
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Mon, Mar 15, 2010
Before Charlie Parker became an improvisational innovator and saxophone legend, the Kansas City native humbly crafted his sound in - you guessed it - a school band.
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