When I arrived at Jardine’s, I was delighted to see a dinner crowd whose average age wasn’t pushing 70. I intend no offense to the older folks, but a night at Jardine’s requires a little more financial capital than the average venue, and it is usually the case that the patrons who can afford the pricey (but good) menu are the ones who think live jazz should be limited to pre-bebop vocal standards. The nature of the dinner set band, the Matt Otto Quartet, likely contributed to the change in demographic; Otto is a wonderful tenor player who recently relocated from LA, and his band played a set devoted entirely to Thelonious Monk tunes. The band’s tremendous musicianship shone as they navigated some obscure and sometimes very challenging Monk charts. They made me wish I had arrived even earlier to hear their entire show (of course, since it was a Saturday at Jardine’s, I expected to walk in hearing another rehashed version of “Goin’ to Kansas City”). To say the experience was refreshing would be an understatement.

The Ornette Coleman-style quartet Jerome and the Townspeople had the late night set, and it was great to see them back at Jardine’s after an 8-month hiatus. The band’s original rhythm section (Adam Kabak, bass; Kevin Cerovich, drums) is now busy making things happen in New York, and Jerome has cycled through a number of rhythm section players, each of whom have provided some great interpretations of the band’s original numbers. The two mainstays are recent UMKC grads Patrick Ketter (tenor sax, oboe) and Nick Howell (trumpet), who have provided most of the band’s book of original tunes. That’s right- the standards this band plays are few and far between, and to hear young musicians play a show of almost entirely new compositions was (again) extremely refreshing.

The band sounded great; they certainly have created a unique aesthetic. Their sound is round and open, almost folky (Patrick describes it as ‘earthy’). Because there is not a harmonic instrument, the players were able to skip across the ‘free jazz’ line and back without having to worry about a chordal instrument keeping the form. This particular rhythm section (Brad Williams, drums; Seth Lee, bass) kept the ensemble cohesive but were able to drift skillfully into more ‘free’ territory. I think they both are a wonderful fit for Jerome and the Townspeople, and I would love to see them back.

Unfortunately, the attendance dwindled in the later hours of the evening. It’s always a little uncomfortable to see a great band play to only a handful of occupied tables. They took it in stride; what always impresses me about this band is that they are visibly having fun. Jerome and the Townspeople is certainly a beacon of light for Kansas City’s underrated new jazz scene, and I’d like to see them play in some venues that a potential younger crowd can afford.

Published Tuesday, 9th January 2010 - Written by Lauren Wells