Though it's firmly rooted in jazz, The Project H also appeals to fans of rock and R&B.
At the end of March, a flurry of sales briefly placed their new record, "Everyday, Forever" in the top ten of iTunes' jazz album chart; they celebrate its official release on Wednesday.
Trombonist Ryan Heinlein serves as bandleader to Brett Jackson (tenor saxophone, flute and bass clarinet), Nate Nall (trumpet), Adam Schlozman (guitar), Andrew Ouellette (keyboards), Andrew Stinson (bass) and Matt Leifer (drums). A string quartet also plays on five of the record's tracks.
A standout is "Pander Bear," features contributions from guest artists Peter Schlamb (vibraphone) and Peter Martin (tenor saxophone) — with horns, drums and vibraphone competing for attention in a boisterous arrangement that scampers like an animated animal in a fanciful children's cartoon:
Headlining Wednesday's show is The Mark Lettieri Trio, featuring Lettieri (a member of Snarky Puppy, a popular band with bases in New York and Dallas), Jason "JT" Thomas (a drummer in Snarky Puppy) and bassist Wes Stephenson, a member of the Dallas band Funky Knuckles.
The Project H, Wednesday, April 4 at the Westport Coffee House, 4010 Pennsylvania, Kansas City, Missouri, 64111.
KCUR contributor Bill Brownlee blogs about Kansas City's jazz scene at Plastic Sax.
