Holiday Gift Guide 2012 [ Feature A Kansas City Christmas Kevin Mahogany leans on K.C. Soul for holiday Album By Eric Harabadian t’s no secret that Kansas City, Mo., has traditionally been a hotbed of jazz activity since the 1920s. Artists such as Count Basie, Bennie Moten, Jay McShann and Charlie Parker are just a few of the notable representatives that helped put that city on the map. Certainly one of that town’s ardent, more contemporary sons who proudly carries the Kansas City torch is vocalist Kevin Mahogany. The versatile baritone has been deeply involved in the lexicon and culture of improvisation since he was 12 years old. He began as an instrumentalist, playing tenor and baritone saxophone and clarinet in big bands around the city. As one of the youngest gigging musicians on the venue circuit, Mahogany was in the spotlight early. The experience taught him not only about preserving the history and integrity of the music, but about being a professional and being able to adapt to various musical styles and situations. One of the latest in a soon-to-be extensive series of Mahogany releases is the vocalist’s Christmas album, Kevin Mahogany And The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (Mahogany Jazz). On the disc, Mahogany is in his natural habitat, reuniting with fellow hometown musicians and bridging the gap between traditional fare and modern crossover interpretations. Of the 14 tracks, half are instrumental and half feature Mahogany with the ensemble. “Although I didn’t start off singing with big bands, it was nice to be working with a big band again,” Mahogany said. “I’ve done some Christmas tunes with bands in the past but not a full CD. So, in that sense it was a lot of fun. And working with a lot of these guys I know and grew up with was great, too.” Mahogany’s robust and dulcet tones graced ’80s r&b/jazz groups Mahogany and The Apollos, with an approach that was as much influenced by Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson as it was Al Jarreau, Joe Williams and Eddie Jefferson. In the ’90s, he moved into more solo ventures, recording for various labels such as Enja, Warner Brothers and Telarc. In the mid-2000s, the singer focused on making the ultimate investment in his career by starting his own label, Mahogany Jazz. “It’s really just a matter of controlling the budget and more of what you’re doing,” Mahogany said. “It’s just easier to handle things yourself. Even when you’re on a major label, you end up doing a lot of the work yourself. You’re putting the band together, selecting the songs and so forth. There’s nobody to fall back on. Now, if the record’s good, it’s good because of me, and if it’s bad, it’s bad because of me, too.” Allene Mahogany Mahogany also reflected on making the switch from budding instrumentalist to accomplished singer. “I felt I reached a plateau as an instrumentalist,” Mahogany said. “I was never gonna be Gerry Mulligan [laughs]. I really didn’t see leading a group or band with my horn. I was in choirs throughout school and had always sung, so I turned my focus to that.” While the shift in direction proved most beneficial, Mahogany acknowledges the benefits of starting out as he had. “I think it made a big difference having an instrumental background,” he explained. “It makes it easier to understand what is going on around me musically and, ultimately, what I’m trying to do musically.” The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is directed and conducted by saxophonist Kerry Strayer, who also did the majority of arranging on the album. Time-honored favorites like “Silent Night,” “Let It Snow” and “Do You Hear What I Hear?” are present, but there are some welcome musical twists like a bossa nova-flavored “Christmas In Rio” or the gutbucket, soulful tune “Santa’s Blues.” “I really can’t remember how we all ended up together working on this,” Mahogany laughed. “I know me and Kerry were talking about it. The orchestra contacted me about doing a concert. I did some things with Kerry before. He did some arrangements for a benefit Christmas album to raise money for a charity in Kansas City.” Are there any challenges when tackling such well-known holiday chestnuts? “Yes, everybody has their favorite versions of a song,” Mahogany said. “You could never approach their definition of how the song should be done. Consequently, you’re just trying to do your best. We’re just trying to make the tunes a little fresher, cleaner and, perhaps, newer sounding.” Production at Mahogany Jazz rolls on with a lot of exciting activity into 2013. “The Christmas CD is the second in a series of three,” Mahogany said. “After the first of the year, we’ve got a lot more stuff ready to go.” DB 66 DOWNBEAT DECEMBER 2012
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