Kansas City, home of Count Basie, is famous for its jazz, the one of the hard swinging variety. Even those jazz cats who migrate to New York from KC will retain that swing with them. That’s certainly been the case for Matt Kane, a drummer from small town Missouri but who cut his teeth in Kansas City’s highly competitive scene. Having conquered that within eight years after he arrived in 1989, this drummer was ready for anything, which meant he was ready for NYC. There, he honed his skills even further studying under Adam Nussbaum, Carl Allen and Billy Hart. He’s since gotten gigs with the likes of Jovino Santos Neto, Norah Jones, Vic Juris, Steve Cardenas and Dave Stryker.
So it’s with a great deal of preparation that Kane brought into his first led album, Suit-Up!. The Trio he put together for this date includes Stryker on guitar (and producer), and Kyle Koehler on the B3, tipping us off that this is a greasy, soul jazz affair, and it is.
The presence of fellow Midwesterner Stryker alone, who also contributed two songs, is enough to get me very interested in this, as is the shamefully underrated Koehler, who also made a big impact on guitarist Mike Arroyo’s album from earlier this year. These guys make their jobs seem so easy, like when Stryker tames the blues on numbers like “Shadowboxing,” “Big Six” or “Minor Mutiny.” Or when Koehler takes advantage of his showcases on “John McKee,” “Mr. Rogers” and “21st Century Ragg” to burn with purpose using an endless variety of licks.
Yes, we can go on for a long time about those guys, but the leader is the difference that makes this an organ jazz record that’s a cut above. On “John McKee,” written by another fellow from small town Missouri (Pat Metheny), Kane swings with a little wrinkle in his gait, showing off that Kansas City “stamp” from the start. He uses several lines of attack on the 3/4 within “Who Can I Turn To?” before switching over to a 4/4. And he’s clearly the driving force behind Stryker and Koehler’s sly unison lines on “Shadowboxing,” because the rhythm pattern that is inseparable from the harmony. Kane is great on modern, RnB grooves, too, as evidenced by his sharp drumming on Earth Wind and Fire’s “That’s The Way Of The World.”
But the most impressive aspect of Kane’s style is his delicate touch, even when things get heated. He’s confident enough in his fills, shuffles and steady swing to define the beat, so he never has to resort to volume.
It’s that confidence and maturity that makes Suit-Up! a straight-up success over and beyond his talented bandmates’ help.
Suit-Up! goes on sale June 4, by Bounce-Step Records. Visit Matt Kane’s website for more info.
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