Micah Herman is a fine Kansas City jazz bassist. Although he’s not as recognized as other area jazz bassists Bob Bowman, Jeff Harshbarger, Dominique Sanders and Gerald Spaits, Herman is a similarly formidable player.
On Thursday night at The Ship, Herman leads what he promises will be “one big bebop jam session” as part of Kansas City's annual Charlie Parker Celebration, a series of performances intended to honor the legacy of the late genius from Kansas City.
Slated to join him are saxophonist Tivon Pennicott and pianist Sullivan Fortner — guest artists based in New York — sitting in with a Kansas City band that also includes trumpeter Nick Howell, guitarist Matt Hopper, pianist Paul Roberts and drummer Matt Leifer.
Herman named his first and only record, 2011's "The Ship," after the West Bottoms tavern where he curates the Thursday jazz performance series. The record features contributions from two notable saxophonists originally from the area: Logan Richardson, who is now touring the globe, and Matt Carrillo, now based in Brooklyn.
Herman has not posted his music online, but here he is playing, along with Carillo and others, in this performance of Stevie Wonder’s “Boogie On Reggae Woman” at the now-defunct Take Five Coffee + Bar in 2014:
Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, 9 p.m. Thursday, August 24 at the Ship, 1217 Union Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64101.
KCUR contributor Bill Brownlee blogs about Kansas City's jazz scene at Plastic Sax.
