Kris Funn CornerStore

Kris Funn
CornerStore
Self-produced

The CornerStore - "On the corner of bebop and hiphop, hard rock and hard knocks … Here in West Baltimore. This ain't just a store. It's a metaphor for our lives. … So take a look around. We ain't got what you need, but I know we got what you want. … Thank You For Shopping With Us… Welcome to the corner store." This bits and pieces excerpt comes from Paige Hernadez's narration of the opening track of bassist Kris Funn's long-awaited recording "CornerStore," which is also the group under which this music is presented in public.

Funn is a second generation jazz artist whose father Charles is also a noted educator who was honored a couple years ago by the Jazz Journalists Association as a jazz hero. Kris Funn may be familiar to those who are fans of trumpeter Christian Scott's music as he has been part of Scott's band for a number of years as well as is heard on Scott's recordings. Funn has also played and recorded with vibraphonist Warren Wolf and too many others to note, and when the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival needed a rhythm section for the great Benny Golson, Funn was on bass.

The rest of the CornerStore includes drummer John Lampkin (or Quincy Phillips), guitarist John Lee and saxophonist Tim Green. Allyn Johnson and Janelle Gill add piano to a few tracks. When this writer first saw Kris Funn and CornerStore at a Capital Bop (Local DC jazzgroup) produced show several years ago, it was Lee and Lampkin. Seeing the group on this and other occasions I told Kris he needed to record this group. I was not alone in this, and finally we have this recording.

The music here brings together the mix of lyricism, blues feeling, funk and more, that characterize the CornerStore performances. Blues is a root of Funn's compositions, often repeating a melodic phrase before the compositions open in unexpected and delightful fashions. The opening "Visceral," a trio performance with Funn, Lampkin and Lee imaginatively and energetically taking us through this blues. It was on the following "Gemini," with Green's alto added, that one starts to appreciate the melodic elements of Funn's music with his singing tone in harmony with Lee's guitar on stating the theme. The performances are full of fun (no pun intended) as well as imaginative playing with unexpected twists.

The only number on this that was a bit disappointing was "Thursday Night Prayer Meeting," and that is because pianist Allyn Johnson is spectacular as usual, but he dominates the performance that it minimizes the stop-time, bass break that is part of why this such a favorite of the CornerStore's live performances. At the CD release party at the Kennedy Center (viewable at the Kennedy Center's website), they closed with this. While Johnson was perhaps even more astonishing, the bass break was also more prominent. But it still is a very good performance. In any event, this terrific album has been well worth the wait for us.

I purchased this. It is available from various internet stores including at bandcamp, https://cornerstoremusic.bandcamp.com/album/cornerstore. At another CD release party at the Washington DC Leica Store, Kris Funn and the CornerStore are seen performing "Thursday Night Prayer Meeting," with Herb Scott on alto sax, John Lee on guitar and John Lampkin on drums.

New Vintage Jazz & Wine Fest Coming August 24

Kris Funn performing with Corner Store  

Kris Funn and the Corner Store are amongst the bands playing the New Vintage Jazz & Wine Fest at the DC Fairgrounds near Nationals Park in Washington DC. This takes place Saturday August 24 starting at 2:00PM

Curated by the folks at Capital Bop (http://capitalbop.com) here is the full line-up

The artists will perform at the following times:
2:30 – Tarus Mateen
3:15 – Kris Funn & Corner Store
4:15 – Todd Marcus Quartet
5:15 – Christie Dashiell Quartet
6:15 – Donvonte McCoy Quartet, Feat. Heidi Martin
7:15 – The Funk Ark
8:30 – Rafiq Bhatia

I have enjoyed Tarus Mateen (he is bassist with Jason Moran and The Bandwagon amongst other groups); Funn, bass clarinetist Marcus and trumpeter McCoy and they are exceptional artists. Vocalists Dashiell and Martin are performers I am really looking forward to see. Capitol Bop's website has much more information on what looks like an amazing event, including more information on the performers. 

Here is a link to their post that announced this event: http://capitalbop.com/2013/07/24/show-announcement-new-vintage-jazz-wine-fest-amazing-talent-wine-at-the-fairgrounds/.

One footnote. I met Kris Funn at the 2012 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and he is the nephew of a former colleague of mine at the government agency I worked at. I kidded Kris that his uncle made the best pound cake I ever had. Kris is on a number of recordings of the brilliant young trumpeter, Christian Scott, in whose band he has been in for several years. His group was a highlight of a DC Jazz Loft show that was part of the DC Jazz Festival a couple years ago from which the picture at the top of this entry was taken.

Here is the exceptional bassist, Tarus Mateen playing with saxophonist Brian Settles as part of a group led by drummer Lenny Robinson. Mateen will be leading his own group this day.

Donvonte McCoy is one of the Washington DC's premier trumpeters. My picture of him was taken during a salute to the music of Lee Morgan he performed at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art. 

Todd Marcus is among the few who focus on playing bass clarinet exclusively. here he is at the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival.

DC Jazz Festival Picks for June 4

Kris Funn

This is the fourth post I am making to highlight some of the shows associated with this year’s DC Jazz Festival. I am specifically not highlighting the DC JazzLoft Fest since I have posted on this already. I will may also pick a few other shows around the DC Virginia area that should not be overlooked. I am posting this a day ahead of the date of performances.

At 6:00 PM, the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage will feature bassist Kris Funn. This Baltimore, Maryland native is currently a member of trumpeter Christian Scott’s Band. He currently leads Kris Funn & Corner Store. which also features drummer Quincy Phillips of the Roy Hargrove Quintet. The band features Funn’s blues-battered bass lines, rocking originals, and dramatically danceable revisions of John Coltrane and Sam Cooke tunes.

The Kennedy Center at 7:30 hosts Jazz Meets The Classics with the Classical Jazz Quartet featuring Kenny Barron, Stefon Harris, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash; Paquito D’Rivera Sextet; Pepe Rivero; Michael Phillip Mossman and Pernell Saturnino. This is the signature concert featuring a number of NEA Jazz Masters.

Jonathan Batiste

The Hamilton hosts a show with groups led by pianist Jonathan Batiste and bassist Ben Williams. Batiste is a member of the celebrated Batiste Family of New Orleans and with Henry Butler, and Davell Crawford, is among the leading contemporary proponents of the New Orleans piano tradition. But he is so much more as indicated by his performances with Roy Hargrove's Big Band, Wynton Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson and others and has issued several albums. Bassist Ben Williams is a Washington DC native who won the Theloious Monk International Competition for Bass in 2009. He has performed with such artists as Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Roy Hargrove, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut, Ron Blake, Stefon Harris, Karreim Riggins, Hamiett Bluett, James Williams, Bobby Watson, and Winard Harper. His recently issued the excellent album State of Art on Concord Jazz.

The Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra has its weekly performance at the Bohemian Gardens. For information of them visit http://www.bohemiancavernsjazzorchestra.com/live/.


For more information visit http://www.dcjazzfest.org/content.cfm/schedule_and_major_events.

Capital Bop's DC Jazz Loft Series Needs Your Kickstart

I highlighted the upcoming DC Jazz Festival back in late April. Well the Festival starts in two weeks from today. One of the events associated with the Festival is the DC Jazz Loft Series that is being produced by the website Capital Bop, one of the DC area’s prime sources for what is happening jazz wise. Additionally they produce regular jazz loft shows highly upcoming performers and performers who have their own highly original approach to America’s musical art form.

To quote Luke Stewart and Giovanni Russonello, “We run CapitalBop.com, a website dedicated to promoting the city’s jazz scene by providing full-press coverage and by putting on concerts. … Since December 2010, we’ve been organizing D.C. Jazz Loft shows to spotlight this city’s vast and varied jazz talent in low-frills, exciting settings.” With respect to the DC Jazz Loft series, “[W]e’re proud to announce our return to the DC Jazz Festival for the second annual D.C. Jazz Loft Series. At three exciting shows next month, we’ll be presenting a tenacious argument for the relevance and power of contemporary jazz, and we'll be doing it at engaging, community-oriented venues." The shows at this year’s Jazz Loft series are:

June 1 // Todd Marcus Jazz Ensemble with D.C.'s Christie Dashiell Quartet, live at the Dunes. Baltimore’s Todd Marcus is among the few who specialize in the bass clarinet and is scheduled to lead his nine-piece ensemble headlining this show. Capital Bop notes that he leads a nine piece ensemble. “Thankfully, both Marcus’s oddball instrumentalism and his offbeat ensemble are astonishingly strong, modern and infectious. Few people improvise with more fervor or write music better than he does.” Opening will be vocalist Christie Dashiell featuring the former member of Howard University’s famed acapella group Afro-Blue. she’ll she’ll lead her own quartet through a blend of original compositions, and covers of jazz and pop songs.


June 2 // Tarbaby (Orrin Evans, Nasheet Waits and Eric Revis) with D.C.'s Kris Funn & Corner Store, live at the Fridge. Tarbaby is a jazz supergroup on a mission. Featuring pianist Orrin Evans (leader of the acclaimed Captain Black Big Band), bassist Eric Revis (a longtime collaborator with Branford Marsalis and a strong bandleader) and drummer Nasheet Waits (who performs with Jason Moran, among other greats), this band is uncompromisingly experimental and unabashedly outspoken. Opening will be bassist Kris Funn & Corner Store. Funn is currently a member of Christian Scott’s touring band, Corner Store, also features drummer Quincy Phillips of the Roy Hargrove Quintet. The band debuted at a jam-packed D.C. Jazz Loft where they “burned the house down, with Funn’s blues-battered bass lines, rocking originals, and dramatically danceable revisions of John Coltrane and Sam Cooke tunes taking center stage.”

June 9 // Jazz Loft MegaFest, feat. Marc Cary's Cosmic Indigenous with Lenny Robinson's Mad Curious and Elijah Jamal Balbed/Tarus Mateen/Lee Pearson II, live at the loft at 629 New York Ave. NW. “The series will culminate in a daylong Jazz Loft MegaFest on Sat., June 9. This won’t be any old concert: From 3 p.m. till 2 a.m., you’ll be immersed in a marketplace of improvised sound, visual art, quality food, drinks and creativity. We’re converting a gorgeous loft space on New York Avenue ( into a pop-up shop, music venue, art gallery, movie theater, and – with assistance from the foodies at the Taste of DC – an eatery and bar, catered by some of the top restaurants in the District.

With respect to Mark Cary, “His latest project, Cosmic Indigenous, throws everything into a pot and turns up the heat to a boil. The quintet is devastatingly danceable, which distracts you from how much creativity is happening onstage: Cary plays keyboard and laptop music, Malian singer and dancer Awa Sangho croons and yowls, two percussionists interweave (Sameer Gupta on tabla and drums, and Daniel Moreno on Latin percussion) and trumpeter Igmar Thomas brings a punchy rhythmic sensitivity to his melodic improvisations.”

Drummer Lenny Robinson is a DC fixture who plays with precision and grace, even at the swiftest tempos – but he’s also attuned to the malleability of a cymbal, or a snare drum. In his trio, Mad Curious, Robinson is joined by two of the greatest musicians in D.C. jazz, saxophone searcher Brian Settles and star bassist Tarus Mateen.

Tenor saxophonist Elijah Jamal Balbed is a young gun who plays every note like he’s got something crucial to prove. He swings hard, and calls up the memory of his forebears in the music such as John Coltrane, Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins. He will be accompanied by two veterans of the DC scene, bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Lee Pearson II.

This is quite a series of concerts and more that I highly recommend. Much of what I have taken is from Capital Bop’s own post on this series of shows, http://www.capitalbop.com/2012/04/25/announcing-this-years-d-c-jazz-loft-series-at-the-dc-jazz-fest-marc-cary-tarbaby-much-more/#ChristieDashiell. They have videos of several of the performers on that page. I am looking forward to attending a good portion of the performances at this year’s series. Tickets for the series can be purchased at the Capital Bop website.

Capital Bop is also engaged in a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to help produce this series. As I type this they still need to raise approximately 40% of their $4000 goal. I am one of those who are financially supporting this Kickstarter campaign and I encourage my fellow jazz lovers in the Washington DC area to show their support for the DC Jazz Loft Series, part of this year’s DC Jazz Festival. The Campaign is scheduled to end on May 31 at 11:00PM. Here is the link to the Kickstarter campaign, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/capitalbop/capitalbops-dc-jazz-loft-series-at-the-2012-dc-jaz.