- Video Recorded Apr 24 2010

It’s nice to go out to the city on cool, rainy nights. No matter how lonely or bummed one might feel before leaving the house, the bustle, freedom, and lights of progress have a way of lifting spirits; especially when the lights lead to music. Jardine’s was packed to the brim on this chili Saturday night. Headed north on Main, I waited forever to turn left into the parking lot ramp and met Mike there. We decided to plan for the next show to cover just that morning and found Mark Southerland billed for the late night. I was eager to spend some quality time frying my brain with anti-harmonic Snuff in this moody sardine can of jazz. I entered, paid the five dollar cover, and looked around for the players. To my surprise, I spotted someone I recognized as a guest of Kansas City. Mingling with the crowd was a petite woman dressed in a charmingly ridiculous outfit. Pink tights with white polka dots were covered by a dress drenched in what at first glance appeared to be realistic floral pattern. Upon further inspection, the flowers turned out to be clocks. 

I saw Annie Ellicott for the first time last year around this time. She was a guest singer appearing with the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. Mark Southerland was with them as well. I recalled that these two were a deadly combination, so already my hopes had been surpassed for this show. I found out between tunes that Mark was actually playing in a band from Tulsa, Oklahoma called Sir Threadius Mongus, consisting of Annie, Jeff Davis, guitarist and composer, and Zach Elkins on bari sax. Jeff Harshbarger was sitting in on upright bass, Josh Adams on drums, and as advertised, Mark Southerland on tenor and custom sax. 

The group was huddled cozily together. Jeff Davis stood stage right. He wore cartoon-sized white sunglasses and faced Josh. He was visibly conducting as best he could while wielding an axe, which helped his presence since his back was to the audience. Front and center stood Annie, with the horns stage left and Harshbarger behind her. A sextet on Jardine’s stage can’t move around much, but the energy flowed when they wanted it to. I was lucky enough to get a stool at the end of the top half of Jardine’s bar sandwich. All the tables were filled up, and people were standing in the back. The crowd was younger than usual. Southerland has a dedicated following amongst outcasts and curious musicians (ahem). He also appeals to connoisseurs that frequent the entire Westport and Plaza area in search of exotic new tastes.

Jardine’s reserved candle lighting, red and black paint, and restaurant neat-table atmosphere blended with the undercurrent of anxious buzz traveling through the crowd and supported Sir Threadius Mongus’s sound perfectly. The show started off loose with Davis playing a slow, slightly unstable blues riff. Annie’s voice penetrated through the heavy-lidded groove, starting low with the guitar, and escalating to her own heights. The saxophones created a layer of texture, echoing Annie’s melody. After a slight dip in tempo, the drums kicked up a notch and the tune morphed into a galloping jam. 
The rest of the performance came in waves. It seemed through every tune there was a solid but alien harmonic structure. The bass held it down firmly while the drums kept a steady pace. The guitar and horns floated along their own individual paths. Main themes were established clearly, but gave way to monstrous, mentally intrusive improvisation that even led the rhythm section into abandoning its steady pulse at times. During these overflowing sections, the energy filled the bar and created a thick and tense atmosphere as everyone struggled to keep track of the mayhem. 

Each musician had a specific role, and despite the apparent chaos of the music, they were all able to stand out in their own way. Though he took a back seat in this group, Southerland still tore up every solo opportunity he came across as expected. He takes naturally to disorder, but the vibe of Sir Threadius Mongus is far different from that of Snuff Jazz. Even when things got crazy, Mark was careful not to plunge too deep into his more animalistic and ravenous habits. Instead, he paid close attention to his music stand along with the rest of the Kansas City half of the group and behaved himself harmonically. Zach Elkins, also paying close attention to his sheets, kept calm and consistent underneath Southerland and above Harshbarger. His presence was hardly noticeable without focus, but the breadth of his sound filled a gap that would have otherwise left the band sounding thin.
Jeff Davis, having conceived the band and music, also took a more supportive role. He started many of the tunes with off-kilter riffs, and played along with the melody in brief segments, but he remained humble and observant. When Davis did break out a solo, he reminded me a bit of John McLaughlin with his slight distortion, alternating runs, and sudden discordant jabs. 
Jeff Harshbarger remained stoic in his playing until things really got heated, in which case he would thrash appropriately. At certain levels of excitement, he would reach to his high register, but it was inaudible under the weight of the band. Josh Adams also kept his cool until the occasion called for explosiveness. But, as she did last year with Jacob Fred, Annie Ellicott stole the show.

As entertainers, musicians have an innate impulse to attract visual attention on stage, even if we knowingly end up looking foolish. This strategy can end up being effective in some cases, or it can alienate the audience and destroy our credibility. Ultimately, it depends on the musician’s performance quality, and Annie Ellicott delivered just that. Too often, jazz singers are just as boring and predictable as their outfits. They may have superior chops than singers from other genres, but they seem to use an orthodox tone, technique, and demeanor that have the same cheesy lounge vibe and stick to it. Annie is not limited in this way. Both times that I’ve seen her performance, she bubbled with energy, swinging her head back and forth and skip-dancing in place. Her voice is distinct, powerful, rich and full. Her tone is jazzy, but she’s able to switch to a blues or rock sound seamlessly. She’s not afraid to use growls, screams, airy whispers or whatever else she might feel like spitting out. Her range is also incredible, dropping to alluring lows and shooting up to piercing squeals without ever losing intonation. Yet, with all this flexibility, she doesn’t make a gratuitous peep.

The night of entertainment included two sets. Many people left after the first, which afforded Mike and I an opportunity to snag a table for a more comfortable and closer look. The second set consisted of more Sir Threadius Mongus original tunes for the first portion, and Mark Southerland tunes featuring sit-ins from his usual posse, including Shay Estes who sang along with Annie and Brad Cox on the grand. Jardine’s is a blast when the right musicians are there. Thanks to Mark Southerland’s popularity and Jardine’s high standards for musicians, it has become a place to check out the newest and most courageous jazz. Hopefully Kansas City has given Sir Threadius Mongus good reason to return. I caught up with them after the show and had a chat.

Audio Recorded Apr 24th 2010 © Nectar Notes

Audio Recorded Apr 24th 2010 © Nectar Notes

 

Published Friday, 30th April 2010 - Written by Jeff Benjamin