Buried in a recent log entry on Mark Pender's blog — he being the Kansas City native and trumpeter in the Max Weinberg 7 on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" — is this item:
I've just achieved a goal of a lifetime by finishing and mastering the Mark Pender-Jay McShann record. Jay McShann who first recorded Charlie Parker, and was author of songs done by the Rolling Stones and was there at the crossroads in the creation of both Bebop and Rock and Roll, has in my opinion never recieved his true recognition, The CD titled I went back to Kansas City, is a recorded history of my return to the home of my musical and physical upbringing , reuniting me with one of the true Jazz Icons.
As someone who was on hand for that session, I was privileged to receive an advance copy from Mark, and it's well worth a listen. A couple of tracks are historic, first-rate snapshots of the very last of the blue devils, playing in final recording session. Here is just a taste: the first 90 seconds of the album's title track, "I Went Back to Kansas City," with Mark on vocals and Hootie, of course, on piano.
PenderMcShann-IWentBack-clip.mp3
The session was recorded in the winter of 2004. It took this long for Mark to master it including new horn and rhythm tracks he recorded when he got back to New York (you'll hear bandmates Jimmy Vivino and La Bamba on the recording, among others). It's been well worth the wait. Mark is expected to release the disc himself later this year.
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