Jazz Beat: Forward, at Take Five Coffee + Bar

Esteemed jazz writer Stanley Crouch recently was in town, and he stopped by the Blue Room to hear some of this city’s young jazz talent. The musician who captured his attention that night was saxophonist Michael Shults, from Bobby Watson’s UMKC jazz program, which continues to graduate extraordinary musicians into the KC scene. Shults’ solos soared in unexpected and delightful directions, full of fresh and intelligent musical ideas. Sadly, Shults soon leaves KC for a teaching position, so jazz fans should take advantage of his talents while he’s still around. Friday, you can hear him in Clint Ashlock’s quintet Forward, with Ashlock on trumpet, Shults on sax, Jeff Stocks on guitar, Joel Stratton on bass and John Kizilarmut on drums.