WMM presents: Claire Adams + ALBER + Rick Truman & The Folly Theater + Sondra Freeman & Michelle Bacon of Midwest Music Foundation

Wednesday MidDay Medley
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Claire Adams + ALBER + Rick Truman & The Folly Theater
+ Sondra Freeman & Michelle Bacon of Midwest Music Foundation

Mark spins more New & MidCoastal Releases from: Claire Adams, ALBER, Paris Williams, Friendly Thieves, Cowtown Country Club, Lonnie Fisher, L’Rain, Matthew Whitaker, Neko Case, Paul Cherry, and Alex Newell.

At 10:10am we welcome special guest: Claire Adams who has a new EP called WORDS OF LOVE being released on April 2, 2024. In Kansas City, Claire founded the eight-piece genre-jumping collective Claire and the Crowded Stage – a project that united her pop sensibilities with non-traditional instrumentation. This project teamed her up with guitarist Katy Guillen and drummer Stephanie Williams, leading them to form the nationally touring blues-rock trio Katy Guillen & the Girls in 2012, with Adams on bass and backing vocals. In recent years Adams has been performing solo, collaborating with the KC based string quartet Rewound, and in a trio featuring pianist Alyssa Murray. Claire Adams plays The Gospel Lounge at Knuckleheads on Sunday, April 14 with Jackie Myers and Fritz Hutchison. More info at: www.claireadamsmusic.com

At 10:35 Mark talks with Albert Racanati who records as ALBER. Alberto Racanati is a genre-bending musician originally from Bari, Italy, now established in Kansas City. He learned to play his first notes on the trumpet at age 11. At 14 Alberto enrolled in the Bari Conservatory to pursue his performance degree in the academy, while living a parallel musical existence in the rich musical underground in Southern Italy, playing drums & trumpet in multiple bands. In 2011 his studies took him to the National Music Academy in Gdansk, Poland. In 2014 Alberto moved to the United States to work as a Graduate Assistant at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. In 2016 Alberto moved to Kansas City to pursue a Doctoral Degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where he became enamored with the local music scene. Alberto’s first self-titled album was released in 2020, followed by significant live performing presence in 2021 in Kansas and Missouri. His second album Journey, was released in 2021. In 2023 Alberto was awarded the ArtsKC Inspiration Grant for his multimedia installation “Born at Sea”, a project centered on the idyllic sea scenery of his hometown, debuting in 2024. He also became a Charlotte Street Foundation Studio Resident. Currently, Alberto is about to release his third full length album Lento and is planning his upcoming 2024 tours to the East Coast and Southern Italy.

At 11:00am we’ll welcome Rick Truman – Executive Director at The Folly Theatre at 300 West 12th Street, KCMO. Rick Truman joined the Folly Theater as Executive Director in January 2022. From 2003 to 2021, Truman served as Managing Director of Quality Hill Playhouse, a local nonprofit theater company, leading financial and administrative operations. He holds a Master in Public Administration from the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at UMKC and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in acting and directing from Avila University. In addition to his experience in nonprofit arts management, Rick has performed or stage directed at many Kansas City theaters, including Kansas City Repertory Theater, Musical Theater Heritage, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Spinning Tree Theatre, Coterie Theatre, Unicorn Theatre, and Civic Opera Theater. On Saturday, April 6 The Folly Jazz Series continues with Matthew Whitaker, Jazz Series, 22-year-old phenom. More information at www.follytheater.org

At 10:30 Sondra Freeman and Michelle Bacon share details about Midwest Music Foundation’s Annual Spring Donation Drive, Mental Health Care for Musicians, Saturday, April 6 at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave, KCMO West Bottoms with a 6:00 Dinner Show with Cowtown Country Club and a 10:00 Evening Show with Friendly Thieves Paris Williams, SirQueen and Goomer Green. The Spring Drive is raising funds to assist local musicians & industry professionals with affordable, essential health care service. Donate/Info at: www.midwestmusicfoundation.org

Show #1040

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