Matt Otto: An Appreciation

Not since Pat Metheny and Bobby Watson lit up Kansas City's clubs a few decades ago has a young locally-based jazz instrumentalist played with such imagination and innovation. The great Bobby Watson aside, Matt Otto is Kansas City's premier jazz artist. I'm not suggesting that Otto is a star in the making. Alas, that's not a realistic possibility for jazz instrumentalists in 2010. But if you care about Kansas City's jazz scene- or even if you just pretend to care about it- then Matt Otto is the name you need to know.

(This text an abridged version of a post at Kansas City jazz blog Plastic Sax.)