June 10, 2006
Overland Park, KS

It was a great night for music.  Typical weather for our Jazz in the Woods weekend in Kansas City, sunny, hot, humid and windy.  When Lao Tizer and his band took stage in the early evening, the crowd welcomed him back for his much-requested second year at the festival. This was Lao’s first show promoting his fifth CD, Diversify.  He started with the first song on the record, the upbeat “A Night in the City,” with Lao on keyboards, Steve Nieves on sax, percussion and vocals, Jeff Kollman on guitar, Christopher Maloney on bass and some great drum work by Drew Megna.  “Olivas Adobe” was next with some absolutely beautiful acoustic guitar from Jeff Kollman.  Some of the crowd was up dancing in front of the stage during this Spanish number!  A brief rain shower didn’t dampen the spirit on his next song, “What It Is” from Lao’s previous CD, Golden Soul.   The dancing continued and as quickly as umbrellas popped open, the rain stopped!  Lao played a solo number, “Improvisation,” next and the thousands in the crowd were enthralled with this touching number.  “West Side” from Golden Soul, got everyone back up and moving again and they kept moving through the next two numbers from Diversify, “Up A Notch” and “Flow” featuring Jeff again on acoustic.

To slow down a little, Lao played “Ella’s First Light” with Jeff accompanying on acoustic.  This song was written for Jeff’s ten-month-old daughter.  A crowd favorite, “Fire & Ice” from Golden Soul, energized the crowd once again and that led into the title track from Lao’s new CD, “Diversify,” with Steve on sax and percussion and singing along with the melody.  Just like last year, storm clouds started moving in so Lao’s show was cut short.  He ended the show with the first single off the new record, the funky “Uptown.”  From the looks and sounds of the standing ovation and the fact that he sold out of his new CD leaving a lot of people still in line (and without me even getting one!), the crowd wasn’t ready for Lao and the band to leave the stage.  Many said after the show that they hope he’s back next year as a headliner.  Catch him if he comes to a city near you.  You won’t be disappointed!

- Susan Johnson