Pitch Music Showcase Guide

SoundsGood Aside from releasing a newly titled version of Biscuits and Gravy in Japan and performing a smattering of local gigs, the duo behind SoundsGood spent most of 2006 apart. Joe Good's Hi, May I Help You mix gave us a taste of his future solo and Backwoods Brothers projects. Miles Bonny kept busy honing his production skills and gave us a reason to Feel Sexy once a month at the Hangout. Together or separately, both continue to play a substantial role in bringing high-quality hip-hop to both sides of the state line. www.yourfavoritegroup.com

CES Cru Two long years have passed since the fist-pumping debut from CES Cru. Nonetheless, Ubiquitous and Godemis are still two of the freshest MCs out there. Along with a slew of live appearances, including dates warming up for Aceyalone, the duo earned head nods of approval from B-boys and punk rockers alike at this year's KC Hip-Hop and Punk show with their rapid-fire delivery, aggressive lyrics and rugged beats. If Cru's recent performances are any indication, the follow-up to Capture Enemy Soldiers will have been worth the wait. www.cescru.com

Mac Lethal Mac Lethal's long-awaited 11:11 still lacks a release date, but the profoundly charismatic MC has flooded fans with satisfying diversions in the meantime. In April, Lethal released Love Potion 2, a 16-song standout that he describes as an "11:11 companion." He brought underground hip-hop to commercial radio with The Jump Off, his Sunday night stint on KRBZ 96.5. And he upstaged headliner Atmosphere at the Beaumont Club in May, unleashing freestyle rhymes, amusing non sequiturs and classic lines while playing hip-hop-scotch with a dizzying barrage of beats. Lethal resumes his tour with Atmosphere this fall in Canada. www.lethalville.com

Archetype Archetype set a new standard with Bleed for Them. Its funk- and soul-heavy sophomore release, which was distributed nationally by Datura Records, was proof that hip-hop can be complicated and danceable at the same time. Jeremy "Nezbeat" Nesbitt's carefully layered beats were the perfect complement to Isaac "ID" Diehl's unbridled flow. Along with the album's release party (which also premiered Nesbitt's new LP with indie rock group Blackout Gorgeous), the duo opened for Ugly Duckling and recently took the stage at the Wakarusa Festival. www.myspace.com/archetypesite

JAZZ Bobby Watson Despite our city's place in jazz history, there really aren't that many honest-to-God heavyweights in these parts, musicians who are recognized by critics and fans on an international level. Alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, a graduate of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and a professor at UMKC, is one of the few. With a brilliant mind behind the horn, Watson makes his sax a good-lovin' woman: It cooks, sings, cleans, makes sweet love, then smacks folks upside the head when they least expect it. www.bobbywatson.com

The Grand Marquis It's no accident that the Grand Marquis also received nominating votes in the Blues/Soul category — on the right night, the group would get a nod or two in the Country category, too. What the Marquis understands is that moment in the late '40s or early '50s when rhythm and blues, blues, jump blues, jazz — even Bob Wills' western swing — were close enough in spirit to share musicians, backbeats and wardrobes. Speaking of wardrobes, there's not a band left in KC that can out-vintage the Grand Marquis — especially the hats, suits and drummer Lisa McKenzie's delicious threads. www.grandmarquis.net

Snuff Jazz Technically, Snuff Jazz is less a band than it is a project to prove that music can pretty much go anywhere. At a typical Snuff Jazz show at the Brick or Y.J.'s, for instance, you'll almost certainly encounter longtime compatriots and founders Mark Southerland and Bill McKemy ravaging horns and detuning the bass (respectively). You also might run into guitarist Eugene Chadbourne deconstructing standards, nonstandards, and the notion of music itself. While you sip your yard beer or down your shot in relative peace, beware — your records may never again sound the same.

Angela Hagenbach Angela Hagenbach is quietly (and officially, if a few recent concert posters are any proof) becoming one of Kansas City's main divas. That's not to say she's difficult; rather, she has seemingly mastered jazz — big band, torch songs, Latin music, even Portuguese pronunciations and syncopation. She also makes each listener feel like the only person in the room. And with her own label, Amazon Records, she's at the leading business edge of keeping KC jazz viable. www.amazon records.com/hagen bach.html

Megan Birdsall With this year's release of her debut CD, Track 13, Megan Birdsall has been doing all right. The CD pushes what might be expected from a jazz vocalist by covering not one but three Beatles tunes (including a terrific version of "Dear Prudence)," "Tell Me Something Good" (a live highlight) and two gorgeous Joni Mitchell tunes. Birdsall, at the ripe old age of 28, is equally comfortable with standards such as "Love for Sale" and "Miss Otis Regrets." As long as she's willing to stay in town, the next jazz generation has a chance. www.meganbirdsall.com

LATIN Makuza Makuza, UMKC's relatively new Latin jazz combo, benefits from a pair of wonderful mentors — sax legend Bobby Watson and drummer Doug Auwater — who help shape its Afro-Cuban sound. With native Chilean Pablo Sanhueza providing the percussion and award-winning pianist Mark Lowery swinging the piano lines, the group has been a highlight at the region's jazz gatherings, including the UMKC Jazz Festival and Rhythm and Ribs. The players are young, sure, but they know how to make people push closer and dance.