Get your tickets TODAY for a walking tour of one of Kansas City’s most historic neighborhoods; 18th & Vine Jazz District! August 29, 2021 is the 101st birthday of Kansas City jazz legend, Charlie Parker. Celebrate a day early by touring Bird’s old stomping grounds and feel his tunes run through you!

Chuck Haddix – Director of UMKC Marr Sound Archives, host of KCUR 89.3 “Fish Fry” on Friday and Saturday nights, author of “Bird – The Life and Music of Charlie Parker” and “Kansas City Jazz – From Ragtime to Bebop”.

Geri Sanders – Independent historical consultant, specializing in the community at the 18^th and Vine Historic District and other diverse projects such being a part of the design team for the reopening of the Kansas City Museum as well as the Community Remembrance Project through the Legacy Museum, founded by Bryan Stevenson in Alabama.

Attendees will meet at the park at 18th & Highland Avenue at 9:45am to check in for the walking tour. Bottled water will be provided. Please bring your tickets with you.

About the Tour:

During the days of public segregation, Kansas City’s 18th and Vine area developed into a self-contained community. The intersection of 18th and Vine served as the hub of a bustling business and entertainment district–the heart and soul of an African-American community, bounded by Independence Avenue on the north, Troost Avenue on the west, 27th Street on the south and Benton Boulevard to the east.

Just after the turn of the 19th century, an African-American preacher and his wife, the Reverend and Mrs. Sweeney, operated a truck farm in the 18th and Vine area. By the late 1800s, thousands of African-Americans settled in the area, then known as the “Bowery.” In November 1909, the first moving picture show for African-Americans, the Star, opened in a wood-frame building at the northeast corner of 18th and Vine, forming the cornerstone of the new business district.

The area grew quickly and by 1915 dry goods stores, laundries, fish shops, bakeries, barbers, cobblers, tailors, restaurants, nightclubs and all the businesses and services denied the community downtown packed 18th Street east of Paseo Boulevard. Apartments and headquarters for social clubs perched on the second floor above the bustle of commerce below. The fragrant aroma of hickory smoke from Henry Perry’s Barbeque pit at 19th and Highland wafted over the community. Street cars rattled down the center of 18th Street connecting the community to the rest of the city and jobs in packing plants, the railroads and homes of the wealthy. Once established, the community grew swiftly and prospered.

Young Charlie Parker came of age as a man and musician in the 18th and Vine area. After Charlie’s parents separated in 1930, he and his mother Addie moved to a two-story brick house at 1516 Olive Street just blocks away from 18th and Vine. Addie worked nights and after she left for work, Charlie began his nightly rounds of the night clubs dotting 12th and 18th streets. While on tour later in his career, Charlie often stopped off in Kansas City to visit Addie, play gigs in the clubs on 18th street and renew old acquaintances.

Live jazz in the afternoon at Green Lady Lounge!

Due to COVID rise, American Jazz Museum has made the difficult decision to cancel Sunday’s (8/29) in-person events. They will be pivoting to a virtual event/video to be released next month. Updates to be announced at https://americanjazzmuseum.org/

Tune into the American Jazz Museum’s Facebook at 5pm on Sunday 8/29 for a livestreamed  horn salute and tribute to Charlie Parker, led by Bobby Watson! https://www.facebook.com/ajazzmuseumKC

A message from AJM…

“Due to the rising concern surrounding the COVID-19 Delta Variant, the American Jazz Museum has determined it is in the best interest of our staff, community, and guests to cancel this Sunday’s In the Yard parade and celebration.

We know how excited so many were to experience ‘Bird at 100,’ a Charlie Parker centennial tribute featuring saxophonists Vincent Herring, Bobby Watson, and Gary Bartz. So, we look forward to broadcasting In the Yard virtually featuring ‘Bird at 100’ next month (air date TBA).

To honor Bird’s legacy, we will pivot to all virtual programming, with a livestreamed broadcast from the Charlie Parker bust on his birthday, this Sunday August 29^th at 5:00PM. Please join us virtually on Facebook to watch a very special horn salute and tribute led by Bobby Watson.

This was a difficult decision to make, as we were looking forward to welcoming visitors to our yard to honor the end of Charlie Parker’s centennial year and 101^st birthday. His legacy deserves a community-wide celebration, but we have to prioritize the health and safety of all who visit our museum.

We are so close to reaching our fundraising goal for In the Yard, and you can still honor Charlie Parker’s centennial year with a contribution to the campaign by texting ‘BIRDLIVES’ to 44-321. If you purchased VIP or party pass tickets, or made a donation through Eventbrite to the In the Yard fundraiser, Lisa Alpert will be reaching out to you shortly regarding your contribution and refunds. You may also contact her directly at lalpert@kcjazz.org.

Thank you for your understanding as we navigate these circumstances. We look forward to welcoming large gatherings back to the museum as soon as we are able.”

Live Jazz KC is excited announce a jazz series curated by renowned saxophonist & composer, David Valdez in at the historic Warwick Theatre (3927 Main St., Kansas City, MO. 64111). In an effort to continue to showcase the amazing talent in Kansas City as well as continue to foster the growth and development of the next wave of jazz musicians, Live Jazz KC in partnership with The Warwick Theatre and University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory’s Jazz Faculty we have curated a series of live performances starting August 22nd, 2021. We look forward to many great performances as well as continuing the rich tradition of live jazz in Kansas City.

August 29th – LiveJazzKC Presents: Bird Jam 2021 Celebrating Charlie Parker hosted by Stephen Martin. An open jam session dedicated to the music of Charlie Parker on what would be his 101st Birthday! (6:30-10pm). Admission is free for musicians participating in the jam session and there is a suggested donation of $5 for all others. Find more Spotlight: Charlie Parker events at spotlightcharlieparker.org

Gerald Spaits, Charles Perkins, Roger Wilder and John Kizalarmut will perform Charlie Parker compositions and music he is noted for.

Tickets are available online and by calling the box office at 913-469-4445.

Featuring Greg Carroll and the Midnight Blue Jazz Quintet with special guest, Kansas City’s Vine Street Rumble Jazz Orchestra, directed by Kent Rausch. Hosted by award-winning KMBC 9 News Chief Meteorologist Bryan Busby.

Late night jam session at the Mutual Musicians Foundation!

MUTUAL MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Kansas City, one of the principal cradles of jazz along with New York, New Orleans, and Chicago, bred a number of nationally significant big bands and a legion of talented soloists, who revolutionized jazz in America. These musicians belonged to Local No. 627, one of a handful of African-American musicians’ unions affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians.

Established in 1917, Local 627, then known as the “Colored Musicians Union,” operated as a social center, a clearinghouse for engagements, and a vehicle for grievances against unfair practices by booking agents and band leaders. The jazz style pioneered and fostered by the members of Local 627 developed along original lines influenced by, yet unique from, the traditions of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York.

Today, the tradition jams on at the Mutual Musicians Foundation, located on the former site of Local 627 at 1823 Highland Ave., in the heart of the historic 18th and Vine District. The Mutual Musicians Foundation, Inc., originally incorporated to manage the building and assets of Local 627, continued operating the building as a social club for musicians and fans after the merger with Local 34 in 1970. In 1979, the Foundation was prominently featured in Bruce Ricker’s film, The Last of the Blue Devils. A National Historic Landmark, the building is also entered in the National Register of Historic Places and the Kansas City Landmarks Commission Register.

As they have since 1930, musicians gather at the Foundation Friday and Saturday nights after midnight to jam into the early morning hours. The Foundation also serves as a rehearsal space for members, a classroom for visiting students, and a place for private parties. The Historic Jazz Foundation, Inc. supports the Mutual Musicians Foundation and its programs. A living museum, the Foundation preserves and develops Kansas City’s rich musical heritage.

Explore the online exhibit at UMKC’s LaBudde Special Collections “Musician’s Local 627.”

The Mutual Musicians Foundation was listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1980.

SPOTLIGHT: CHARLIE PARKER EVENT

It Takes a Village – CD Release Performance featuring Morgan Faw and The Flame 
With a special edition of the famous “Blue Monday Jam Session” co-hosted by Houston Smith and Morgan Faw. (*Special Guest Appearance by: Bobby Watson) @ The Blue Room

Aug 22 @ 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
First Set: “It Takes a Village” CD Release Concert Featuring: Morgan Faw and The Flame
Morgan Faw, saxophone
Alonzo Demetrius, trumpet
Miles Lennox, piano
Isaac Coyle, bass
Christian Napoleon, drumset

Morgan Faw was raised musically in Kansas City. This album release performance is his first of many expressions of gratitude to the greater KC community of artists, musicians, teachers, friends, and family who helped shape and raise him.

Recorded in April 2022, his debut album, “It Takes a Village” (ARC-8777), Artists Recording Collective – ARC Records, was completed on two separate days. The recording features all original music by Faw collaborating with trumpeter Will Mallard and one composition written by Pamela Watson. 

“This is my first step and attempt in truly giving back to those who taught me,” says Faw. “I want to celebrate this album with everyone who helped me. And to be able to release this project in The Blue Room at 18th and Vine is a dream come true. The historic Jazz District had been my musical home and arts family growing up. There is nowhere else I would want to celebrate this achievement.”

The community is invited to this celebratory event and open jam session to follow, “It Takes a Village.”

With a special edition of the famous “Blue Monday Jam Session” co-hosted by Houston Smith and Morgan Faw. 

Mike Pagan solo on the piano at Cafe Trio!

Michael Pagán was born in Ravenna, Ohio. He was raised in a musical family and received his first piano instruction from his parents. He remembers hearing recordings of Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, and Miles Davis, as well as Beethoven, at an early age. At Kent State University he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education with emphases in piano/choral music and a Master of Arts in composition, where his teachers were James Waters, Thomas Janson, and Frank Wiley. He was a music theory student of Hugh A. Glauser, after whom the school is presently named. Mike played piano in the new music ensemble under the direction of Frank Wiley and the jazz ensemble under the direction of Chas Baker. His piano teachers included Toni Glauser, Lois Rova Ozanich, Robert Palmieri, and Olga Kuehl-White of the University of Akron. The piano playing and compositions of the late Pat Pace were also an influence. During those years Mike played jazz piano and bass throughout Northeast Ohio. He also played bass in the KSU Orchestra. He received his Doctor of Music degree in composition from Northwestern University, where his principal composition teachers were Lynden DeYoung, Alan Stout, and Steven Syverud. He played piano in the NU jazz and contemporary music ensembles, both directed by Don Owens and continued piano studies with Laurence Davis. While in Chicago he was named a “musician deserving wider recognition” by Downbeat magazine. As a jazz pianist he has performed for over 40 years throughout the United States and in Europe with many notable jazz musicians. Ensembles he has performed with as a soloist include the Ashland (OH) Symphony Orchestra, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, and the Northshore Concert Band, and the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra of Denver. In 2017 he was a jazz soloist with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra and in 2019 with the Southeastern Louisiana University Jazz Ensemble. He has also played extended engagements aboard the historic steamboat Delta Queen on the Mississippi River, specializing in early as well as mainstream jazz. Since 2009 he has held an ongoing Tuesday night solo engagement at Cafe Trio in Kansas City, MO.

Mike has produced an extensive list of compositions and arrangements, over 150 works, mostly in the jazz idiom. He has appeared on twenty-five CDs as a leader or supporting artist and has received numerous awards for his writing, including First Prize, New Music for Young Ensembles composers competition, which included a Carnegie Hall premiere. He has been commissioned by the American Jazz Museum, the Michigan Music Teachers Association, the Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, WLS-TV Channel 7, Chicago, and high schools and colleges throughout the country. His big band CD Pag’s Groove received airplay and critical acclaim throughout the United States and in Europe, earning a 5-star review in the Irish Times of Dublin. His CD Three For The Ages featuring bassist Bob Bowman and drummer Ray DeMarchi garnered glowing reviews and enjoys worldwide play on the internet; his 12 Preludes and Fugues was recorded by the Colorado Saxophone Quartet and also received outstanding reviews.

Pagán has taught at Ottawa University in Ottawa, KS where he directed BRAVO!, the Ottawa University Jazz Singers, and taught music theory, composition, arranging, and applied jazz and classical piano. He chaired the OUKS Music Department from 2016-19. Dr. Pagán has also served as Director of Marketing and Communications at the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, and Assistant Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory. He has also been on the faculties at the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Minnesota, Duluth, and Olivet College. Michael Pagán has also led a distinguished career as a jazz ensemble/vocal jazz ensemble conductor and clinician. Under his directorship the BRAVO! Jazz Singers of Ottawa University garnered multiple outstanding performance awards and the UMKC Conservatory Concert Jazz Band was selected for performance at the Missouri Music Educators Association conference. He has directed/worked with honor jazz ensembles in Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Minnesota, and Illinois. For five years he directed the Colorado Jazz Workshop Monday Night Band. In 2019 and ’20 he was the pianist for the Kansas Music Educators Association Jazz Ensemble, which performed his music and in early 2021 he was featured as a big band composer/leader and solo jazz piano recitalist in two virtual concerts at Johnson County Community College in Kansas. He continues to play the bass as a secondary instrument.

EVENT SCHEDULE

5:30 pm: Reception

• 2022 Kansas City Area Youth Jazz Fellows Trio: Ari Staggs (piano), Isaac Pieters (bass), Maurice Butler (drums).
• Food and beverage provided

6:00 pm: Charlie Parker’s Kansas City

• Moderator: Chuck Haddix
• Panelists: Lisa Henry and Clarence Smith
• Introducing: 2o22 Spotlight Charlie Parker Artists In Residence, Houston Smith and Morgan Faw

Alyssa Murray, solo piano. Enjoy live jazz, great food and drinks at Corvino!

Combining a keen songwriting sense with a playful display of sonic influences, Alyssa Murray creates a satisfying juxtaposition of synth and song.  The Kansas City-based singer/songwriter, keyboardist, and producer takes after some of the very best art-pop mainstays, electronic wizards, and west coast beat makers.

Always feeling a strong pull toward songwriting, Alyssa studied piano, voice, and guitar in her teens deep diving into such influences as Fiona Apple and Stevie Wonder. Further pursuing her passion for jazz and improvisation, Alyssa moved to Kansas City to study jazz piano at the UMKC Conservatory while immersing herself in the local music scene. Her 2015 debut ‘As of Now’ showcases her ability to combine elements of jazz with the narrative sophistication of contemporary folk. 

Departing from her previous sound, the electronic, indie fusion of ‘Half & Half’ stands as a major shift in Alyssa’s artistic approach and perspective. Seeking full creative autonomy, she wrote, recorded, and produced all in-home. “It was a supercharged time for me,” she says, “I hope the listener is able to take some of that transformative energy with them.” 

Find out where Alyssa is performing HERE! 

In addition to performing, Alyssa is an accompanist with the Kansas City Ballet and is involved with its community program Reach Out And Dance.  She has also played for Owen/Cox Dance Group’s in-school program Take the Stage.

Alyssa has a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and has studied under the direction of Bobby Watson and Dan Thomas; as well as classical repertoire with Karen Kushner and Diane Petrella.  

Tyrone Clark Trio | $5 cover charge cash or credit at the door. Always open seating. No reservations.

About Tyrone Clark

Bassist Tyrone Clark is a pillar of the Kansas City jazz community. He and his wife Alyce have been together for 40 years. Ty was a regular in the band at City Light in the 1980s playing with the late Horace Washington, pianist Allen Monroe and drummer Alonzo ‘Scooter’ Powell.

This was 40 years ago. They each went on to solid musical careers.

Tyrone Clark chose to follow a steady path. He took the jobs that mattered and was careful not to get left with the scraps. He made records with Ahmad Alaadeen, and they were great fishing buddies.

Scooter Powell joined guitarist Norman Brown’s band and they moved to L.A. Allen Monroe performs every Saturday at B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ with the iconic blues shouter Diane ‘Mama’ Rae. He’s also been a regular member of The Scamps since, as Allen puts it, “Shep was a pup”.

The career of saxophonist Horace Washington was highly respected. He was a member of Bobby Watson’s 18th and Vine Big Band and performed regularly in practically every nightclub in town and as many social events and concerts.

Horace was President of the Mutual Musicians Foundation. When he passed away in 2014, Artist Recording Collective founder Chris Burnett said, “He’s been a great asset and a mentor to a lot of the younger musicians, He was just a great presence.”

In the mid-nineties, Tyrone Clark auditioned and received a role in Robert Altman’s Kansas City. This is a movie with 2 very successful soundtrack albums. In the credits, Ty shares the bass chair with Ron Carter and Christian McBride, 2 of the most renowned bassists in jazz.

Around that same time, Ty with drummer Mike Warren and pianist Everette Freeman formed a rhythm section to perform with Gerald Dunn on the saxophone. They called the band the Dunn Freeman Mix. That band evolved into the Jazz Disciples, recording one album and serving as the house band at the Blue Room.

Ty and Mike still perform together from time to time. On First Fridays, at 10 am they can be found at the American Jazz Museum, accompanying vocalist Lisa Henry and storyteller Brother John. The group plays for all children, toddlers to high school at the American Jazz Museum, and for groups bussed into the district for a taste of Kansas City. They have been bringing up a new generation of jazz lovers for over twenty years.

Being a charter member of 12th Street Jump—public radio’s weekly jazz blues and comedy jam for over ten years, Ty played the music of a different famous jazz songwriter each week. Tyrone Clark knows the jazz standards.

A few years back, Tyrone Clark released his own recording of original music:

“For so many years, I had been playing ‘cover tunes’ and ‘jazz standards’, songs that were written by the best in the business.” Said Ty, “But now, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be an artist, myself, playing my own compositions to a growing audience at the Green Lady Lounge. Playing nothing, but my own original music works perfectly for me. I have never published this much new music in my life. What a way to go!”

A regular gig at Green Lady Lounge now allows Ty, guitarist-songwriter Charlie Gaschet, and a drummer to ‘get that feeling’ a few nights a week performing their own compositions.

Find the trio Sundays & Tuesdays at 6 pm. Plus the occasional weekend engagement at Green Lady Lounge.

Green Lady Lounge features Kansas City Jazz musicians and their original compositions in the rich Kansas City tradition. Free of televisions you can focus on music, atmosphere, and conversation.

Charles Williams Trio | Longing for a bit of civilized seduction? If live Jazz doesn’t do it, our expertly crafted cocktails will. Poured with precision, and served alongside the stylish rhythms of locally and nationally acclaimed musicians, a drink can easily turn into an exceptional evening. Getting comfortable happens quickly here. In fact, that’s the reason we call it a lounge.

About Charles Williams

Charles D. Williams is a native of Kansas City, Kansas. Mr.Williams has played piano for over 40 years. As a trombonist, he studied under Mr. Leon Brady at Sumner High School and supplemented this training with musical studies under the tutelage of the late Mr.Reginald Buckner. Mr.Williams was a member of the award-winning Sumner Jazz Band that also attended the Paris International Jazz festival in Paris France in 1972, and was auspiciously judged to be “the best High School Band in the World. Mr. Williams also had the pleasure of participating in the Turner House Jazz series in the 70’s – having the opportunity to play with such great jazz artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Roy Ayers, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Frank Wess, Clark Terry, Ernie Wilkins, Rich Matteson, and many more.

Today, Mr. Williams performs as the pianist for The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (Clint Ashlock, director). The orchestra performed in Hanover, Germany (May 2018) at the Hanover Jazz Festival, and also in Szczecin, Poland at several major jazz events. This orchestra has backed many artists such as The New Your Voices, Wycliffe Gordon, Ernie Andrews, Houston Person, Harold Jones, The Four Freshmen, Randy Brecker, Bobby Watson, Deborah Brown, Benny Golson, and many more. www.kcjazzorchestra.org …. 

Mr. Williams performs regularly in the greater Kansas City area. He is a regular at Eddie V’s on the plaza in Kansas City, MO. Mr. Williams also performs at many local jazz venues and has been in the band for the past few years to play for KC Hospice’s fundraiser “KC Live,” on the KC Power & Light stage. Also, Mr. Williams has traveled and played music in, Fez, Morocco, Havana, Cuba, several cities in Brazil, and many other cities locally and nationally.

As a Gospel Artist and Minister of Music for several local churches in the greater Kansas City area, his work over the years included serving as Musical Director for the gospel group, “Blessed Through Christ” under the leadership of Mr. Randall Fears. This group had an opportunity to appear on The Bobby Jones Gospel Hour in 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. In 2003 at the Women of Worship GMWA Choir of Tampa, Florida, Mr. Williams was chosen to feature one of his original composition works titled: “JESUS, WE GIVE YOU THE PRAISE” at The 36th Annual National Convention of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Inc.

 In the supplemental areas of music education, community service, and artistic outreach, Mr. Williams has established a Keyboard Academy where he teaches students to play the keyboard during various weekly music instruction programs. He also produces, makes custom soundtracks, works with vocalists, and mentors young musicians. Mr. Williams just released his third CD entitled “Flavors Of Jazz” in February of 2018. Charles is a member of the board of directors for the American Jazz Museum in Kansas City. Mr. Williams is also an Instructor for the American Jazz Museum Jazz Academy teaching Advanced Jazz Piano and Jazz Combo classes.

Live jazz at The Majestic with Matt Villinger: Matt plays solo piano in our main dining room. Come out to enjoy classic jazz piano with some world-class steaks and cocktails at The Majestic.

For reservations click here.

About Matt Villinger

Matt Villinger was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his Undergraduate and Masters’s in Jazz Performance from the Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. He has worked with prolific jazz musicians such as Bobby Watson, Reggie Thomas, Peter Martin, Glenn Zaleski, Ryan J Lee, Peter Schlamb, Logan Richardson, and many others. Villinger currently resides in Kansas City, leading his own bands including All Night Trio. Villinger also plays in Peter Schlamb’s Electric Tinks and has other sideman projects. He is one of the most in-demand piano players in Kansas City.

In 2013, Villinger released his first album, titled “All Night,” which features Peter Schlamb and Hermon Mehari. His newest album “All Day,” (2019) again features Schlamb and Mehari and has a similar vibe as All Night. The compositions are heavily influenced by different styles of groove music.

Villinger’s musical influences include Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Drake, Frank LoCrasto, Peter Schlamb, and others.

Live jazz at The Majestic with Brant Jester and Carl Allen!

About Brant Jester

Brant Jester is from Ozark, Missouri, and graduated from Missouri State University with his bachelor’s degree in music performance. He remains busy as a jazz pianist, piano instructor, and accompanist across the greater Kansas City area. He is also the former pianist of the Missouri Jazz Orchestra (MOJO). Brant has also performed with artists such as Julian Coryell, Bob Bowman, Rick DiMuzio, Zaid Nasser, Peter Schlamb, Randy Hamm, and comedian Todd Glass. Brant also is a composer and arranger and enjoys writing for jazz ensembles and choral music. He enjoys playing both classical and jazz music.

About Carl Allen

“My ultimate goal is to get to a level like Art Blakey, Art Taylor, Elvin Jones, and Billy Higgins … who every time they sit down behind a set of drums it’s swinging….”

With over 200 recordings to his credit, the gifted Milwaukee-born, New York-based drummer, sideman, bandleader, entrepreneur, and educator, Carl Allen’s profound and propulsive percolations provided soulful and syncopated support for nearly three decades.

Born on April 25, 1961, Allen grew up on gospel, R&B, and funk, but later turned to jazz after hearing an LP by the legendary saxophonist Benny Carter. He studied with drum instructor Roy Sneider and band director Robert Siemele. His first hometown gigs were with sax greats Sonny Stitt and James Moody. Allen studied at The University of Wisconsin at Green Bay from 1979 to 1981 and transferred to William Patterson College in New Jersey, where he graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Studies and Performance.

Allen joined trumpeter Freddie Hubbard a year before his graduation,  served as his Musical Director for eight years, and recorded several recordings with the trumpeter including Double Take and Life Flight. Allen also played with Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Jennifer Holliday, J.J. Johnson, Rickie Lee Jones, Sammy Davis Jr., Branford Marsalis, Kenny Garrett, Lena Horne, Ruth Brown, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Mike Stern, Nellie McKay, Terence Blanchard, Phil Woods, Benny Green, Cyrus Chestnut, Joe Henderson, Billy Childs, and many others. Allen’s phenomenal sideman discography also includes Jackie McLean (Dynasty), Donald Harrison (Indian Blues, Noveau Swing), Donald Byrd (A City Called Heaven), and Art Farmer (The Company I Keep).

“Carl Allen is an international powerhouse. His sound and feeings have fuled the bands of Freddie Hubbard, Christian McBride and countless others as well leading his own projects. “
– Joe Lovano

Piccadilly Square (Timeless) was Allen’s first CD as a leader, released in 1989, followed by The Dark Side of Dewey (Evidence), The Pursuer (Atlantic), Testimonial (Atlantic), and Get Ready, his 2007 Mack Avenue gospel/Motown accented debut release with co-leader, bassist Rodney Whitaker followed up by Work to Do (Mack Avenue Records) featuring Kirk Whalum.

Education has always been part of my mission Allen says. Art Blakey taught me the importance of nurturing the next generation of musicians. “Every generation needs someone to help them get to the next level and this is what I am hoping to do”. In May of 2012, Allen received an honorary doctorate from Snow College in Ephraim, Utah in Humane Letters.

Allen is also an accomplished businessman. He co-founded Big Apple Productions in 1988 with saxophonist Vincent Herring and produced several recordings for several Japanese labels with future stars Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton. Several years ago he created Nella Productions which produces projects and developed an education component for the company called The New York Jazz Symposium where he runs workshops around the world on jazz. Allen has also produced recordings for pianist Eric Reed, Dewey Redman, Pharoah Sanders, Freddie Hubbard, Kris Bowers, and guitarist Lage Lund, the winner of the 2005 Thelonious Monk International Monk Competition and many others totaling nearly 70 credits as a producer.

Carl Allen’s multifaceted career provides the perfect template for what a modern musician should be. As Sid Gribetz of Jazz Times wrote, “more than just another fine drummer, Carl Allen has it all together as a bandleader, businessman, and producer, becoming a force in today’s jazz world.”

Allen maintains an exhaustive schedule of recording, touring, and teaching. He remains active as a sideman with Christian McBride and Inside Straight, Benny Golson, and others. As a leader most recently leading The Carl Allen Quartet as well as The Art of Elvin, a tribute band dedicated to his two drum influences, Art Blakey and Elvin Jones was started after the passing of Elvin Jones in 2004.

Lori Tucker Trio | Live jazz at the Oak Room inside the Intercontinental Hotel.

About Lori Tucker

Lori Tucker is a versatile vocalist from the KC area! Lori’s expressive vocals have enabled her to hold long-term engagements in many of Kansas City’s finest venues. In addition to rhythm and blues, jazz and blues she’s widely recognized in the gospel arena. Lori is a Kansas City icon – a not to be missed performer!

Lonnie McFadden Quartet | Relish in the history of Kansas City jazz music and a delectable pre-fixe menu at Lonnie’s Reno Club. Our upscale jazz club offers a luxe dining and music experience in Kansas City.

About Lonnie McFadden

Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Lonnie McFadden is a unique 

multi-talented performer who sings, tap dances, and plays trumpet. 

Lonnie has traveled the globe performing and representing Kansas City Jazz at major jazz festivals and shows around the world. His performances have been seen internationally and include such events as the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland and the Nice Jazz Festival in Nice, France. 

Lonnie and his brother Ronald McFadden (The McFadden Brothers) have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in show business. Wayne Newton, Sammy Davis Jr., Tony Orlando, Lee Greenwood, Gladys Knight, and The Count Basie Orchestra are just some of the great entertainers they have had the pleasure of working with. The McFadden Brothers have also performed for all types of audiences including a very special 2004 USO tour to Kuwait and Iraq for our troops. 

Lonnie has performed in casino showrooms, arenas, and coliseums that include the MGM Grand and Hilton casinos in Las Vegas, Trump Taj Mahal Atlantic City, Nimes Coliseum Nimes, France, Rosemont Theater Chicago, Lincoln Center New York, Sprint Center Kansas City, Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts Cerritos, CA.  

Most recently The McFadden Brothers received Life Time Achievement Awards from the Jazz Museum in May 2016, and Living Legends Awards from Tapology in October 2017.

In 2017, Lonnie received the Best Entertainer award from Ingram’s Magazine.

And The McFadden Brothers were inducted into the Jazz Walk of Fame at 18th & Vine in Kansas City on July 2, 2022.

FRIDAY, August 26 from 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm is “Ode 2 Bird” showcasing the 2022 Spotlight: Charlie Parker “Artists in Residence” – Morgan Faw and Houston Smith, and featuring Faw’s band “The Flame.” @ The Blue Room

The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum, Spotlight: Charlie Parker, and the Kansas City community welcome the return of natives, Houston Smith, and Morgan Faw, (also known as “The Blue Room Babies”) with their “Ode 2 Bird” concert, a Celebration of Charlie Parker and his Music and Legacy.

This performance will also feature the members of Faw’s working band, “The Flame.” 

Conceived by the two alto saxophonists in 2020, “Ode 2 Bird” came from their idea of “pushing the envelope open” through expanding and raising the standard of music coming from a younger generation…a rather Hungry Generation. This concert also realizes the hopes of Charlie Parker himself, who stated as much in a 1954 interview with his contemporary fellow saxophonist, Paul Desmond.

“Ode 2 Bird” features special renditions of compositions by Charlie Parker and Kansas City natives such as Bobby Watson along with the original works of Smith and Faw and more!

Personnel: 

• Morgan Faw + Houston Smith – Alto Saxophones
• Christian Napoleon – Drums
• Isaac Coyle – Bass
• Alonzo Demetrius – Trumpet
• Miles Lennox – Piano

Late night jam session at the Mutual Musicians Foundation!

MUTUAL MUSICIANS FOUNDATION

Kansas City, one of the principal cradles of jazz along with New York, New Orleans, and Chicago, bred a number of nationally significant big bands and a legion of talented soloists, who revolutionized jazz in America. These musicians belonged to Local No. 627, one of a handful of African-American musicians’ unions affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians.

Established in 1917, Local 627, then known as the “Colored Musicians Union,” operated as a social center, a clearinghouse for engagements, and a vehicle for grievances against unfair practices by booking agents and band leaders. The jazz style pioneered and fostered by the members of Local 627 developed along original lines influenced by, yet unique from, the traditions of New Orleans, Chicago, and New York.

Today, the tradition jams on at the Mutual Musicians Foundation, located on the former site of Local 627 at 1823 Highland Ave., in the heart of the historic 18th and Vine District. The Mutual Musicians Foundation, Inc., originally incorporated to manage the building and assets of Local 627, continued operating the building as a social club for musicians and fans after the merger with Local 34 in 1970. In 1979, the Foundation was prominently featured in Bruce Ricker’s film, The Last of the Blue Devils. A National Historic Landmark, the building is also entered in the National Register of Historic Places and the Kansas City Landmarks Commission Register.

As they have since 1930, musicians gather at the Foundation Friday and Saturday nights after midnight to jam into the early morning hours. The Foundation also serves as a rehearsal space for members, a classroom for visiting students, and a place for private parties. The Historic Jazz Foundation, Inc. supports the Mutual Musicians Foundation and its programs. A living museum, the Foundation preserves and develops Kansas City’s rich musical heritage.

Explore the online exhibit at UMKC’s LaBudde Special Collections “Musician’s Local 627.”

The Mutual Musicians Foundation was listed on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places on July 24, 1980.

It’s FREE | MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION AT BIRDBOOTCAMP.ORG

About this event

Get your tickets TODAY for a walking tour of one of Kansas City’s most historic neighborhoods; 18th & Vine Jazz District! August 29, 2022 is the 102nd birthday of Kansas City jazz legend, Charlie Parker. Celebrate early by touring Bird’s old stomping grounds and feel his tunes run through you!

Tour Guides:

Chuck Haddix – Director of UMKC Marr Sound Archives, host of KCUR 89.3 “Fish Fry” on Friday and Saturday nights, author of “Bird – The Life and Music of Charlie Parker” and “Kansas City Jazz – From Ragtime to Bebop”.

 

Attendees will meet on the sidewalk outside of The Blue Room (1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108) at 9:45 am to check in for the walking tour. Bottled water will be provided. Please bring your tickets with you.

About the Tour:

During the days of public segregation, Kansas City’s 18th and Vine area developed into a self-contained community. The intersection of 18th and Vine served as the hub of a bustling business and entertainment district–the heart and soul of an African-American community, bounded by Independence Avenue on the north, Troost Avenue on the west, 27th Street on the south and Benton Boulevard to the east.

Just after the turn of the 19th century, an African-American preacher and his wife, the Reverend and Mrs. Sweeney, operated a truck farm in the 18th and Vine area. By the late 1800s, thousands of African-Americans settled in the area, then known as the “Bowery.” In November 1909, the first moving picture show for African-Americans, the Star, opened in a wood-frame building at the northeast corner of 18th and Vine, forming the cornerstone of the new business district.

The area grew quickly and by 1915 dry goods stores, laundries, fish shops, bakeries, barbers, cobblers, tailors, restaurants, nightclubs and all the businesses and services denied the community downtown packed 18th Street east of Paseo Boulevard. Apartments and headquarters for social clubs perched on the second floor above the bustle of commerce below. The fragrant aroma of hickory smoke from Henry Perry’s Barbeque pit at 19th and Highland wafted over the community. Street cars rattled down the center of 18th Street connecting the community to the rest of the city and jobs in packing plants, the railroads and homes of the wealthy. Once established, the community grew swiftly and prospered.

Young Charlie Parker came of age as a man and musician in the 18th and Vine area. After Charlie’s parents separated in 1930, he and his mother Addie moved to a two-story brick house at 1516 Olive Street just blocks away from 18th and Vine. Addie worked nights and after she left for work, Charlie began his nightly rounds of the night clubs dotting 12th and 18th streets. While on tour later in his career, Charlie often stopped off in Kansas City to visit Addie, play gigs in the clubs on 18th street and renew old acquaintances.

Download the full itinerary here.

In the Yard is back this year with two days of music and more! Mark your calendars and join us at the American Jazz Museum as we continue celebrating our 25-year legacy at 18th and Vine. Film screenings at the Gem Theater featuring classic jazz movies, local filmmakers, and the John H. Baker Film Collection.

Annual Musical Salute to Charlie Parker

Burnett Music Foundation was able to establish a strategic partnership in 2022 with the American Jazz Museum and brings its Bird Boot Camp’s “Musical Salute to Bird” finale to the Charlie Parker Memorial Plaza in the Historic 18th & Vine District. Morgan Faw and Houston Smith will help lead the tribute this year.

The memorial is located directly behind the American Jazz Museum.

The Musical Salute will also act in synergy as a prelude to the AJM’s “In The Yard” concert at 5 pm.

The 2022 musical salute will be led by Artists in Residence, Houston Smith and Morgan Faw who anticipate being joined by jazz great Bobby Watson.

BRING YOUR INSTRUMENT AND PLAY ALONG

All musicians are welcome to participate in this brief performance tribute to Charlie Parker.

The Musical Salute traditionally symbolized the conclusion of Kansas City’s festive “Spotlight: Charlie Parker” week of celebration.

HISTORY OF THE MUSICAL TRIBUTE

The late Eddie Baker conceived a “21 Sax Salute” at Charlie Parker’s gravesite in Lincoln Cemetery where all of the area saxophonists would congregate to pay musical tribute to “Bird.” The tradition was resumed by Ahmad Alaadeen in 2002 up until his passing. The salute was conducted sporadically until the cemetery owner restricted public access to the historic site. Bird Boot Camp took up the “Musical Salute” as part of our programming in 2019 when Burnett Music Foundation took over administration.

CHARLIE PARKER MEMORIAL – BIRD LIVES

Artist/Designer: Robert Graham
Dedicated: March 1999
Description: Large face of Charlie Parker.  Green patina on face.  Trapezoidal base with brown patina.  “Bird Lives” inscription on the base.  The face was not cast but was pieced together in a grid-like pattern.

This sculpture memorializes legendary jazz artist Charlie “Bird” Parker.  He was a major part of the Kansas City jazz scene and culture.  It is located in the middle of a plaza, also named after Parker, in the historic Jazz District and just west of the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine Streets.

Inscription:

Charlie “Bird” Parker Plaza

Mayor Emanuel Cleaver II

Board of Parks & Recreation Commissioners:  Ollie W. Gates, President; Sheila Kemper Dietrich, Commissioner; Anne Garney, Commissioner; Terry R. Dopson, Director

City Council:  Ed Ford, Teresa Loar, Jim Glover, Paul Danaher, Ronald E. Finley, Mary Williams-Neal, Evert Asjes III, Aggie Stackhaus, Ken Bacchus, Kelvin Simmons, George D. Blackwood, Judy Swope.

Robert Graham, Sculptor

In loving memory of Blanche Jones and Doris Jones-Stein.  Given by the Jules and Doris Stein Foundation, the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation, and Tony and Marti Oppenheimer.

History courtesy of KC Parks.

Live jazz at Cafe Trio!

Offering the perfect Trio of Great local Food, Art, and Live Music.

CANDACE EVANS

ABOUT CAFE TRIO

Comfortable, calming, and chic, Café Trio draws a diverse clientele of urban dwellers, on-the-town suburbanites, and tourists who strike up lively conversations over classically inspired craft cocktails and beautifully imagined seasonal from-scratch dishes. Perched on the incline at 45th and Main Street, the restaurant’s all-seasons patio view of the J.C. Nichols Fountain and Country Club Plaza add to the vibe. Executive Chef Nick Estell and his culinary team hand-cut the steaks and chops and use a cornucopia of local and regional produce and artisan foods for their well-curated menu. Don’t-miss items include Café Trio’s handcrafted cracker-crust pizzas, roasted chicken, confit garlic mashed potatoes, and the warm chocolate truffle cake. Imbibe your pleasures at the weekly happy hour with signature martinis such as the Marilyn Monroe or Paris Hilton — paired with the Prince Edward Island mussels or crispy lump crab cakes, you just might have fantasies of taking up residence in one of Café Trio’s comfy booths. And if you’re planning a party, Trio’s two private event spaces are just the ticket for a sexy soiree.

Presented by The Folly Theater, Kansas City Jazz ALIVE, and Tom’s Town.

Enjoy a special night of jazz at Tom’s Town Distilling Company in the Rickenbacker Room. As part of Spotlight: Charlie Parker, the Dan Thomas Quintet featuring Bobby Watson will perform 2 sets, starting at 7:30pm. Guests are invited to arrive early for complimentary hors d’oeuvres and 1 complimentary cocktail. A cash bar will also be available.

The Dan Thomas Quartet features Dan Thomas, Brian Ward (keys and organ), Forest Stewart (bass), and Marty Morrison (drums).

Don’t miss this opportunity to listen to live jazz in an amazing setting at Tom’s Town Distilling Co!

Limited tickets available – GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

DANNY EMBREY

Kansas City-based Danny Embrey has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading jazz guitarists. In addition to recording and playing concerts, festivals, and club dates, Embrey is in demand as an arranger, composer, and producer.

Danny Embrey toured and performed during the 1980s with Sergio Mendes and Clare Fischer’s Latin Band. With the Sergio Mendes Band, he traveled the globe. “My first trip with Sergio was seven weeks in Europe; then, we went to South Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and Australia.” He recalls playing for King Hussein in Jordan and the Reagans in the East Room of the White House. There were also television appearances on Solid Gold, The Merv Griffin Show, and The Johnny Carson Show.

While in the Los Angeles area he also toured and/or recorded with such notables as Gary Foster, Steve Houghton, Alan Broadbent, Gene Harris, Bob Brookmeyer, Bob Sheppard, Barry White, Shelly Manne, Monty Budwig, Annie Ross, Sam Most, and Leroy Vinnegar.

When Embrey left the Sergio Mendes group, he moved to Seattle, Washington where he would spend the next two years. Living in the Seattle area gave him the opportunity to work in the local area, continue to work on the west coast, and begin a new phase in his career. Chuck Israels asked Embrey to join him as a guitar instructor at Western Washington University. He became a member of the IAJE and did clinics in Seattle, Interlochen, Michigan, and Canada.

Upon returning to the Kansas City area Embrey recorded and toured with jazz artists, Karrin Allyson, Interstring, Frank Mantooth, Sons of Brasil, and numerous other world-class jazz groups. Embrey appears on eight of Allyson’s recordings and has toured worldwide as her musical director and he was co-producer on two of her albums: “I Didn’t Know About You,” and “Azure-Te.”

The Interstring connection resulted in two more highly acclaimed albums: “Odahoda” and Winter Song.” Embrey also recorded during this time with Mike Metheny, PBT Trio, the Blvd Big Band, Angela Hagenbach, Pat Wilson, Margaret Carlson, Ed Pharr, Charlie Gatshet, and numerous others.

GREEN LADY LOUNGE

Green Lady Lounge

$5 cover charge cash or credit at door. Always open seating. No reservations. 21 & over.

Green Lady Lounge features Kansas City Jazz musicians and only their original compositions in the rich Kansas City tradition. Free of televisions you can focus on music, atmosphere, and conversation.

Live Kansas City Jazz 365 days a year.

Hours:
Sunday through Friday 5 pm to 3 am
Saturday 2 pm to 3 am

Leslie Maclean Trio – Black Dolphin
10:00pm – 1:00am Sat 8/27

LESLIE MACLEAN

Leslie Maclean, pianist, composer, vocalist, and teacher, has been a professional musician since the age of 13. While in college, Leslie worked extensively with free jazz proponent Muhul Richard Abrams. Her imaginative and artistic performance at the Midwest Intercollegiate Jazz Festival won her the esteemed American Music Foundation Award, granted to the single outstanding instrumental soloist at the event. Leslie was deemed “the best” by judging panelist Marian McPartland, who presented the award.

She opened for jazz legend Stan Kenton and has appeared at many top Chicago jazz clubs and on television and radio. Leslie has also performed with guitarist Mundell Lowe and drummer Roy Burns. She cites as one of her main influences the music of the Big Bands and enjoys bringing the ensemble-style articulations of the big band sound into her playing and her arrangements.

Her piano style also owes much to her background in classical music and displays a satisfying depth of touch and sensitivity to the piano keyboard. Leslie’s original tunes reflect her wide-ranging musical interests and run the gamut from straight-ahead swing and well-crafted ballads to driving Latin rhythms and jazz fusion.

Maclean earned a Master of Music in piano performance at the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University.

The Trio

Listen

BLACK DOLPHIN

Contact

For information please call 816.215.2954 (textable) or email john.scott@greenladylounge.com

We do not reserve seating. Just open seating. $5 cover charge at the door. Cash or Credit.

Black Dolphin
1813 Grand Blvd
Kansas City, MO 64108
816.215.2954 (textable)