JAM Magazine: June/July 1996 Issue: 10 Years of JAM

10 YEARS OF JAM

© 1996 Dean E. Hampton

The Kansas City Jazz Ambassador Magazine is now ten years old. And I've had the pleasure of being on the JAM staff for six of those ten years. The memories are great but also mixed. There were times when there was no way to make a designated street date (but we did). There were times when we thought we'd have to skip an issue (but we never did). There were times when we suspended final production in order to sell more ads, ultimately coming up with the bucks (sometimes by passing the hat!). And there were times when internal and external conflicts were so intense that the only way to carry on was to remember the words of the late Milton Morris: "I ain't mad at nobody."

Nevertheless, we persevered.

I would like to thank everyone who has ever had anything to do with this magazine. All have helped to shape the Kansas City jazz scene. Thanks also to the founders of JAM for having jazz dreams, and a very special thanks to all KC Jazz Ambassadors presidents who have trusted the JAM staff to get the job done.

So many of us in the jazz community know that the music's popularity has its peaks and valleys. In Kansas City, we haven't seen a valley for a long time. We're still climbing a mountain, and have yet to see its peak. While we continue the climb, therefore, let's take a moment to review JAM's contributions to today's KC jazz scene.

The History
There are volumes available on the history of Kansas City jazz, and most describe the jazz scene of the early years -- the '20s, '30s and '40s -- as the music's "heyday." In the 1950s (according to the history books), jazz in KC began to die. And, although very little has been written about the '60s through the mid '80s, what has been told of those years doesn't paint a very pretty picture. Kansas City jazz was in decline; 18th and Vine was deteriorating; rock 'n roll was coming of age.

In the early 1980s, Mayor Richard Berkley created the nation's first municipal Jazz Commission, and talk among jazz enthusiasts first began about restoring 18th & Vine as a jazz and entertainment district. There were several jazz support organizations in the city at that time and power struggles between them occupied considerable Jazz Commission resources. Rival jazz organizations wanted exclusive rights to the "Jazz Hall of Fame."

In 1985, the Jazz Commission's Executive Director, Ken Poston saw the importance of a larger jazz support organization to work with the city's Commission in the promotion of jazz. Thus, the first meeting of the Jazz Ambassadors was held in September 1985 at the Lincoln Building at 18th and Vine. Ann Hoy was the first president, the secretary was Shirley Drange, and her husband, Bob Drange was the treasurer. During this time, local jazz was there, but media support was, at best, weak. The Ambassadors realized that if the word was to get out about the local jazz scene, they would have to handle it themselves. Work soon began on the first issue of the Jazz Ambassador Magazine.

Ken Poston is generally thought of as the magazine's first editor. But it was Bob Drange who actually put the first few issues together. Jazz Ambassador Magazine #1 hit the streets in May 1986 with a printing of approximately 200 copies.

During its first year, the magazine had only 20 pages. And copies were distributed only to the magazine's advertisers (among the first were Penn Valley Community College, Jimmy's Jigger, the Folly Theater, and the Grand Emporium) and the few clubs that were presenting live jazz on a regular basis.

For the next five years, the magazine grew at a moderate pace as did the local jazz scene. Ambassador membership climbed to around 200, and an average issue increased to 28 pages.
The June/July 1990 issue was the last to carry the Jazz Ambassadors keyboard logo. It was an issue that featured trumpeter Carmell Jones (my first story for the magazine), was at 28 pages, and had 14 advertisers. 2000 copies were printed.

In February/March 1991, the magazine was renamed "JAM" -- an acronym for Jazz Ambassador Magazine. The volunteer staff had increased in both number and quality, and we were attracting experienced writers and editors who loved jazz. Distribution expanded to 3000 copies.

In August/September 1991, JAM produced its first full sized issue, increasing its page size by nearly 50%. There were 32 advertisers, and distribution was at 5000 copies. It was the beginning of a new era.

Today, we are just slightly smaller in page size, page count is consistently at 48 pages or higher, and distribution has been as high as 13,000 hard copies per issue.

There is also JAM's newest venture: a web page on the Internet. JAM on the Internet is visited daily by web surfers from all over the world and has given the publication international visibility. JAM online is frequently referenced (and linked) and has become one of the Internet's most popular jazz sites. Visit the site at http://www.kansascity.com/kcjazz

Looking Back...
And Looking Ahead
The sidebar that follows -- "The Jazz Ambassador Magazine 1986-1996" -- is a quick reference for the past 60 issues of JAM. It lists clubs profiled and artists featured in every issue. Take a minute to review it and let us know your feelings about 10 years of JAM. Which feature story was your favorite? Which club did you enjoy the most and why? Do you miss that cozy little place that is no more, or that wild and crazy joint that bopped your socks off? Which were the good years and the bad years for jazz in the metro area? What would you like to see covered in future issues of JAM?

Many artists featured in JAM over the years can be heard on CDs that are available in the KC area. How many of them do you have? Which ones do you plan to go out and buy? Note that our musicians are not leaving town to find work. Instead, they are staying put and recruiting friends and colleagues to come and be a part of a healthy Kansas City jazz market.

JAM is proud to have played a role in the success that today's thriving Kansas City jazz scene now enjoys. We hope to be part of KC jazz for many decades to come. And we look forward to bringing you more features and profiles of the many people and places that make Kansas City jazz so unique.

RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1996 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		10 YEARS OF JAM © 1996 Dean E. Hampton The Kansas City Jazz Ambassador Magazine is now ten years old. And I've had the pleasure of being on the JAM staff for six of those ten years. The memories are great but also mixed. There were times when there was no way to make a designated street date (but we did). There were times when we thought we'd have to skip an issue (but we never did). There were times when we suspended final production in order to sell more ads, ultimately coming up with the bucks (sometimes by passing the hat!). And there were times when internal and external conflicts were so intense that the only way to carry on was to remember the words of the late Milton Morris: "I ain't mad at nobody." Nevertheless, we persevered. I would like to thank everyone who has ever had anything to do with this magazine. All have helped to shape the Kansas City jazz scene. Thanks also to the founders of JAM for having jazz dreams, and a very special thanks to all KC Jazz Ambassadors presidents who have trusted the JAM staff to get the job done. So many of us in the jazz community know that the music's popularity has its peaks and valleys. In Kansas City, we haven't seen a valley for a long time. We're still climbing a mountain, and have yet to see its peak. While we continue the climb, therefore, let's take a moment to review JAM's contributions to today's KC jazz scene. The History There are volumes available on the history of Kansas City jazz, and most describe the jazz scene of the early years -- the '20s, '30s and '40s -- as the music's "heyday." In the 1950s (according to the history books), jazz in KC began to die. And, although very little has been written about the '60s through the mid '80s, what has been told of those years doesn't paint a very pretty picture. Kansas City jazz was in decline; 18th and Vine was deteriorating; rock 'n roll was coming of age. In the early 1980s, Mayor Richard Berkley created the nation's first municipal Jazz Commission, and talk among jazz enthusiasts first began about restoring 18th & Vine as a jazz and entertainment district. There were several jazz support organizations in the city at that time and power struggles between them occupied considerable Jazz Commission resources. Rival jazz organizations wanted exclusive rights to the "Jazz Hall of Fame." In 1985, the Jazz Commission's Executive Director, Ken Poston saw the importance of a larger jazz support organization to work with the city's Commission in the promotion of jazz. Thus, the first meeting of the Jazz Ambassadors was held in September 1985 at the Lincoln Building at 18th and Vine. Ann Hoy was the first president, the secretary was Shirley Drange, and her husband, Bob Drange was the treasurer. During this time, local jazz was there, but media support was, at best, weak. The Ambassadors realized that if the word was to get out about the local jazz scene, they would have to handle it themselves. Work soon began on the first issue of the Jazz Ambassador Magazine. Ken Poston is generally thought of as the magazine's first editor. But it was Bob Drange who actually put the first few issues together. Jazz Ambassador Magazine #1 hit the streets in May 1986 with a printing of approximately 200 copies. During its first year, the magazine had only 20 pages. And copies were distributed only to the magazine's advertisers (among the first were Penn Valley Community College, Jimmy's Jigger, the Folly Theater, and the Grand Emporium) and the few clubs that were presenting live jazz on a regular basis. For the next five years, the magazine grew at a moderate pace as did the local jazz scene. Ambassador membership climbed to around 200, and an average issue increased to 28 pages. The June/July 1990 issue was the last to carry the Jazz Ambassadors keyboard logo. It was an issue that featured trumpeter Carmell Jones (my first story for the magazine), was at 28 pages, and had 14 advertisers. 2000 copies were printed. In February/March 1991, the magazine was renamed "JAM" -- an acronym for Jazz Ambassador Magazine. The volunteer staff had increased in both number and quality, and we were attracting experienced writers and editors who loved jazz. Distribution expanded to 3000 copies. In August/September 1991, JAM produced its first full sized issue, increasing its page size by nearly 50%. There were 32 advertisers, and distribution was at 5000 copies. It was the beginning of a new era. Today, we are just slightly smaller in page size, page count is consistently at 48 pages or higher, and distribution has been as high as 13,000 hard copies per issue. There is also JAM's newest venture: a web page on the Internet. JAM on the Internet is visited daily by web surfers from all over the world and has given the publication international visibility. JAM online is frequently referenced (and linked) and has become one of the Internet's most popular jazz sites. Visit the site at http://www.kansascity.com/kcjazz Looking Back... And Looking Ahead The sidebar that follows -- "The Jazz Ambassador Magazine 1986-1996" -- is a quick reference for the past 60 issues of JAM. It lists clubs profiled and artists featured in every issue. Take a minute to review it and let us know your feelings about 10 years of JAM. Which feature story was your favorite? Which club did you enjoy the most and why? Do you miss that cozy little place that is no more, or that wild and crazy joint that bopped your socks off? Which were the good years and the bad years for jazz in the metro area? What would you like to see covered in future issues of JAM? Many artists featured in JAM over the years can be heard on CDs that are available in the KC area. How many of them do you have? Which ones do you plan to go out and buy? Note that our musicians are not leaving town to find work. Instead, they are staying put and recruiting friends and colleagues to come and be a part of a healthy Kansas City jazz market. JAM is proud to have played a role in the success that today's thriving Kansas City jazz scene now enjoys. We hope to be part of KC jazz for many decades to come. And we look forward to bringing you more features and profiles of the many people and places that make Kansas City jazz so unique. RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1996 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.