JAM Magazine: August/September 1997 Issue: Hampton's Hot Licks

by Dean Hampton

Cheers to the Volunteers
With the summer in full swing, the KC Jazz Ambassadors are out in force. So far, we have provided over 275 volunteers for various jazz events -- which translates into more than 2,200 hours of volunteer service to the jazz community. And that translates into many thousands of dollars into the pockets of musicians, venue owners/operators and their employees. To those who might question the value of our efforts, these are facts that have resulted in trips to the bank!

Pub Crawl '97
On June 26th, many of you were part of our 16th Annual Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl. For the second year, the KC Jazz Ambassadors ran the whole show. Successfully. And the best news is that, once again, we plan to make donations from the proceeds. Recipients for 1997 will be announced soon.

Planning for next year's Pub Crawl is already underway. As part of our quality assurance and continuous improvement program, the Pub Crawl Committee and our many volunteers have been invited to take part in a "lessons learned" exercise. Those participating have been asked to review their part in making the event a success and to suggest improvements that will lead to even better results in coming years. This includes everything from selecting the right mix of venues and bands to how to deliver the last crawler to his or her point of origination at the end of the evening. We would like to ask you to participate. If you could change anything about the Pub Crawl, what would it be? Let us know by writing to: Pub Crawl Committee, KC Jazz Ambassadors, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. E-mail can be sent to kcjazz@usa.net

Brunch at The Boulevard
One of the hottest Hot Licks in the steady gig department these days is Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Boulevard Cafe with music by Rod Fleeman (guitar), Randy Weinstein (harmonica) and Carol Brown (bass). If you've enjoyed Randy's work on Karrin Allyson's CDs, this is a chance to hear him live; Rod is one of the best of the best on acoustic guitar; and Carol has recently returned to the KC jazz scene and is coming on strong. The Boulevard Cafe is located at 703 Southwest Blvd. (phone 842-6984); Sunday brunch runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Vicki Rollf:
Merchandise VP Extraordinaire
Every year at the KC Blues & Jazz Festival, I marvel at the vast array of jazz "goodies" (i.e. t-shirts, tank tops, jackets, sweatshirts, posters, hats, can coolers, CDs) people are able to take home. We are frequently told that the KC Jazz Ambassadors' merchandise booth has the best assortment of product, especially t-shirts. This year was no exception. And the brains behind this noteworthy distinction belong to our Merchandise VP, Vicki Rollf. Vicki is the KCJA's first real merchandising "guru" and she continues to outdo herself.

Managing the KCJA's merchandising efforts is a year-round task, and it takes a pro to do it right. At this year's Blues & Jazz Festival, for example, we offered 12 different shirt designs and styles in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Vicki not only stays on top of the latest in fashion trends, but she seeks out artists to donate designs. Then, as the buyer of the outside services to produce the attire, she negotiates for the best deal and insures that we have on-time deliveries. She also maintains the sales and inventory records and can tell the Board of Directors what shirt sells best at what function and/or venue. Vicki runs the warehouse and is always at the event early to set up the booth or table and to train the sales volunteers. She then stays late to pack everything up and lug it all back to storage. And if that's not enough, she is the one who, year round, fills the orders when merchandise is ordered from JAM magazine.

A large percentage of the KCJA's annual revenue comes from merchandise sales. And Vicki Rollf is to be credited for taking such a professional approach to running that part of our organization. One of the most obvious results of her efforts has nothing to do with the money, however. When you attend jazz events in the KC area, you almost always see something that says: Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors.

Thanks, Vicki, for a job well done.

RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 MAIN INDEX

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






	Search our site:		by Dean Hampton Cheers to the Volunteers With the summer in full swing, the KC Jazz Ambassadors are out in force. So far, we have provided over 275 volunteers for various jazz events -- which translates into more than 2,200 hours of volunteer service to the jazz community. And that translates into many thousands of dollars into the pockets of musicians, venue owners/operators and their employees. To those who might question the value of our efforts, these are facts that have resulted in trips to the bank! Pub Crawl '97 On June 26th, many of you were part of our 16th Annual Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl. For the second year, the KC Jazz Ambassadors ran the whole show. Successfully. And the best news is that, once again, we plan to make donations from the proceeds. Recipients for 1997 will be announced soon. Planning for next year's Pub Crawl is already underway. As part of our quality assurance and continuous improvement program, the Pub Crawl Committee and our many volunteers have been invited to take part in a "lessons learned" exercise. Those participating have been asked to review their part in making the event a success and to suggest improvements that will lead to even better results in coming years. This includes everything from selecting the right mix of venues and bands to how to deliver the last crawler to his or her point of origination at the end of the evening. We would like to ask you to participate. If you could change anything about the Pub Crawl, what would it be? Let us know by writing to: Pub Crawl Committee, KC Jazz Ambassadors, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. E-mail can be sent to kcjazz@usa.net Brunch at The Boulevard One of the hottest Hot Licks in the steady gig department these days is Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Boulevard Cafe with music by Rod Fleeman (guitar), Randy Weinstein (harmonica) and Carol Brown (bass). If you've enjoyed Randy's work on Karrin Allyson's CDs, this is a chance to hear him live; Rod is one of the best of the best on acoustic guitar; and Carol has recently returned to the KC jazz scene and is coming on strong. The Boulevard Cafe is located at 703 Southwest Blvd. (phone 842-6984); Sunday brunch runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Vicki Rollf: Merchandise VP Extraordinaire Every year at the KC Blues & Jazz Festival, I marvel at the vast array of jazz "goodies" (i.e. t-shirts, tank tops, jackets, sweatshirts, posters, hats, can coolers, CDs) people are able to take home. We are frequently told that the KC Jazz Ambassadors' merchandise booth has the best assortment of product, especially t-shirts. This year was no exception. And the brains behind this noteworthy distinction belong to our Merchandise VP, Vicki Rollf. Vicki is the KCJA's first real merchandising "guru" and she continues to outdo herself. Managing the KCJA's merchandising efforts is a year-round task, and it takes a pro to do it right. At this year's Blues & Jazz Festival, for example, we offered 12 different shirt designs and styles in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Vicki not only stays on top of the latest in fashion trends, but she seeks out artists to donate designs. Then, as the buyer of the outside services to produce the attire, she negotiates for the best deal and insures that we have on-time deliveries. She also maintains the sales and inventory records and can tell the Board of Directors what shirt sells best at what function and/or venue. Vicki runs the warehouse and is always at the event early to set up the booth or table and to train the sales volunteers. She then stays late to pack everything up and lug it all back to storage. And if that's not enough, she is the one who, year round, fills the orders when merchandise is ordered from JAM magazine. A large percentage of the KCJA's annual revenue comes from merchandise sales. And Vicki Rollf is to be credited for taking such a professional approach to running that part of our organization. One of the most obvious results of her efforts has nothing to do with the money, however. When you attend jazz events in the KC area, you almost always see something that says: Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors. Thanks, Vicki, for a job well done. RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1997 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.