JAM Magazine: June/July 1999 Issue: Hampton's Hot Licks

by Dean Hampton

Make a Weekend Of It!
Each year, loads of people come to Kansas City from all over the country for the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl(sm). But many don't realize that they now have an opportunity to make it a great weekend of jazz (and BBQ!) by extending their stay through the following Sunday. In the days following the pub crawl Thursday, June 24, be sure to attend the Kansas City International Jazz Festival at Crown Center, Friday through Sunday, June 25-27. And if you're a local, let your boss know now that you just won't be at work on Friday the 25th -- because you will be resting up from the pub crawl and getting ready to make the International Festival the next three days.

Also, if BBQ is your thing, on June 25-26, you can choose between two regional BBQ contests: the 18th Annual Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle in Lenexa, KS (Kansas State Championship; call 913-541-8592 for info) and the 5th Annual Platte City BBQ Festival in Platte City, MO (816-858-2028.)

Great jazz and championship BBQ; a match that can't miss.

And Speaking of BBQ...
How about those Bilardo Brothers? Father's Day is June 20 and Hallmark Cards has already given drummer Vince Bilardo and his family quite a Father's Day present. Hallmark is featuring the Bilardos on its web site at www.hallmark.com and, even though Hallmark doesn't mention the jazz connection, they do tell a pretty jazzy story of cook outs and Bilardo Brothers BBQ Sauce. The sauce is now part of a BBQ gift pack available on the web site for Father's Day deliveries.

Web Site News
It has just gotten easier to find us on the web. In addition to our www.jazzkc.org address, you may now go to www.kcjam.org for the same information. The second address is a prelude to an upcoming expansion and reorganization of our internet content. Eventually, the KCJA site will be divided into two sections, one under each of the above internet addresses. The www.kcjam.org address will be used specifically for JAM Magazine content and the www.jazzkc.org address will be used for KCJA organizational information.

Another change you will see on our web site is the presence of banner advertising. We promise not to clutter the site with too much of it, yet we do have to pay the bills. Our basic policy will be that banner advertising is placed on the site in good taste. It's a plus for those who visit our site as well as for our advertisers. It gives you the opportunity to get right to the advertiser's web pages, and it helps our advertisers help us as we try to enable the KC jazz scene to grow. If you would like to advertise on our award-winning web site, please call Patti Wilkinson at 913-962-8525.

Our New Look
Our April/May issue proved to be what I'm sure was a turning point in the history of JAM. Our first glossy cover was accepted at the Charlie Parker Memorial Celebration, March 25-28, as a collector's item; several thousand extra copies were printed. (And they went like hot cakes!) During the weeks following the Parker event -- as our complete inventory was quickly consumed -- I was asked over and over, "Will you continue with this new look?" "How could we ever go back?!" was always my reply.

More About the Charlie Parker Celebration
When working on the inside of such a large-scale event as the Charlie "Bird" Parker Celebration, flaws and potential disasters are seen on a daily basis. And those who try to "own the project" from their hearts and souls do everything they can to put out the fires and solve problems before they mature. That's just good management, and a matter of taking pride in one's work.

The Parker Celebration in March was not only a major jazz event, it was a political event with different factions constantly tugging at each other's sleeves. I felt power struggles when there only needed to be common goals. However, as we drew nearer to the start of the event on March 25, I could feel these groups coming together to put on a great show. And to meet the event's original goal, which was to honor Charlie Parker.

And that we did. If you were on hand for any part of the event, you could feel it in the air. The organizers, the musicians, the public... everyone came together to literally put Bird on a well-deserved pedestal.

There was also a very special event that was not open to the public and one that was filled with great emotion.

Last issue, I wrote of the long road fellow KCJA member Verne Christensen and I had traveled to reach this goal. Just prior to the beginning of the symposiums, memorial dedication and related events March 25-28, Verne decided to invite a few select people to his home for jazz and BBQ. A "pre-party," we called it. The attendees included Bird's former wife, Doris Parker, his daughter, Kim Parker, sculptor Robert Graham and his wife, Anjelica Huston, Mayor Cleaver's assistant, Laurie Spoon-Potter and her husband, Kevin, Tony and Marti Oppenheimer from California (who were instrumental in making the memorial possible), and alto saxophonist Peter King (who'd been flown in from London to appear at the Parker Tribute Concert) and his wife, Linda.

There are memories from that evening that will never leave me. The BBQ was the best (Verne, you could teach the pros a thing or two!), there was a palpable feeling of success (we had all played significant roles in bringing the overall event together), and, after dinner, there was a solo serenade ("Lush Life") by Peter King.

We then journeyed to the memorial site at 18th & Vine for a moonlight preview of the wonderful new memorial by Robert Graham. And it was that visit that was capped by the most emotional part of the entire weekend for me.

As we gathered around, the memorial was opened, and Doris and Kim Parker placed gift-wrapped packages inside, the contents of which only they knew. There was a powerful aura around the memorial at that moment the likes of which I have never before experienced. Bird was surely looking on, and touching each of us with a final "thank you."

Then the memorial was sealed.

And I didn't sleep much that night.

Bird Lives!

RETURN TO JUNE 1999 MAIN INDEX

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






	Search our site:		by Dean Hampton Make a Weekend Of It! Each year, loads of people come to Kansas City from all over the country for the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl(sm). But many don't realize that they now have an opportunity to make it a great weekend of jazz (and BBQ!) by extending their stay through the following Sunday. In the days following the pub crawl Thursday, June 24, be sure to attend the Kansas City International Jazz Festival at Crown Center, Friday through Sunday, June 25-27. And if you're a local, let your boss know now that you just won't be at work on Friday the 25th -- because you will be resting up from the pub crawl and getting ready to make the International Festival the next three days. Also, if BBQ is your thing, on June 25-26, you can choose between two regional BBQ contests: the 18th Annual Great Lenexa Barbeque Battle in Lenexa, KS (Kansas State Championship; call 913-541-8592 for info) and the 5th Annual Platte City BBQ Festival in Platte City, MO (816-858-2028.) Great jazz and championship BBQ; a match that can't miss. And Speaking of BBQ... How about those Bilardo Brothers? Father's Day is June 20 and Hallmark Cards has already given drummer Vince Bilardo and his family quite a Father's Day present. Hallmark is featuring the Bilardos on its web site at www.hallmark.com and, even though Hallmark doesn't mention the jazz connection, they do tell a pretty jazzy story of cook outs and Bilardo Brothers BBQ Sauce. The sauce is now part of a BBQ gift pack available on the web site for Father's Day deliveries. Web Site News It has just gotten easier to find us on the web. In addition to our www.jazzkc.org address, you may now go to www.kcjam.org for the same information. The second address is a prelude to an upcoming expansion and reorganization of our internet content. Eventually, the KCJA site will be divided into two sections, one under each of the above internet addresses. The www.kcjam.org address will be used specifically for JAM Magazine content and the www.jazzkc.org address will be used for KCJA organizational information. Another change you will see on our web site is the presence of banner advertising. We promise not to clutter the site with too much of it, yet we do have to pay the bills. Our basic policy will be that banner advertising is placed on the site in good taste. It's a plus for those who visit our site as well as for our advertisers. It gives you the opportunity to get right to the advertiser's web pages, and it helps our advertisers help us as we try to enable the KC jazz scene to grow. If you would like to advertise on our award-winning web site, please call Patti Wilkinson at 913-962-8525. Our New Look Our April/May issue proved to be what I'm sure was a turning point in the history of JAM. Our first glossy cover was accepted at the Charlie Parker Memorial Celebration, March 25-28, as a collector's item; several thousand extra copies were printed. (And they went like hot cakes!) During the weeks following the Parker event -- as our complete inventory was quickly consumed -- I was asked over and over, "Will you continue with this new look?" "How could we ever go back?!" was always my reply. More About the Charlie Parker Celebration When working on the inside of such a large-scale event as the Charlie "Bird" Parker Celebration, flaws and potential disasters are seen on a daily basis. And those who try to "own the project" from their hearts and souls do everything they can to put out the fires and solve problems before they mature. That's just good management, and a matter of taking pride in one's work. The Parker Celebration in March was not only a major jazz event, it was a political event with different factions constantly tugging at each other's sleeves. I felt power struggles when there only needed to be common goals. However, as we drew nearer to the start of the event on March 25, I could feel these groups coming together to put on a great show. And to meet the event's original goal, which was to honor Charlie Parker. And that we did. If you were on hand for any part of the event, you could feel it in the air. The organizers, the musicians, the public... everyone came together to literally put Bird on a well-deserved pedestal. There was also a very special event that was not open to the public and one that was filled with great emotion. Last issue, I wrote of the long road fellow KCJA member Verne Christensen and I had traveled to reach this goal. Just prior to the beginning of the symposiums, memorial dedication and related events March 25-28, Verne decided to invite a few select people to his home for jazz and BBQ. A "pre-party," we called it. The attendees included Bird's former wife, Doris Parker, his daughter, Kim Parker, sculptor Robert Graham and his wife, Anjelica Huston, Mayor Cleaver's assistant, Laurie Spoon-Potter and her husband, Kevin, Tony and Marti Oppenheimer from California (who were instrumental in making the memorial possible), and alto saxophonist Peter King (who'd been flown in from London to appear at the Parker Tribute Concert) and his wife, Linda. There are memories from that evening that will never leave me. The BBQ was the best (Verne, you could teach the pros a thing or two!), there was a palpable feeling of success (we had all played significant roles in bringing the overall event together), and, after dinner, there was a solo serenade ("Lush Life") by Peter King. We then journeyed to the memorial site at 18th & Vine for a moonlight preview of the wonderful new memorial by Robert Graham. And it was that visit that was capped by the most emotional part of the entire weekend for me. As we gathered around, the memorial was opened, and Doris and Kim Parker placed gift-wrapped packages inside, the contents of which only they knew. There was a powerful aura around the memorial at that moment the likes of which I have never before experienced. Bird was surely looking on, and touching each of us with a final "thank you." Then the memorial was sealed. And I didn't sleep much that night. Bird Lives! RETURN TO JUNE 1999 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.