KANSAS CITY...
And All That's Jazz

A Donna Martin book published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, 4520 Main, Kansas City, MO 64111; 1999; 120 pp.; with contributions by Dr. Rowena Stewart, Leonard Brown, Eric Jackson and Claude Page.

All That Jazz

The photograph on the opening pages of Kansas City... And All That's Jazz perfectly represents a chapter in the rich history of Kansas City jazz. Taken on May 4, 1930 during the annual Battle of the Bands at Paseo Hall, the image is that of the assembled bands in front of the new union building at 1823 Highland (now the Mutual Musicians Foundation). The contestants were the Bennie Moten and George Lee Orchestras, Elmer Payne's Music Masters, Paul Bank's Rhythm Aces, Andy Kirk's 12 Clouds of Joy, Jap Allen's Troubadours, Julius Banks' Red Devils, and Bill Little and His Little Bills. It is a portrait that signifies a fascinating time in Kansas City, a time when the climate was electric, creative and energetic, and a time when kindred spirits came together to find a musical heaven in Kansas City.

Produced by the Kansas City (now American) Jazz Museum at 18th & Vine, Kansas City... And All That's Jazz is an invitation to discover this part of Kansas City's jazz history. Its editors have crafted a concise volume adorned with many memorable and noteworthy photographs. The archival collection compiled by Leonard Brown is, in itself, a history of Kansas City jazz in its heyday. It is breathtaking to note the wealth of talent that either began or developed musical careers here.

There are some great shots of the jazz icons you would expect, including Charlie "Bird" Parker, Mary Lou Williams, Count Basie, Julia Lee, Lester Young, Oran "Hot Lips" Page, Jay McShann and Claude "Fiddler" Williams. But also striking are the young and hopeful faces of Sonny Kenner, Milt Abel, Eddie Baker, Samuel "Baby" Lovett, Ahmad Alaadeen and L.C. "Speedy" Huggins. We are fortunate that many of these legends are still with us to this day.

The interview with Jay McShann is a special treat. McShann's reflections are as distinctive as his recollections of "the Kansas City sound" and its origins; and his colorful anecdotes about Parker, Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, along with tales of his experiences in New York and the Savoy Ballroom could only come from someone who'd actually been there.

A moving essay by Claude Page tells how social clubs played a significant role in the lives of most African-Americans, not only as part of a social outlet in a segregated community, but as a hotbed for the growing popularity of dance halls and jazz bands. This section by Page also helps to dispel the notion that the "wide open town" of the Pendergast years was the only driving force behind the proliferation of that era's abundance of nightclubs.

Since this book places the emphasis on archival photos, it is more about creating an image and an awareness of Kansas City's jazz legacy than presenting an extensive historical treatise. Still, it is an enjoyable book for both the novice and the seasoned jazz fan, and it serves as an effective guide to many of the cultural treasures found right in our own backyard.

Dr. Rowena Stewart, Executive Director of the Jazz Museum at 18th & Vine sums it up like this: "Jazz is -- exciting, exhilarating, subtle, profound, raw, vital, vast, emotional, an unbelievable high... life. ...The Kansas City jazz story is vibrant and ever-present, kept alive by the memories, artifacts and stories of the people who lived it."

And thanks to the American Jazz Museum, that story has been kept alive in Kansas City... And All That's Jazz.

-- J.P. Makus

Ed. Note: "Kansas City... And All That's Jazz" is available at the Swing Shop located in the American Jazz Museum at 18th & Vine.

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DUKE ELLINGTON
by Scott Yanow

Published by Friedman/Fairfax, 15 W. 26th Street, New York, NY 10010; hardcover, 120 pp.

"He brought an elegance to jazz that set the standard for others to follow." -- Dr. Billy Taylor, in his foreword to Duke Ellington.

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was born April 29, 1899. For almost half a century, he established a musical legacy as a composer, band leader, pianist, arranger and role model. During his centennial year of 1999, the life of this century's most influential jazz musician has been universally celebrated.

1999 has bristled with scores of homages extolling Duke Ellington's monumental achievements. And Scott Yanow's Duke Ellington, although a late arrival in the parade of tributes, emerges as an artistic blend of text, photos and unique design.

This handsome "coffee table" volume includes over one hundred beautifully reproduced photographs, many of which have not previously been published. Yanow's astute text traces the Duke's large footsteps from birth to his final days in 1974. When the world mourned his death, he was eulogized as having contributed lasting material comparable in value to the works of Ravel and Debussy.

Yanow takes us on a long musical journey from the early '20s in New York City to the triumphant White House appearance in 1969 celebrating Duke's 70th birthday. Although the journey traverses few previously untraveled musical paths, this very comprehensive examination of the great man's enormous body of work is an ideal introductory or supplemental volume.

The text emphasizes Ellington's skill at recognizing each musician's potential and creating musical scores that stretched their talents. Although many illustrious sidemen attained a lofty level of stardom within the orchestra, few achieved individual prominence after leaving Ellington.
The author, aware that Ellington's orchestra, during its unprecedented forty-nine years, was his principal "instrument," wisely sketches the careers of the legendary sidemen who, for decades occupied their chairs in the world's most famous orchestra. These mini-biographies are often incorporated within the expanded photo captions. They provide brief insights into the work of Harry Carney, Johnny Hodges, Sonny Greer, Sam Nanton, Barney Bigard, "Cootie" Williams, Ben Webster, Jimmy Hamilton, Ray Nance and more.

Even in illness, Ellington was an obsessive composer. When he died May 24, 1974, it was only a few weeks after completing a comic opera, "Queenie Pie," and his ballet suite, "The Three Black Kings."

Duke Ellington is one of the few artists from the 1920s who is still a strong influence on our music today. More than a quarter of a century since his death, the memorable spirit of Ellington's 1000 compositions is still felt throughout the world. At any given moment, one of them is being played somewhere on this globe, and someone is reading about a career that rose to exalted heights in the 1930s and continued rising for another forty years.

Much like the work of Ellington himself, books like Scott Yanow's Duke Ellington will continue to inspire artists in many categories for generations to come.

-- Floyd Levin


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