JAM: October/November 2000 Issue: Hampton's Hot Licks

Dean Hampton

$15,000 Goes Back To the Jazz Community
On September 21, the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors awarded $15,000 in donations to the KC jazz community from proceeds raised at the 2000 Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl (R) in June. This is double the amount of the KCJA's largest single donation in past years, making for a grand total of $48,000 reinvested in the jazz community since the KCJA assumed control of the Pub Crawl in 1996.

Last June 22 the streets of Kansas City were invaded by approximately 5000 revelers out for an evening of jazz. 25 buses carried crawlers from one club to the next, and 20 bands played in 20 different venues.

The benefits of this "New Year's Eve in June" are many. First, the proceeds from the crawl go right back to the jazz community -- all $15,000 of it this year. That wasn't always the case. While the event had become a Kansas City jazz tradition over the years, major operational changes were made when the Jazz Ambassadors took management control in '96. Prior to that, the KCJA had been in charge of supplying volunteers for the event when it was owned and managed by the now-defunct KC Jazz Commission. The Commission would usually give the KCJA a token amount from the proceeds for its annual operating expenses, that for what amounted to a massive mobilization of volunteers.

In the pre-KCJA era, never before had all Pub Crawl profits been donated back to the jazz community. In the five years since, $48,000 has been donated to 20 different non-profit jazz organizations, including JazzEd (a Jazz Education collaborative), the 18th & Vine Authority, Kansas City Jazz International, UMKC's Conservatory of Music (Jazz Studies), the Unity Temple Jazz Series, the 18th & Vine Heritage Jazz Festival, and the Webster University Polish Jazz Institute. This year the emphasis was on jazz education; over two-thirds of the grants went to this important cause. (See Mike Fitzgerald's "President's Corner" for a complete list of the 2000 recipients, many of whom have received donations in the past.)

This annual tradition is also of great benefit to participating clubs and musicians. For both, the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl is an opportunity to connect with people who may not be part of a regular jazz club audience. It is also a night when thousands of people go to clubs they may never have been to before. If they like what they experience, they'll be back. If they like what they hear, they'll become fans. The Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl helps clubs and musicians all year long.

Also, in addition to enjoying an evening of great music, pub crawlers come away with a feeling of community. They enjoy a taste of the jazz soul of Kansas City and they usually want more. It is one night out of the year when the city's jazz audience is able to grow, more so than any other night. Crawlers tell their friends, and people make plans for return visits to favorite stops.

For those who have had anything to do with the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl in the last four years, you have something to be proud of. You have contributed to jazz education, the tradition and history of Kansas City jazz, and to building a stronger jazz community. This includes the clubs, their employees, the musicians, the volunteers, our sponsors, and the wonderful fans who have helped build the jazz community and the music that put Kansas City on the map.

So, let's do it again next year! Mark your calendars now for the 20th Anniversary Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl, Thursday, June 21, 2001.

The Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors want this special crawl to be the best one ever. And with your participation, it will.

Looking For Jazz? Try ClubFONE
If you're planning to visit a major city and are curious about jazz happenings while you're there, finding out is now as easy as using your Sprint PCS phone with wireless web access. With just a few simple menu selections you can drill down to the city of your choice and see a listing of jazz clubs and concert venues, all because of a new partnership between Sprint PCS and ClubFONE. For Kansas City, around seven venues are listed along with added attractions. The Jazz Ambassadors' Jazz Hotline number is listed, too. We expect to start getting calls from around the world thanks to this new technology.

Quick MP3 Licks
As you may know, MP3.com -- a popular subject in this column in recent issues -- has taken a hot and spicy licking in the courts. It's a case that could cost them nearly $200 million for copyright infringement. Still on the horizon as we go to press is litigation involving Napster, which we've also been covering here. The outcome of that case should be known before our next issue.

One of the most interesting developments in the world of MP3 happened in early September when the PC of an Oklahoma college student was confiscated by police. The student, who was not identified by authorities or the university, was said to have over 10,000 copyrighted songs available to the rest of world free of charge. Lessons from all of this are starting to emerge: Copyright laws are laws. And the power of those laws won't be easily diluted by the Internet. If you are stealing music, you are probably being watched. And you do stand a chance of getting caught.

Out On the Town
As you may have noticed, part of my job as Director of Publications for the KCJA is to brag about Kansas City's wonderful jazz scene. While this column is one way to do that, there's nothing like doing it live and in person. On September 5 and 6 I had the opportunity to do just that when my guests were KCJA member Yoko Takamura from Tokyo, Japan and her friends from Detroit, Mel and Carolyn Wanzo. (Mel's attraction to KC comes from his 25-plus years as a trombonist with the Count Basie Orchestra.)

My trio of guests were able to visit the 18th & Vine area (where Mel generously donated some memorabilia to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum), and that evening we caught the sounds of the Boulevard Big Band at their regular Tuesday night Harling's Upstairs gig. I'm not sure who got the most out of this stop: Mel, for the music, or the members of the band who were thrilled he was there. (Mel is listed in the online "All-Music Guide" with over 50 recordings to his credit.)

The next day, Yoko was treated to her first home cooked KC barbecue (at the home of Fanny Dunfee... with the help of "chef" Ahmad Alaadeen), and from there it was on to the Colony Steakhouse at 89th and State Line for the Julie Turner-Tommy Ruskin Wednesday jazz jam. Yoko told me she was especially impressed with pianist Bram Wijnands and with the wonderful voice of Julie Turner, whose recording, Save That Time, will surely be a hit with Yoko's many jazz friends.

Our next stop was Tim Whitmer's "Spirituality and All That Jazz" (featuring Kim Park) at the Unity Temple on the Plaza where Yoko picked up CDs to share with jazz fans in Japan. Then the finale was a stop at the New Point Grille to hear the music of David Basse, Greg Richter and Bob Bowman.

This was my second year as the honored tour guide for this jazz-loving trio. I am looking forward to their return in 2001.

As Good As It Gets
In a career now spanning 50 years, how many times do you think singer Tony Bennett has performed "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"? For 8000 spellbound listeners at Starlight Theater on September 8, it might as well have been the first.

What was witnessed on this perfect summer evening under the stars was one of the all-time greats (now 74 years old) in prime, ageless form. Not only was "San Francisco" rendered with first-time freshness, but Bennett's entire set, most of which consists of timeless classics and sturdy standards, was executed with consummate musicality, diction, dynamic contrast, intonation and style. All as our own Kansas City Symphony did the town proud with sensitive accompaniment in tandem with Bennett's own superb Ralph Sharon Quartet.

It was an evening to remember. And savor.

It was also an evening to ponder. Who are the Tony Bennetts of tomorrow? Most likely an artist of Bennett's stature will always remain in a class by himself, but it is tempting to wonder if there are others out there right now paying dues (as Bennett once did; he talked of working Starlight one other time, "in the mid-'50s") who will someday, in the twilight of a spectacular career, fill a large outdoor theater and command the kind of pin-drop attention more commonly found in an intimate nightclub.

For the sake of all the great songs, let's hope that happens.

In the meantime, what a treat it is to be able to treasure a living legend like Tony Bennett who, in the year 2000, remains an enduring giant in the world of music, and who still has what it takes to bring a crowd to its feet.

-- Mike Metheny

Off To a Good Start
For the first time in seven seasons, the directors of the KC Jazz Workshop are breathing easy. A record number of season tickets have been sold, and there's money in the bank to help pay for upcoming concerts. Part of the credit for this unusual comfort zone must go to The Four Freshman whose September 11 concert began the 2000-2001 season. Now staffed by younger singer-musicians, but still under the musical direction of founder Bob Flanigan, this venerable group packed the Downtown Marriott's Basie Ballroom with nearly 400 people, including fans from Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

In its current edition Greg Stegeman handles trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboards, Vince Johnson and Brian Eichenbeger trade on bass and guitar (Johnson also solos on trombone, Eichenbeger on keyboard); and Bob Ferreira is on drums.

But, you don't go to a Four Freshmen concert to hear them play their axes. You go for that glorious blending of four male voices on highly distinctive arrangements of jazz standards. For 90 fabulous minutes at the Marriott, that's just what was offered. Even Bob Flanigan himself was on hand to join the group for a couple of numbers. (And for a while there, I was back in college!)

Thanks to Bob Flanigan and the current edition of the Four Freshmen. Let's do it again soon.

-- Bill Fogarty

Jazz Gets Dissed!
When presidential candidate George W. Bush appeared at 18th & Vine on September 18 to speak at the GEM Theater, he also toured the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum... but apparently not the adjoining American Jazz Museum.

Could it be that the Bush camp is taking Kansas City's "swing voters" for granted?

-- MM

RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2000 MAIN INDEX

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






	Search our site:		Dean Hampton $15,000 Goes Back To the Jazz Community On September 21, the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors awarded $15,000 in donations to the KC jazz community from proceeds raised at the 2000 Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl (R) in June. This is double the amount of the KCJA's largest single donation in past years, making for a grand total of $48,000 reinvested in the jazz community since the KCJA assumed control of the Pub Crawl in 1996. Last June 22 the streets of Kansas City were invaded by approximately 5000 revelers out for an evening of jazz. 25 buses carried crawlers from one club to the next, and 20 bands played in 20 different venues. The benefits of this "New Year's Eve in June" are many. First, the proceeds from the crawl go right back to the jazz community -- all $15,000 of it this year. That wasn't always the case. While the event had become a Kansas City jazz tradition over the years, major operational changes were made when the Jazz Ambassadors took management control in '96. Prior to that, the KCJA had been in charge of supplying volunteers for the event when it was owned and managed by the now-defunct KC Jazz Commission. The Commission would usually give the KCJA a token amount from the proceeds for its annual operating expenses, that for what amounted to a massive mobilization of volunteers. In the pre-KCJA era, never before had all Pub Crawl profits been donated back to the jazz community. In the five years since, $48,000 has been donated to 20 different non-profit jazz organizations, including JazzEd (a Jazz Education collaborative), the 18th & Vine Authority, Kansas City Jazz International, UMKC's Conservatory of Music (Jazz Studies), the Unity Temple Jazz Series, the 18th & Vine Heritage Jazz Festival, and the Webster University Polish Jazz Institute. This year the emphasis was on jazz education; over two-thirds of the grants went to this important cause. (See Mike Fitzgerald's "President's Corner" for a complete list of the 2000 recipients, many of whom have received donations in the past.) This annual tradition is also of great benefit to participating clubs and musicians. For both, the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl is an opportunity to connect with people who may not be part of a regular jazz club audience. It is also a night when thousands of people go to clubs they may never have been to before. If they like what they experience, they'll be back. If they like what they hear, they'll become fans. The Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl helps clubs and musicians all year long. Also, in addition to enjoying an evening of great music, pub crawlers come away with a feeling of community. They enjoy a taste of the jazz soul of Kansas City and they usually want more. It is one night out of the year when the city's jazz audience is able to grow, more so than any other night. Crawlers tell their friends, and people make plans for return visits to favorite stops. For those who have had anything to do with the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl in the last four years, you have something to be proud of. You have contributed to jazz education, the tradition and history of Kansas City jazz, and to building a stronger jazz community. This includes the clubs, their employees, the musicians, the volunteers, our sponsors, and the wonderful fans who have helped build the jazz community and the music that put Kansas City on the map. So, let's do it again next year! Mark your calendars now for the 20th Anniversary Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl, Thursday, June 21, 2001. The Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors want this special crawl to be the best one ever. And with your participation, it will. Looking For Jazz? Try ClubFONE If you're planning to visit a major city and are curious about jazz happenings while you're there, finding out is now as easy as using your Sprint PCS phone with wireless web access. With just a few simple menu selections you can drill down to the city of your choice and see a listing of jazz clubs and concert venues, all because of a new partnership between Sprint PCS and ClubFONE. For Kansas City, around seven venues are listed along with added attractions. The Jazz Ambassadors' Jazz Hotline number is listed, too. We expect to start getting calls from around the world thanks to this new technology. Quick MP3 Licks As you may know, MP3.com -- a popular subject in this column in recent issues -- has taken a hot and spicy licking in the courts. It's a case that could cost them nearly $200 million for copyright infringement. Still on the horizon as we go to press is litigation involving Napster, which we've also been covering here. The outcome of that case should be known before our next issue. One of the most interesting developments in the world of MP3 happened in early September when the PC of an Oklahoma college student was confiscated by police. The student, who was not identified by authorities or the university, was said to have over 10,000 copyrighted songs available to the rest of world free of charge. Lessons from all of this are starting to emerge: Copyright laws are laws. And the power of those laws won't be easily diluted by the Internet. If you are stealing music, you are probably being watched. And you do stand a chance of getting caught. Out On the Town As you may have noticed, part of my job as Director of Publications for the KCJA is to brag about Kansas City's wonderful jazz scene. While this column is one way to do that, there's nothing like doing it live and in person. On September 5 and 6 I had the opportunity to do just that when my guests were KCJA member Yoko Takamura from Tokyo, Japan and her friends from Detroit, Mel and Carolyn Wanzo. (Mel's attraction to KC comes from his 25-plus years as a trombonist with the Count Basie Orchestra.) My trio of guests were able to visit the 18th & Vine area (where Mel generously donated some memorabilia to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum), and that evening we caught the sounds of the Boulevard Big Band at their regular Tuesday night Harling's Upstairs gig. I'm not sure who got the most out of this stop: Mel, for the music, or the members of the band who were thrilled he was there. (Mel is listed in the online "All-Music Guide" with over 50 recordings to his credit.) The next day, Yoko was treated to her first home cooked KC barbecue (at the home of Fanny Dunfee... with the help of "chef" Ahmad Alaadeen), and from there it was on to the Colony Steakhouse at 89th and State Line for the Julie Turner-Tommy Ruskin Wednesday jazz jam. Yoko told me she was especially impressed with pianist Bram Wijnands and with the wonderful voice of Julie Turner, whose recording, Save That Time, will surely be a hit with Yoko's many jazz friends. Our next stop was Tim Whitmer's "Spirituality and All That Jazz" (featuring Kim Park) at the Unity Temple on the Plaza where Yoko picked up CDs to share with jazz fans in Japan. Then the finale was a stop at the New Point Grille to hear the music of David Basse, Greg Richter and Bob Bowman. This was my second year as the honored tour guide for this jazz-loving trio. I am looking forward to their return in 2001. As Good As It Gets In a career now spanning 50 years, how many times do you think singer Tony Bennett has performed "I Left My Heart In San Francisco"? For 8000 spellbound listeners at Starlight Theater on September 8, it might as well have been the first. What was witnessed on this perfect summer evening under the stars was one of the all-time greats (now 74 years old) in prime, ageless form. Not only was "San Francisco" rendered with first-time freshness, but Bennett's entire set, most of which consists of timeless classics and sturdy standards, was executed with consummate musicality, diction, dynamic contrast, intonation and style. All as our own Kansas City Symphony did the town proud with sensitive accompaniment in tandem with Bennett's own superb Ralph Sharon Quartet. It was an evening to remember. And savor. It was also an evening to ponder. Who are the Tony Bennetts of tomorrow? Most likely an artist of Bennett's stature will always remain in a class by himself, but it is tempting to wonder if there are others out there right now paying dues (as Bennett once did; he talked of working Starlight one other time, "in the mid-'50s") who will someday, in the twilight of a spectacular career, fill a large outdoor theater and command the kind of pin-drop attention more commonly found in an intimate nightclub. For the sake of all the great songs, let's hope that happens. In the meantime, what a treat it is to be able to treasure a living legend like Tony Bennett who, in the year 2000, remains an enduring giant in the world of music, and who still has what it takes to bring a crowd to its feet. -- Mike Metheny Off To a Good Start For the first time in seven seasons, the directors of the KC Jazz Workshop are breathing easy. A record number of season tickets have been sold, and there's money in the bank to help pay for upcoming concerts. Part of the credit for this unusual comfort zone must go to The Four Freshman whose September 11 concert began the 2000-2001 season. Now staffed by younger singer-musicians, but still under the musical direction of founder Bob Flanigan, this venerable group packed the Downtown Marriott's Basie Ballroom with nearly 400 people, including fans from Iowa, Nebraska and Oklahoma. In its current edition Greg Stegeman handles trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboards, Vince Johnson and Brian Eichenbeger trade on bass and guitar (Johnson also solos on trombone, Eichenbeger on keyboard); and Bob Ferreira is on drums. But, you don't go to a Four Freshmen concert to hear them play their axes. You go for that glorious blending of four male voices on highly distinctive arrangements of jazz standards. For 90 fabulous minutes at the Marriott, that's just what was offered. Even Bob Flanigan himself was on hand to join the group for a couple of numbers. (And for a while there, I was back in college!) Thanks to Bob Flanigan and the current edition of the Four Freshmen. Let's do it again soon. -- Bill Fogarty Jazz Gets Dissed! When presidential candidate George W. Bush appeared at 18th & Vine on September 18 to speak at the GEM Theater, he also toured the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum... but apparently not the adjoining American Jazz Museum. Could it be that the Bush camp is taking Kansas City's "swing voters" for granted? -- MM RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2000 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.