Kansas City

Hello everybody!

During the Great Depression and the prohibition, times were very hard for jazz musicians throughout the whole country except in Kansas City, where mafia man Tom Pendergast was ruling the city. Kansas City's relative wealth favored the growth of jazz clubs (up to 200 in the whole city) with plenty of job for musicians and provided the perfect environment for the next musical revolution (Xavi is skeptical about the concept of revolution in Jazz).

18th and Vine was the happening district, bustling around the clock; so we spend most of our time in its streets. Nowadays, 18th and Vine is a depressed neighborhood starting to rise again, bringing life to the sidewalks again thanks to the National Jazz Museum and the Blue Room, a jazz club featuring the best kansas city musicians linked to the museum.

Among the very few historic landmarks, the Mutual Musicians Foundations is still operating. There we met again Ray, the colorful and very friendly gentleman that takes care of the place. Amazingly, he still remembered us from the previous visit one year ago. He showed us around again and introduced us to the daughters and granddaughters of Jay Hootie McShann, one of the greatest Kansas city musicians who passed away recently. Jay Hootie McShann hired Charlie Parker for his band when Charlie was only 17. We were chatting with them while watching one of the very late live recording of his grandfather, performing at the same building we were in.

Upstairs in the Foundation, there is a piano played once by Scott Joplin, the father of Ragtime, and Count Basie. For us this building is very special, and represents more than anything else the spirit of Jazz and the Kansas City style. We stayed there as much as possible

Late in the afternoon, some of the components of the "Smooth Groovers", an old band from Kansas City, invited Xavi to play some tunes with them on the piano. These men had incredible memories of their teenage years, when Kansas City was the capital of Jazz. "In Kansas City, it is Cristhmas everyday", the drummer said. That was awesome!!



Then we found the location of the house of Charlie Parker, minutes away from 18th and Vine and the Reno Club in 12th and Vine. From here, he walked at nights to listen the jam sessions of Lester Young and the Band of Count Basie, while his mother worked cleaning the Union Station.

We found also the grave of Charlie Parker at the Lincoln Cemetery. Upon David's request, we listen there "Lover Man", one of his master piece and more historical recordings. That was also awesome!!



Finally, we attended a jam Session at the Blue Room, the jazz club located at the very corner of 18th and Vine. We listened there amazingly talented young musicians from Kansas City, as well as very experienced performers (one of the best drummers I ever seen!!).

That was the perfect end point for a very special day at the historical 18th and Vine District.