JAM Magazine: June/July 1998 Issue: President's Corner

by Vanessa Barnard

A Summer of Jazz
It's that time of year. Time to shake off those winter cobwebs and say hello to summer.

It's also the start of a summer of jazz in Kansas City. Not that there isn't great jazz here year round. Go to any club any night of the week, or attend one of the Folly Theatre or Kansas City Jazz Workshop concerts and you'll know what I mean.

But now that summer is here and the outdoor jazz season has begun, it's also that time when the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors kick into high gear, especially with their many fundraising efforts.

The KCJA summer season begins with a bang on Thursday, June 25 with the Annual Jazz Lovers Pub Crawl (sm). Over 25 clubs have signed up this year making this our biggest crawl ever. I want to thank everyone involved in advance, from the planning committee to each of the volunteers, for the time they've given to this event to guarantee its success. I've never known such a great group of selfless, giving people; it makes me proud to be associated with this organization. For those of you who have never attended the pub crawl, I urge you to do so. You will have the time of your life. Pick out just a few clubs, or try to set a new record by attending as many as possible in four hours time. And please, if you do that, still take the time to enjoy the music. After all, that's what this event is really about. This year's crawl offers every kind of jazz, from acid to traditional, bebop to contemporary. There's even some blues thrown in for good measure.

After the pub crawl, the summer festivals continue the very next day with the Kansas City International Jazz Festival, June 26-27. Then there's the Blues & Jazz Festival, July 17-19, the Spirit Festival, September 4-6, and several smaller festivals sprinkled in among them. Kansas City is a town that likes to celebrate its jazz and blues heritage. And these festivals do just that.

For those of you who live in the Kansas City area, we hope you are aware of how much jazz talent KC has to offer. The musicians in this town are comparable to those in New York, California and even Europe. For those who are visiting Kansas City, please take the time to visit the jazz clubs listed in the back of this magazine. You won't be disappointed. I guarantee it. And don't forget to taste the KC barbecue along the way. The two go together. I guarantee that, too!

As the president of this organization, I feel I have a lot to be proud of. ...The city, the people, the musicians, the clubs that support jazz year in and year out. The Jazz Ambassadors receive mail from such faraway places as Europe and Japan and these letters confirm Kansas City's contribution to jazz.

So, if you're visiting, welcome! You are a part of this continuing heritage. And if you are a local, I'll see you in the clubs, at the crawl and at the festivals.

It's another summer of great jazz in Kansas City.

Enjoy!

RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1998 MAIN INDEX

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






	Search our site:		by Vanessa Barnard A Summer of Jazz It's that time of year. Time to shake off those winter cobwebs and say hello to summer. It's also the start of a summer of jazz in Kansas City. Not that there isn't great jazz here year round. Go to any club any night of the week, or attend one of the Folly Theatre or Kansas City Jazz Workshop concerts and you'll know what I mean. But now that summer is here and the outdoor jazz season has begun, it's also that time when the Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors kick into high gear, especially with their many fundraising efforts. The KCJA summer season begins with a bang on Thursday, June 25 with the Annual Jazz Lovers Pub Crawl (sm). Over 25 clubs have signed up this year making this our biggest crawl ever. I want to thank everyone involved in advance, from the planning committee to each of the volunteers, for the time they've given to this event to guarantee its success. I've never known such a great group of selfless, giving people; it makes me proud to be associated with this organization. For those of you who have never attended the pub crawl, I urge you to do so. You will have the time of your life. Pick out just a few clubs, or try to set a new record by attending as many as possible in four hours time. And please, if you do that, still take the time to enjoy the music. After all, that's what this event is really about. This year's crawl offers every kind of jazz, from acid to traditional, bebop to contemporary. There's even some blues thrown in for good measure. After the pub crawl, the summer festivals continue the very next day with the Kansas City International Jazz Festival, June 26-27. Then there's the Blues & Jazz Festival, July 17-19, the Spirit Festival, September 4-6, and several smaller festivals sprinkled in among them. Kansas City is a town that likes to celebrate its jazz and blues heritage. And these festivals do just that. For those of you who live in the Kansas City area, we hope you are aware of how much jazz talent KC has to offer. The musicians in this town are comparable to those in New York, California and even Europe. For those who are visiting Kansas City, please take the time to visit the jazz clubs listed in the back of this magazine. You won't be disappointed. I guarantee it. And don't forget to taste the KC barbecue along the way. The two go together. I guarantee that, too! As the president of this organization, I feel I have a lot to be proud of. ...The city, the people, the musicians, the clubs that support jazz year in and year out. The Jazz Ambassadors receive mail from such faraway places as Europe and Japan and these letters confirm Kansas City's contribution to jazz. So, if you're visiting, welcome! You are a part of this continuing heritage. And if you are a local, I'll see you in the clubs, at the crawl and at the festivals. It's another summer of great jazz in Kansas City. Enjoy! RETURN TO JUNE/JULY 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.