JAM: October/November 2002 Issue: News & Notes

The MMF Moves Forward
The historic Mutual Musicians Foundation is enjoying a fresh start. A new
Board of Directors was elected on September 8, confirmed at a forward-
l ooking induction ceremony on September 22 and is now ready to get to work. New board members are: Everette DeVan, Chairman; Al Pearson,
President; Lester "Duck" Warner, Vice President; Linda Sanderson,
Treasurer; Lisa Henry, Secretary; and Chris Clarke, Sergeant at Arms. The
Board at Large is: Dr. Leslie E. Becker, Jr., John Bluford, Donald Cox,
Gerald Dunn, Linda McShann, Michael Moore, Donald Parson, Kerry
Strayer, and Edward A. Williams, Attorney at Law.

The election of this board marks the beginning of a new era for the Mutual
Musicians Foundation, says Chairman DeVan. "This is a strong board
composed of diverse and complementary talents -- a team strong in
business administration, education, public relations, and most important,
creating and promoting music. We need to restore the Foundation to the
high caliber it once was and aspire to elevate it to an even higher level."

President Al Pearson is also looking to the future. "I would like to see a
place where young musicians will come to learn to play all types of music. I
hope to see the Foundation fulfill that need."

The Mutual Musicians Foundation is located at 1823 Highland in the 18th &
Vine Jazz District. Call 816-471-5212 for news about upcoming events.

Jazz at JCCC
You can always count on the Jazz Series at Johnson County Community
College to feature KC's finest talent. The lineup for October is all set and
looking good.

On October 1, multi-instrumentalist and singer (and new MMF VP) Lester
"Duck" Warner will bring his Warner Project to the Carlsen Center's Recital Hall; on October 8, pianist Greg Richter will lead his trio in concert; the
Riches to Rags Dixieland Band appears on October 15; the Rod
Fleeman/Mike Perryman duo will be in the spotlight on October 22; and
on October 29 (in The Theatre) alto saxophonist Bobby Watson will appear
with his quintet.

All concerts are on Tuesdays, begin at noon and are free and open to the
public. Call 913-469-8500 (ext. 3689) for more.

Servin' Up a Jazz Great
On Sunday, October 6, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the annual fundraiser for
piscopal Social Services will take place at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St.
This year "Servin' Up Jazz" will serve up one of the finest jazz singers ever
when Marilyn Maye and friends fill the Folly with the kind of music that got
Ms. Maye invited to Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" a record 76 times.
Proceeds from the event will go to various ESS concerns including Meals on
Wheels, Operation Backpack, hospital aftercare, parenting/life skills, Turner
House Community Center, "Missionpalooza" for teenage volunteers, and
nursing home ministry.

General admission tickets are $30. Call 816-561-8920 for additional
information.

PTPI To KCMO
People to People International, founded in 1956 by President Dwight
Eisenhower, is bringing its 15th Worldwide Conference to Kansas City,
October 9-13. The conference will be based at the Westin Crown Center
hotel, but there will also be an entire evening dedicated to KC jazz... and, of
course barbecue.

"An Evening at 18th and Vine" on
Thursday, October 10 will include a BBQ dinner
and self-guided tours of the American Jazz and
Negro Leagues Baseball Museums, all of which
begins at 6:30 p.m. Then at 8:30 p.m. in the
Gem Theater there will be a performance by
Queen Bey and friends. The ticket price of $35
includes the dinner, admission to both museums and the concert by Ms. Bey.

"We are very excited to hold our 15th Worldwide
Conference in Kansas City this October," says
Rosanne Rosen, Vice President of Operations for
People to People International. "PTPI is
dedicated to enhancing international
understanding and friendship through
educational, cultural and humanitarian activities.
And we also value the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among
peoples of different countries and diverse cultures. So, we really want to
make this a community-wide event in Kansas City and invite the community to meet our international membership. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet people from around the world."

The event at 18th & Vine is co-sponsored by The Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund. More information about the entire conference can be found at www.ptpi.org.

Music Lover?
This Fest Is for You
Beginning at noon on Saturday, October 12, the Liberty Performing Arts Theater will be the site of the second annual Music Lovers' Jazz Festival, this year featuring the South American sounds of Sons of Brasil (6:00 p.m.), contemporary jazz/funk from Boko Maru (7:00), piano prodigy Eldar Djangirov (8:00) and the perennially popular vocalist Ida McBeth (9:00). (For more about Ms. McBeth, read on.) Various ensembles from area schools will also be performing earlier in the day (call for a schedule), including the UMKC Jazz Ensemble, and two from JCCC, the college's Vocal Jazz Ensemble and "Midnight Express." A trio led by pianist Wayne Hawkins will also appear.

If you haven't already, reserve your tickets now by calling 816-792-6130 or by visiting www.LPAT.org on the 'net. The Liberty Performing Arts Theater is located at 1600 S. Withers Road.

Roots of Jazz
"Anyone interested in jazz and who pays attention to its roots will find that those roots go clear back to the Middle Ages and beyond," says multi-instrumentalist Gerald Trimble. Trimble's band, the Gerald Trimble Ensemble, continues its search through Early Music for those beginnings.

Last May, Trimble found himself on stage with Bird Fleming, highly regarded as one of the finest Afro-Cuban percussionists in America. When Fleming sat in with Trimble's group playing music from Trimble's CD Celtic Cantigas, the pairing went over well with musicians and audience alike. It was "a jazzy combination that made the ancient music swing and demonstrated the roots of salsa, rumba, samba and mambo."

It also inspired Trimble and Fleming to plan a series of fall concerts titled "Africa, Andalusia, America." The first, "Cubaroque! -- The Renaissance Meets the Caribbean," will be held on Saturday, October 12 at the Community Christian Church, 4601 Main, at 8:00 p.m.. Tickets are $15 at the door and $13 in advance. More information is available through the Kansas City Arts Initiative at 816-960-4636 and the website at www.geraldtrimble.com.

The next two concerts, "Celtic Cantigas -- The New World, from Latin to Latino" on Saturday, November 16, and "Winter Solstice" on Saturday, December 21, will be held at the Community Christian Church and Unity Temple on the Plaza respectively. "Winter Solstice" will feature singer David Basse, the group BCR, Trimble, Fleming, and drummer Barry Bernstein.

When discussing improvisation as a part of common musical threads, Trimble is quick to point out that little music was written down until the 17th century. "This means that while players memorized the basic tune, everything was improvisation. As a matter of fact, improvisation was an integral part of western music right up to Mozart, who left blank places in his piano concertos for improvisation. You only need to go to any music session, whether blues, jazz, Irish or Old Time, and you seldom see any written music."

Sounds like the last KC jazz gig we attended, right?

"...From the spread of the Moorish culture into Sicily and Italy in the 12th and 13th centuries, (this approach) was brought to America where it touches us even today. Believe it or not, you hear it every time you go to a jazz club in Kansas City."

A Ragtime Finale
The 2002 Kansas City Ragtime Revelry concert series concludes on Saturday, November 2 when pianist Mimi Blais appears at the Community Christian Church, 4601 Main. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Until ten years ago, Blais was a Montreal-based classical pianist. Then one day, as the story goes, she heard someone playing the "Maple Leaf Rag" and her world changed forever. Since 1994 she has led the Ragtime Foundation of Quebec and has produced an annual ragtime festival in her native Montreal. Blais has also performed at many other festivals across the U.S. including the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia. Call 816-691-8781 or email dianecapps@juno.com for more information about this show.

For the Next Generation
Jazz educator Leon Brady (see Q&A) is very excited about an upcoming event. "That Swing Thing," which takes place on Friday, November 15, 7:30-11:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, "will be a winning combination of jazz, dinner, big band, and swing dancing," Brady tells us. "And it's for the benefit of members of the next generation of jazz musicians: our own Kansas City Youth Jazz Band, a program of the Mid-America Arts Foundation." Tickets are $125 per person, which includes cocktails, dinner, and dancing to the Steve Miller Orchestra. Patron level ($175) receives the additional benefits of valet parking and a pre-party event at 6:30 p.m. David Basse and his band will also be on hand as part of the evening's musical menu.

"With your help we can bring music to more children," Professor Brady says, "and we can nurture their talents and energy. But most of all, we will be able to continue a music education program designed to preserve and pass on our jazz heritage." For more information about the event and/or the Mid-America Arts Foundation, call 913-371-4157.

Ida Live!
When it comes to high-quality entertainment and music performed from the heart, an evening with award-winning singer Ida McBeth is a sure thing. However, Ms. McBeth's gig at the Blue Room on Thanksgiving night, November 28, will bring with it a new dimension.

"We will be doing a live recording of my new DVD," Ida says. "People are always telling me they don't know about me as a person, so I thought I'd give them a peek into my travels and also my life as both a performer and a mother. It will be sorta like a mini-documentary."

November 28 is also McBeth's birthday, but she's coy about revealing her age. "My mother used to tell me that a woman who tells her age will tell anything!"

Drop on by the Blue Room Thanksgiving night, help Ida blow out all 29 candles, and be on hand for her new video. Call 816-474-8463 for additional information.

"The Future of Jazz"
About jazz violinist Regina Carter, Time magazine has said: "(She) creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and, at times, breathtakingly daring... taking the listener into the future of jazz." High praise from a high place. You will be able to partake in a preview of this part of jazz's future when Carter brings her quintet to UMKC's White Hall, 4949 Cherry, on Sunday, December 1 as part of the Conservatory of Music's 2002-2003 "Signature Series." The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For reservations, call the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222.

The Future of TJF
Topeka Jazz Festival Artistic Director Jim Monroe has wasted no time booking the talent for next year's Memorial Day weekend event, May 24-26, 2003. Here's a preview.

Frank Capp & Juggernaut, Banu Gibson & Topeka Hot Jazz, the Eldar Djangirov Trio, the Jay Leonhart Trio (groups); Derek Smith/Joanne Brackeen, Jerry Wiggins/Mike Wofford (piano duos); David Boeddinghaus, Joe Cartwright, Ted Rosenthal (piano); Bob Bowman, John Clayton, Lynn Seaton, Gerald Spaits (bass); Joe Ascione, Sylvia Cuena, Tommy Ruskin, Todd Strait (drums); Joe Cohn, Rod Fleeman (guitar); Peter Appleyard (vibes); Jim Cann, Andy Martin, David Newberry, Paul Roberts (trombone); Claire Daly, Gary Foster, Bob Kindred, Ken Peplowski, Gene Redman, Craig Treinen (reeds); Jerry Herring, Danny Jackson, Bill Liefer, Fred Mulholland, Tiger Okoshi (trumpet); Holly Hoffman (flute); Banu Gibson, Tierney Sutton (vocals).

As Monroe explained in the August/September JAM ("Correspondence") it's crunch time for the festival. Look for more about the 2003 TJF in coming issues. And give Jim a call at 785-267-1315 for advanced ticket reservations and additional information.

Got News? Got Notes? Please send to: Editor/JAM, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. Deadline for all submissions is the 15th of each odd numbered month.






	Search our site:		The MMF Moves Forward The historic Mutual Musicians Foundation is enjoying a fresh start. A new Board of Directors was elected on September 8, confirmed at a forward- l ooking induction ceremony on September 22 and is now ready to get to work. New board members are: Everette DeVan, Chairman; Al Pearson, President; Lester "Duck" Warner, Vice President; Linda Sanderson, Treasurer; Lisa Henry, Secretary; and Chris Clarke, Sergeant at Arms. The Board at Large is: Dr. Leslie E. Becker, Jr., John Bluford, Donald Cox, Gerald Dunn, Linda McShann, Michael Moore, Donald Parson, Kerry Strayer, and Edward A. Williams, Attorney at Law. The election of this board marks the beginning of a new era for the Mutual Musicians Foundation, says Chairman DeVan. "This is a strong board composed of diverse and complementary talents -- a team strong in business administration, education, public relations, and most important, creating and promoting music. We need to restore the Foundation to the high caliber it once was and aspire to elevate it to an even higher level." President Al Pearson is also looking to the future. "I would like to see a place where young musicians will come to learn to play all types of music. I hope to see the Foundation fulfill that need." The Mutual Musicians Foundation is located at 1823 Highland in the 18th & Vine Jazz District. Call 816-471-5212 for news about upcoming events. Jazz at JCCC You can always count on the Jazz Series at Johnson County Community College to feature KC's finest talent. The lineup for October is all set and looking good. On October 1, multi-instrumentalist and singer (and new MMF VP) Lester "Duck" Warner will bring his Warner Project to the Carlsen Center's Recital Hall; on October 8, pianist Greg Richter will lead his trio in concert; the Riches to Rags Dixieland Band appears on October 15; the Rod Fleeman/Mike Perryman duo will be in the spotlight on October 22; and on October 29 (in The Theatre) alto saxophonist Bobby Watson will appear with his quintet. All concerts are on Tuesdays, begin at noon and are free and open to the public. Call 913-469-8500 (ext. 3689) for more. Servin' Up a Jazz Great On Sunday, October 6, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., the annual fundraiser for piscopal Social Services will take place at the Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St. This year "Servin' Up Jazz" will serve up one of the finest jazz singers ever when Marilyn Maye and friends fill the Folly with the kind of music that got Ms. Maye invited to Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" a record 76 times. Proceeds from the event will go to various ESS concerns including Meals on Wheels, Operation Backpack, hospital aftercare, parenting/life skills, Turner House Community Center, "Missionpalooza" for teenage volunteers, and nursing home ministry. General admission tickets are $30. Call 816-561-8920 for additional information. PTPI To KCMO People to People International, founded in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower, is bringing its 15th Worldwide Conference to Kansas City, October 9-13. The conference will be based at the Westin Crown Center hotel, but there will also be an entire evening dedicated to KC jazz... and, of course barbecue. "An Evening at 18th and Vine" on Thursday, October 10 will include a BBQ dinner and self-guided tours of the American Jazz and Negro Leagues Baseball Museums, all of which begins at 6:30 p.m. Then at 8:30 p.m. in the Gem Theater there will be a performance by Queen Bey and friends. The ticket price of $35 includes the dinner, admission to both museums and the concert by Ms. Bey. "We are very excited to hold our 15th Worldwide Conference in Kansas City this October," says Rosanne Rosen, Vice President of Operations for People to People International. "PTPI is dedicated to enhancing international understanding and friendship through educational, cultural and humanitarian activities. And we also value the exchange of ideas and experiences directly among peoples of different countries and diverse cultures. So, we really want to make this a community-wide event in Kansas City and invite the community to meet our international membership. It's a wonderful opportunity to meet people from around the world." The event at 18th & Vine is co-sponsored by The Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund. More information about the entire conference can be found at www.ptpi.org. Music Lover? This Fest Is for You Beginning at noon on Saturday, October 12, the Liberty Performing Arts Theater will be the site of the second annual Music Lovers' Jazz Festival, this year featuring the South American sounds of Sons of Brasil (6:00 p.m.), contemporary jazz/funk from Boko Maru (7:00), piano prodigy Eldar Djangirov (8:00) and the perennially popular vocalist Ida McBeth (9:00). (For more about Ms. McBeth, read on.) Various ensembles from area schools will also be performing earlier in the day (call for a schedule), including the UMKC Jazz Ensemble, and two from JCCC, the college's Vocal Jazz Ensemble and "Midnight Express." A trio led by pianist Wayne Hawkins will also appear. If you haven't already, reserve your tickets now by calling 816-792-6130 or by visiting www.LPAT.org on the 'net. The Liberty Performing Arts Theater is located at 1600 S. Withers Road. Roots of Jazz "Anyone interested in jazz and who pays attention to its roots will find that those roots go clear back to the Middle Ages and beyond," says multi-instrumentalist Gerald Trimble. Trimble's band, the Gerald Trimble Ensemble, continues its search through Early Music for those beginnings. Last May, Trimble found himself on stage with Bird Fleming, highly regarded as one of the finest Afro-Cuban percussionists in America. When Fleming sat in with Trimble's group playing music from Trimble's CD Celtic Cantigas, the pairing went over well with musicians and audience alike. It was "a jazzy combination that made the ancient music swing and demonstrated the roots of salsa, rumba, samba and mambo." It also inspired Trimble and Fleming to plan a series of fall concerts titled "Africa, Andalusia, America." The first, "Cubaroque! -- The Renaissance Meets the Caribbean," will be held on Saturday, October 12 at the Community Christian Church, 4601 Main, at 8:00 p.m.. Tickets are $15 at the door and $13 in advance. More information is available through the Kansas City Arts Initiative at 816-960-4636 and the website at www.geraldtrimble.com. The next two concerts, "Celtic Cantigas -- The New World, from Latin to Latino" on Saturday, November 16, and "Winter Solstice" on Saturday, December 21, will be held at the Community Christian Church and Unity Temple on the Plaza respectively. "Winter Solstice" will feature singer David Basse, the group BCR, Trimble, Fleming, and drummer Barry Bernstein. When discussing improvisation as a part of common musical threads, Trimble is quick to point out that little music was written down until the 17th century. "This means that while players memorized the basic tune, everything was improvisation. As a matter of fact, improvisation was an integral part of western music right up to Mozart, who left blank places in his piano concertos for improvisation. You only need to go to any music session, whether blues, jazz, Irish or Old Time, and you seldom see any written music." Sounds like the last KC jazz gig we attended, right? "...From the spread of the Moorish culture into Sicily and Italy in the 12th and 13th centuries, (this approach) was brought to America where it touches us even today. Believe it or not, you hear it every time you go to a jazz club in Kansas City." A Ragtime Finale The 2002 Kansas City Ragtime Revelry concert series concludes on Saturday, November 2 when pianist Mimi Blais appears at the Community Christian Church, 4601 Main. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Until ten years ago, Blais was a Montreal-based classical pianist. Then one day, as the story goes, she heard someone playing the "Maple Leaf Rag" and her world changed forever. Since 1994 she has led the Ragtime Foundation of Quebec and has produced an annual ragtime festival in her native Montreal. Blais has also performed at many other festivals across the U.S. including the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival in Sedalia. Call 816-691-8781 or email dianecapps@juno.com for more information about this show. For the Next Generation Jazz educator Leon Brady (see Q&A) is very excited about an upcoming event. "That Swing Thing," which takes place on Friday, November 15, 7:30-11:30 p.m. at the Fairmont Hotel, "will be a winning combination of jazz, dinner, big band, and swing dancing," Brady tells us. "And it's for the benefit of members of the next generation of jazz musicians: our own Kansas City Youth Jazz Band, a program of the Mid-America Arts Foundation." Tickets are $125 per person, which includes cocktails, dinner, and dancing to the Steve Miller Orchestra. Patron level ($175) receives the additional benefits of valet parking and a pre-party event at 6:30 p.m. David Basse and his band will also be on hand as part of the evening's musical menu. "With your help we can bring music to more children," Professor Brady says, "and we can nurture their talents and energy. But most of all, we will be able to continue a music education program designed to preserve and pass on our jazz heritage." For more information about the event and/or the Mid-America Arts Foundation, call 913-371-4157. Ida Live! When it comes to high-quality entertainment and music performed from the heart, an evening with award-winning singer Ida McBeth is a sure thing. However, Ms. McBeth's gig at the Blue Room on Thanksgiving night, November 28, will bring with it a new dimension. "We will be doing a live recording of my new DVD," Ida says. "People are always telling me they don't know about me as a person, so I thought I'd give them a peek into my travels and also my life as both a performer and a mother. It will be sorta like a mini-documentary." November 28 is also McBeth's birthday, but she's coy about revealing her age. "My mother used to tell me that a woman who tells her age will tell anything!" Drop on by the Blue Room Thanksgiving night, help Ida blow out all 29 candles, and be on hand for her new video. Call 816-474-8463 for additional information. "The Future of Jazz" About jazz violinist Regina Carter, Time magazine has said: "(She) creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and, at times, breathtakingly daring... taking the listener into the future of jazz." High praise from a high place. You will be able to partake in a preview of this part of jazz's future when Carter brings her quintet to UMKC's White Hall, 4949 Cherry, on Sunday, December 1 as part of the Conservatory of Music's 2002-2003 "Signature Series." The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. For reservations, call the Central Ticket Office at 816-235-6222. The Future of TJF Topeka Jazz Festival Artistic Director Jim Monroe has wasted no time booking the talent for next year's Memorial Day weekend event, May 24-26, 2003. Here's a preview. Frank Capp & Juggernaut, Banu Gibson & Topeka Hot Jazz, the Eldar Djangirov Trio, the Jay Leonhart Trio (groups); Derek Smith/Joanne Brackeen, Jerry Wiggins/Mike Wofford (piano duos); David Boeddinghaus, Joe Cartwright, Ted Rosenthal (piano); Bob Bowman, John Clayton, Lynn Seaton, Gerald Spaits (bass); Joe Ascione, Sylvia Cuena, Tommy Ruskin, Todd Strait (drums); Joe Cohn, Rod Fleeman (guitar); Peter Appleyard (vibes); Jim Cann, Andy Martin, David Newberry, Paul Roberts (trombone); Claire Daly, Gary Foster, Bob Kindred, Ken Peplowski, Gene Redman, Craig Treinen (reeds); Jerry Herring, Danny Jackson, Bill Liefer, Fred Mulholland, Tiger Okoshi (trumpet); Holly Hoffman (flute); Banu Gibson, Tierney Sutton (vocals). As Monroe explained in the August/September JAM ("Correspondence") it's crunch time for the festival. Look for more about the 2003 TJF in coming issues. And give Jim a call at 785-267-1315 for advanced ticket reservations and additional information. Got News? Got Notes? Please send to: Editor/JAM, P.O. Box 36181, Kansas City, MO 64171-6181. Deadline for all submissions is the 15th of each odd numbered month. RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2002 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2002. All rights reserved.