JAM: August/September 2003 Issue: Correspondence

Many Thanks
Our apologies for this belated but heartfelt note of thanks for the American Jazz Museum's membership ad in the August/September issue of JAM.

You were extremely gracious to include us in the publication in this manner. In fact, we received a number of memberships as a direct result of the insertion. As you well know, we depend upon new "friends" in order to keep our organization vibrant and dynamic. Therefore, your generosity and support of our efforts is deeply appreciated.

Again, many thanks for thinking of us in such a generous manner.

With kindest personal regards, I am

Sincerely,
Reverend Emanuel Cleaver
Chairman
American Jazz Museum
Kansas City, MO

"Dr. Mike" Is Back
Dear folks at JAM,

I just wanted to let you know that I am back on the air on KKFI (having done several years at KCUR and "Take Five"). I am on Wednesday 12-3 p.m. and Friday 1-3 p.m. The Friday program is called "American Songbook" and it traces songs through the decades and crosses genres. The Wednesday show, although I won't forget about the straightahead material, will offer some of the more avant garde (so-called "free") jazz. As far as I know it will be the only place in town to hear such sounds. (Think of Ruth and Ginney's worst nightmare! No offense to them, of course.)

Anyway, I hope you all tune in!

Thanks,
"Dr. Mike" (Mike Pettengell)
Kansas City, MO

What Jazz Needs
Based primarily on the August/September JAM ("Kansas City: Jazz Town!/Jazz Town?"), I renewed our family membership to the Jazz Ambassadors. We haven't attended the JA's meetings, but hope to start doing so in the future. We also rarely attend a jazz concert or frequent the few places left to hear jazz.

We do frequent the Grand Emporium, but rarely unless the act is one we've heard via CD or via the Internet samples from the act's website. E.g., rarely do we attend a non-national, recorded band's concert. Strangely, I'm fairly new to blues groups but have bought jazz records and CDs for over 35 years.

I think that some reasons we don't frequent jazz places are that they seem to cost a lot more than the Grand Emporium charges for most groups, the drinks at those places are pretty high, and more important, the jazz seems to be mostly bebop or closely related and rarely involves a national talent. This music is great and gives the musicians a chance to show their virtuosity and imagination, but it also sounds repetitive after a while. Re: the cost, I can buy a couple of CDs of these musicians for the cost of a concert ticket. Finally, the Grand Emporium crowd seems looser than the jazz crowds, maybe because jazz now is in supper clubs, restaurants and concert halls rather than roadhouse-type venues.

I also find that I'm increasingly attracted to the "fringes of jazz" or "beyond" recordings of the DownBeat and allaboutjazz.com reviews than to the more straightahead recordings (partially because I have lots of great CDs of the latter).

Since your August/September JAM discusses the reasons for low attendance at K.C. jazz venues and those venues' disappearing, perhaps the above will help identify some of the causes for this situation.

Also, I think that most of us non-musicians would benefit from more education. Although I like lots of jazz genres, I don't like them all and really don't understand any of them. For instance, I've never developed an appreciation for Ornette Coleman's music, despite having listened to it repeatedly on records years ago and recently on CD and despite knowing that he is a "giant" in jazz and has influenced nearly all music by now. Why is John Coltrane important? What did he do that his predecessors did not? What's his legacy? When musicians say that he influenced them (as nearly all musicians do), what do they mean? (E.g., among Ray Charles' accomplishments is that he moved the gospel call-response into popular music. His inflections and intonations are evident in nearly any singer now, and in lots of instrumental solos.)

Rarely do I read an article on jazz or a jazz performer that explains why the genre developed or the performer is considered important -- what did he/she do to help the music progress? (Rarely do I read or hear explanations of the "whys" of classical music, either. Bill Shapiro's show "Cypress Avenue" on NPR does give some explanation for why some rock groups are important.) I hoped that the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine would provide this information, but it does not.

I think that articles in JAM or a source with a broader audience (PBS, The Star, etc.) regarding the various genres of jazz -- how and why they developed and why some of their founders/proponents are important contributors to music and jazz, in particular -- would be helpful to getting more people interested in the music and give all of us "lay" people a chance to enjoy it more than we do now. (I don't know if the PBS/Ken Burns show had any effect on this. Was there a spike in people buying Duke Ellington's CDs, etc.?)

Good writers about physics can relay the history and laws of physics and physicists' contributions to science in language understandable to non-scientists, without using mathematics to do so. (I recommend Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" for the latest example of this. I think that Laurence Bergreen's "Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life" is a good example of explaining Mr. Armstrong's contribution to music, among other contributions.) I'm confident that good writers about jazz or any other musical genre/subgenre can do the same for their subjects. These discussions won't make non-musicians into musicians, but they will help us appreciate and, we hope, like what we hear from musicians.

Finally, jazz needs lots of publicity and doesn't get it. Even lots of publicity isn't likely to make it as popular as it was in the Benny Goodman/Duke Ellington/Count Basie era. It won't replace rock or rap. But it certainly has a lot to offer to young ears -- and older ears that weren't exposed to it earlier. I think that most of us don't know that jazz can rock! It can be emotional music and visceral music and fun to listen to and make you want to move as well as being cerebral. Not all of it is theme/variation/extended solos by everyone in the band/theme, etc. I think that most of us don't know that.

Thanks for reading this. I hope it helps the JA's efforts to make jazz more a part of our culture than it is at present.

Sincerely,
John F. Sicoli
Kansas City, MO

Where's the Promotion?
There are only a handful of districts in the world that are significant to the history of music. In America we have the French Quarter, Beale Street, Harlem, Chicago's Southside... and 18th & Vine.

The people of New Orleans understand that the Quarter and New Orleans Jazz are the backbone of the local economy. 20 years ago Memphis saw that a restored Beale Street could set off a revitalization of the district and grow to be a major attraction for the city. Harlem is attempting to build on its jazz heritage. There are jazz museums built or in the planning stage in New Orleans, Chicago and New York. These other cities will build, support and promote their heritage. Here in Kansas City we seem to believe that building is enough.

Over the last two years I have visited 20 states for the purpose of studying the use and promotion of the arts in general. What I have seen has led me to believe that Kansas City is making a very big mistake, a mistake that we seem to repeat constantly.

Other communities use the arts to promote and market their cities. Above I mentioned music-specific sites because that is my interest, but art and music are used as marketing tools. In Kansas City we build and walk away. We have 18th & Vine growing, yet we are doing nothing to promote the area to the city. Very few people in Kansas City know what is available at 18th & Vine, many do not even know how to get to the historic district. While other cities (and states) make information easy to find, we make it a challenge. In other states tourist information centers and information kiosks in hotels and restaurants lead the visitor to the attractions. Driving from St. Louis to Kansas City on I-70 it is impossible to find a tourist information center. (There is one located at the sports complex exit, but there is no advance notice to alert the driver.) Billboards along I-70 would lead one to believe that Kansas City is the strip bar capital of the world. There are no signs leading one to the 18th & Vine area. Last month I passed within a few blocks of 18th & Vine and there was nothing to inform me that I was close to the site.

As a marketing professional, musician, and music lover, this city frustrates me. We could be great, all it takes is a little hard work, attention to detail and follow-through. The first rule of marketing -- continuity -- is constantly broken by our jazz community. We have a flurry of activity at the Gem, or the American Jazz Museum, or the Folly Theater, and then those venues fall right off the radar screen. The consumer is not being told why the AJM, or the 18th & Vine district is important to Kansas City. We are not making a case for political, public or corporate support because we are not helping ourselves. The city and the state let us down by not doing anything intelligent to attract visitors.

The funny (or sad) thing about our situation is that you can't point a finger at one group and place the blame. The political leaders make tax funds available for a project, see the building through and then wash their hands of any further responsibility -- until more funds are needed for plant or operational issues. The attractions need cash flow and seek it from grants, contributions, and tax dollars. The tax payers feel that there is little benefit to extend tax funding. We simply chase our tails and we fall further behind other communities.

I was at a museum in Lexington, Kentucky in July. A nice lady engaged me in conversation and began to tell me of other attractions I might enjoy. When I told her that I was leaving the museum and starting my drive home she asked where I was from. I told her Kansas City. She asked me, "Is that near Branson?" Is this what it has come to? Kansas City in the shadow of Branson? The last thing she said to me when I again told her I was starting my drive home: "Well, you should stay, it's more fun here!"

Tax payers have to be told why 18th & Vine is important. Political leaders have to be shown models of other cities. The leaders of the non-profits have to be taught to think like for-profit corporations. They can and must develop revenue streams, and attract people through the turnstiles. We need smart marketing and grass-roots support. We need to take advantage of every little opportunity that comes our way. Harry Connick Jr. played at the Gem Theater in August because he wanted to play at 18th & Vine. Harry knows that 18th & Vine is important. What a great marketing tool to have dropped in your lap. Are we doing anything with that gift? Why not? Major acts wanting to play Kansas City, that is what we need, and we need to scream about it when it happens.

I keep hearing that jazz is dead in Kansas City. If so, we killed it. I still believe it is alive. We could do ourselves a favor by educating the general population about jazz and Kansas City jazz. We need to be proud of our place in music history and use that to build a future. Music is about relationships. Music styles borrow from and lend to each other. We can use the very nature of music to reach a broader audience.

I recently read a description of Kansas City Jazz that stated that the style was rhythmic, with a blues feel and based heavily on the riff. That statement could describe Kansas City Jazz, but it also could describe blues rock of the '60s, some disco of the '70s, heavy metal of the late '70s and '80s as well as Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Mathews and maybe even Robben Ford, Santana and Sting.

I care, so I guess I'll stay here and keep fighting. Every year I entertain thoughts of moving, and some job offers are in other more forward-thinking communities. But I want it here in Kansas City, and we can do it. So, I'll continue to offer my marketing services to the arts community, harass politicians, and preach the gospel of music to anyone that will listen.
I have completed one small contract marketing project for the American Jazz Museum, and I am member of the Folly Theater Marketing committee. I am doing what I can, but it is going to take us all working together to get this town back on track. The benefits to the community are just too great to back down now. I would love to hear your thoughts on what we can do to make this a better place for music and the arts.

Sincerely,
Robert W. Akers
Planet Music Marketing
Kansas City, MO
RobertWAkers@kc.rr.com






	Search our site:		Many Thanks Our apologies for this belated but heartfelt note of thanks for the American Jazz Museum's membership ad in the August/September issue of JAM. You were extremely gracious to include us in the publication in this manner. In fact, we received a number of memberships as a direct result of the insertion. As you well know, we depend upon new "friends" in order to keep our organization vibrant and dynamic. Therefore, your generosity and support of our efforts is deeply appreciated. Again, many thanks for thinking of us in such a generous manner. With kindest personal regards, I am Sincerely, Reverend Emanuel Cleaver Chairman American Jazz Museum Kansas City, MO "Dr. Mike" Is Back Dear folks at JAM, I just wanted to let you know that I am back on the air on KKFI (having done several years at KCUR and "Take Five"). I am on Wednesday 12-3 p.m. and Friday 1-3 p.m. The Friday program is called "American Songbook" and it traces songs through the decades and crosses genres. The Wednesday show, although I won't forget about the straightahead material, will offer some of the more avant garde (so-called "free") jazz. As far as I know it will be the only place in town to hear such sounds. (Think of Ruth and Ginney's worst nightmare! No offense to them, of course.) Anyway, I hope you all tune in! Thanks, "Dr. Mike" (Mike Pettengell) Kansas City, MO What Jazz Needs Based primarily on the August/September JAM ("Kansas City: Jazz Town!/Jazz Town?"), I renewed our family membership to the Jazz Ambassadors. We haven't attended the JA's meetings, but hope to start doing so in the future. We also rarely attend a jazz concert or frequent the few places left to hear jazz. We do frequent the Grand Emporium, but rarely unless the act is one we've heard via CD or via the Internet samples from the act's website. E.g., rarely do we attend a non-national, recorded band's concert. Strangely, I'm fairly new to blues groups but have bought jazz records and CDs for over 35 years. I think that some reasons we don't frequent jazz places are that they seem to cost a lot more than the Grand Emporium charges for most groups, the drinks at those places are pretty high, and more important, the jazz seems to be mostly bebop or closely related and rarely involves a national talent. This music is great and gives the musicians a chance to show their virtuosity and imagination, but it also sounds repetitive after a while. Re: the cost, I can buy a couple of CDs of these musicians for the cost of a concert ticket. Finally, the Grand Emporium crowd seems looser than the jazz crowds, maybe because jazz now is in supper clubs, restaurants and concert halls rather than roadhouse-type venues. I also find that I'm increasingly attracted to the "fringes of jazz" or "beyond" recordings of the DownBeat and allaboutjazz.com reviews than to the more straightahead recordings (partially because I have lots of great CDs of the latter). Since your August/September JAM discusses the reasons for low attendance at K.C. jazz venues and those venues' disappearing, perhaps the above will help identify some of the causes for this situation. Also, I think that most of us non-musicians would benefit from more education. Although I like lots of jazz genres, I don't like them all and really don't understand any of them. For instance, I've never developed an appreciation for Ornette Coleman's music, despite having listened to it repeatedly on records years ago and recently on CD and despite knowing that he is a "giant" in jazz and has influenced nearly all music by now. Why is John Coltrane important? What did he do that his predecessors did not? What's his legacy? When musicians say that he influenced them (as nearly all musicians do), what do they mean? (E.g., among Ray Charles' accomplishments is that he moved the gospel call-response into popular music. His inflections and intonations are evident in nearly any singer now, and in lots of instrumental solos.) Rarely do I read an article on jazz or a jazz performer that explains why the genre developed or the performer is considered important -- what did he/she do to help the music progress? (Rarely do I read or hear explanations of the "whys" of classical music, either. Bill Shapiro's show "Cypress Avenue" on NPR does give some explanation for why some rock groups are important.) I hoped that the Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine would provide this information, but it does not. I think that articles in JAM or a source with a broader audience (PBS, The Star, etc.) regarding the various genres of jazz -- how and why they developed and why some of their founders/proponents are important contributors to music and jazz, in particular -- would be helpful to getting more people interested in the music and give all of us "lay" people a chance to enjoy it more than we do now. (I don't know if the PBS/Ken Burns show had any effect on this. Was there a spike in people buying Duke Ellington's CDs, etc.?) Good writers about physics can relay the history and laws of physics and physicists' contributions to science in language understandable to non-scientists, without using mathematics to do so. (I recommend Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything" for the latest example of this. I think that Laurence Bergreen's "Louis Armstrong: An Extravagant Life" is a good example of explaining Mr. Armstrong's contribution to music, among other contributions.) I'm confident that good writers about jazz or any other musical genre/subgenre can do the same for their subjects. These discussions won't make non-musicians into musicians, but they will help us appreciate and, we hope, like what we hear from musicians. Finally, jazz needs lots of publicity and doesn't get it. Even lots of publicity isn't likely to make it as popular as it was in the Benny Goodman/Duke Ellington/Count Basie era. It won't replace rock or rap. But it certainly has a lot to offer to young ears -- and older ears that weren't exposed to it earlier. I think that most of us don't know that jazz can rock! It can be emotional music and visceral music and fun to listen to and make you want to move as well as being cerebral. Not all of it is theme/variation/extended solos by everyone in the band/theme, etc. I think that most of us don't know that. Thanks for reading this. I hope it helps the JA's efforts to make jazz more a part of our culture than it is at present. Sincerely, John F. Sicoli Kansas City, MO Where's the Promotion? There are only a handful of districts in the world that are significant to the history of music. In America we have the French Quarter, Beale Street, Harlem, Chicago's Southside... and 18th & Vine. The people of New Orleans understand that the Quarter and New Orleans Jazz are the backbone of the local economy. 20 years ago Memphis saw that a restored Beale Street could set off a revitalization of the district and grow to be a major attraction for the city. Harlem is attempting to build on its jazz heritage. There are jazz museums built or in the planning stage in New Orleans, Chicago and New York. These other cities will build, support and promote their heritage. Here in Kansas City we seem to believe that building is enough. Over the last two years I have visited 20 states for the purpose of studying the use and promotion of the arts in general. What I have seen has led me to believe that Kansas City is making a very big mistake, a mistake that we seem to repeat constantly. Other communities use the arts to promote and market their cities. Above I mentioned music-specific sites because that is my interest, but art and music are used as marketing tools. In Kansas City we build and walk away. We have 18th & Vine growing, yet we are doing nothing to promote the area to the city. Very few people in Kansas City know what is available at 18th & Vine, many do not even know how to get to the historic district. While other cities (and states) make information easy to find, we make it a challenge. In other states tourist information centers and information kiosks in hotels and restaurants lead the visitor to the attractions. Driving from St. Louis to Kansas City on I-70 it is impossible to find a tourist information center. (There is one located at the sports complex exit, but there is no advance notice to alert the driver.) Billboards along I-70 would lead one to believe that Kansas City is the strip bar capital of the world. There are no signs leading one to the 18th & Vine area. Last month I passed within a few blocks of 18th & Vine and there was nothing to inform me that I was close to the site. As a marketing professional, musician, and music lover, this city frustrates me. We could be great, all it takes is a little hard work, attention to detail and follow-through. The first rule of marketing -- continuity -- is constantly broken by our jazz community. We have a flurry of activity at the Gem, or the American Jazz Museum, or the Folly Theater, and then those venues fall right off the radar screen. The consumer is not being told why the AJM, or the 18th & Vine district is important to Kansas City. We are not making a case for political, public or corporate support because we are not helping ourselves. The city and the state let us down by not doing anything intelligent to attract visitors. The funny (or sad) thing about our situation is that you can't point a finger at one group and place the blame. The political leaders make tax funds available for a project, see the building through and then wash their hands of any further responsibility -- until more funds are needed for plant or operational issues. The attractions need cash flow and seek it from grants, contributions, and tax dollars. The tax payers feel that there is little benefit to extend tax funding. We simply chase our tails and we fall further behind other communities. I was at a museum in Lexington, Kentucky in July. A nice lady engaged me in conversation and began to tell me of other attractions I might enjoy. When I told her that I was leaving the museum and starting my drive home she asked where I was from. I told her Kansas City. She asked me, "Is that near Branson?" Is this what it has come to? Kansas City in the shadow of Branson? The last thing she said to me when I again told her I was starting my drive home: "Well, you should stay, it's more fun here!" Tax payers have to be told why 18th & Vine is important. Political leaders have to be shown models of other cities. The leaders of the non-profits have to be taught to think like for-profit corporations. They can and must develop revenue streams, and attract people through the turnstiles. We need smart marketing and grass-roots support. We need to take advantage of every little opportunity that comes our way. Harry Connick Jr. played at the Gem Theater in August because he wanted to play at 18th & Vine. Harry knows that 18th & Vine is important. What a great marketing tool to have dropped in your lap. Are we doing anything with that gift? Why not? Major acts wanting to play Kansas City, that is what we need, and we need to scream about it when it happens. I keep hearing that jazz is dead in Kansas City. If so, we killed it. I still believe it is alive. We could do ourselves a favor by educating the general population about jazz and Kansas City jazz. We need to be proud of our place in music history and use that to build a future. Music is about relationships. Music styles borrow from and lend to each other. We can use the very nature of music to reach a broader audience. I recently read a description of Kansas City Jazz that stated that the style was rhythmic, with a blues feel and based heavily on the riff. That statement could describe Kansas City Jazz, but it also could describe blues rock of the '60s, some disco of the '70s, heavy metal of the late '70s and '80s as well as Pearl Jam and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dave Mathews and maybe even Robben Ford, Santana and Sting. I care, so I guess I'll stay here and keep fighting. Every year I entertain thoughts of moving, and some job offers are in other more forward-thinking communities. But I want it here in Kansas City, and we can do it. So, I'll continue to offer my marketing services to the arts community, harass politicians, and preach the gospel of music to anyone that will listen. I have completed one small contract marketing project for the American Jazz Museum, and I am member of the Folly Theater Marketing committee. I am doing what I can, but it is going to take us all working together to get this town back on track. The benefits to the community are just too great to back down now. I would love to hear your thoughts on what we can do to make this a better place for music and the arts. Sincerely, Robert W. Akers Planet Music Marketing Kansas City, MO RobertWAkers@kc.rr.com RETURN TO OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2003 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2003. All rights reserved.