JAM:April/May 2004 Issue: Jim Mair and His KC Jazz Orchestra

JIM MAIR and his KC Jazz Orchestra

February was a good month to catch up with saxophonist/educator Jim Mair. He was at Jardine's with frequent collaborator Mike Ning on piano and Charlie Gatschet on guitar. The play list was heavy with songs that comprise Jim's latest CD, Here's To The People. I was drawn quickly to the warmth of his tenor on “Mandy's Tune,” written for his young daughter.

Jim played long melodic lines, and the ideas just flowed with seemingly little effort. It was a night to sit back and listen, and that's apparently just what the Sunday crowd seemed to crave.

Jim turned to the soprano sax on Ellington's Purple Gazelle , which was recorded on the Ellington and Coltrane album as Angelica . Coltrane originally used his tenor on this tune, which had a great Elvin Jones rhythm behind it. The same rhythm is there with Jim's trio, but, without the drums, it is more implied, allowing the focus to be squarely on Jim.

During the set, Jim seemed to acknowledge everyone in the room, from the staff to the anniversary party, from a master percussionist friend to a child's birthday. Jim's a fairly low-key guy--he could be Perry Como up there--but somehow he had the house in his hands. When inviting the percussionist friend in for a couple of tunes, his dry humor came out. The guy was well dressed, and Jim gave credits to his tiemaker, jeweler, bootmaker, tailor, you name it, this was Jim's good-natured fun.

Near the end of the set, Jim put the horns down. Then he proceeded to sing and whistle Gerry Mulligan's “I Never Was A Young Man,” and I wanted to turn the calendar back a day so I could extend the evening.

Needless to say, I'm not surprised by the reputation Jim has earned over the 15 or so years since he first appeared on the Kansas City jazz scene as a graduate student at UMKC. JAM voted him the top saxophonist in 1991 when he performed regularly at The Phoenix. He then became a full time educator, first at the College of Southern Idaho , and since 2000 at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Jim is originally from Winnipeg , Manitoba , in Canada . In his teens, music won out over ice hockey, and he found himself practicing daily.

“Some friends and I started a jazz combo and we would rehearse after school almost everyday,” he says. “In fact, the principal of the school would allow us to rehearse as long as we wanted if we made sure the door was locked behind us when we left for the evening. Music won out over hockey shortly thereafter.”

“In high school we had one of the best band programs in the country,” he continues, “and our high school band director had an amazing library of big band charts at the school. We attempted to play charts by Thad Jones, Rob McConnell, Hank Levy and of course Sammy Nestico.”

“Several musicians I went to school with became really fine players and writers,” he says. “One is touring with Lenny Kravitz; another, Dan Thomas, was the musical director for Maynard Ferguson and now runs the jazz program at the University of Connecticut . In fact, Dan and I went to the same high school, undergrad school and grad school.”

The list of Canadians who have played on international stages is vast. There is pianist Oscar Peterson, trumpeter John McNeil, sisters Ingrid and Christine Jensen, guitarists Peter Leitch, Ed Bickert, and Sonny Greenwich, and vocalist Diana Krall—just the tip of the iceberg of talented Canadian players.

It's not surprising to Jim that Canada has produced some great musicians, as art education in Canada has a position like sports do in our schools.

“The Canadian scene is very hip,” relates Jim. “Audiences seem to embrace a wider variety of jazz styles including the avant-garde. The biggest difference that I've seen is that in Canada, athletics take a back seat to music in most middle school and high school programs which is the antithesis of the United States . Not to mention that there are very few marching bands and pep bands in the Canadian high school music programs.”

Little wonder that Jim has embraced music education.

Great early mentors and supportive learning environment led to a passion for playing, an experience which he strives to provide in his role as Director of Bands at KCKCC. It's all about education through performance.

“KCKCC has had a long jazz tradition,” he says. “Marlin Cooper directed the jazz bands from 1972 through 1999. Some of our former students include Bobby Watson, Michael Warren, Wayne Hawkins, and Lisa Henry to name a few. Every year we have several students that have terrific potential.”

This mission will continue in one of Jim's new projects, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (KCJO). In fact, while his resume is already impressive, in years to come we may very well find the Orchestra to be his most lasting and memorable achievement on the Kansas City arts scene.

The initial concerts of the KCJO were huge successes. The November tribute to the late Warren Durrett, which featured Marilyn Maye, drew an audience of 1,000. “It was a great evening,” relates Orchestra trumpeter Jay Sollenberger. “The charts were great, the band has wonderful soloists, and Marilyn just has it! Plus, the band does it right – three good rehearsals before one of the concerts.”

And what a band it is. The roster includes many of the best players in the city. The trumpet section includes Woody Herman and Stan Kenton veteran Sollenberger, Stan Kessler, Bob Harvey, and Steve Malloy. The sax section includes Hal Melia, Gerald Dunn, Ron Hathorn, Doug Talley, and Kerry Strayer. An outstanding trombone section includes Lee Hill Kavanaugh, Paul McKee, Jeff Hamer, and Jason Godeau. Add a rhythm section of pianist Charles Williams, bassist Theodore Wilson, guitarist Rod Fleeman, and drummer Tom Morgan, and you can understand why co-founder Gene Hall says that “Jim's ability to attract such wonderful musicians is a major attribute of the band.” And it's worth noting that Jim himself is not in the band, but he will front.

“Our vision for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is to be on the same cultural plane as the symphony, the ballet and the Lyric opera,” Jim says. “For this to happen we need to present concerts that are of the highest artistic quality--concerts that have some entertainment value to them. And we need to cultivate a loyal audience of supporters.”

“We also need to attract young people to our concerts and we have several ideas that will help to achieve these goals,” he said.

“Another issue is the fact that locally there is not a pre-existing jazz model in place to emulate. We must impress upon civic and community leaders that the music can be a vital component to our artistic cultural fabric. We are presenting American Classical music just as the symphony, opera and ballet present European Classical music.”

The band is a not-for-profit 501c(3) organization, a model that has been used by many similar bands across the country. There is one in Columbus , Ohio , that may have been the first. Since then others have flourished, including bands in Fargo, Seattle, Knoxville and Omaha. The well-known Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra can also be considered a similar organization.

“Jim was at a conference in Toronto where there was a workshop on such an organization, and he started thinking about the possibilities for Kansas City ,” explained Gene Hall. “We incorporated last year and obtained the tax-free status in May.”

Jim and Gene are quick to say that the band could not have happened without the other, and without the additional administrative work of Jim's wife Mary. According to Gene, it's Jim's vision and contacts that were essential. But according to Jim, the band would not have got off the ground without Gene and Mary's efforts. It's just a good team.

In order to cultivate a loyal audience, the band plans on theme-based concerts, with featured soloists and some vocalists. The May 14 concert at Unity Temple on the Plaza is a case in point.

The theme is “Louis and Ella – Together Again”, and will feature Byron Stripling (another Herman veteran) and Paseo graduate Deborah Brown. “Byron can do a tremendous Louis Armstrong impersonation”, says Sollenberger. “It's wonderful!”

There is another gig scheduled for November 12.

“This fall we hope to have a four-concert subscription season in place and in several years a six-concert season,” says Jim. And Gene would like the Orchestra to eventually find a home at the future Performing Arts Center .

Jazz repertory, which will be a part of what the band will do, brings its challenges, says Jim.

“When performing classic works you have to strive for stylistic accuracy, textural accuracy and improvise in a way that is historically relevant,” he says. “The quality of instruments has improved especially in the last 30 years so unless you use period instruments it can be a challenge to capture that sound and the fact that the ensemble is not on the road night after night, year after year. That still gives you a lot of opportunity to personalize the performance without compromising the essence of the composition.”

The band will also have an important education focus. For example, clinics will be held in conjunction with the May 14 concert in Kansas City schools.

“Youth outreach and education are part of the KCJO's mission”, says Mair. “From June 14-18 the 3rd annual KCKCC Jazz Camp will be co-sponsored by the KCJO. This will be the first of several educational partnerships that will take place in our community and the aim is to nurture a younger audience of jazz enthusiasts through education.”

The impression is that Jim and Gene envision a first-class operation.

“Absolutely first class,” says Sollenberger. “Paid rehearsals, good music, a first class opportunity to play. I'm excited about the personnel and the organization. And I don't have to travel. I did enough of that back with Kenton and Herman!”

Ticket sales should pay about 60 percent of the costs, with the rest coming through grants and contributions from corporations and other organizations and individuals. Gene, a retired lawyer and pianist, is the main fundraiser.

“Despite the economy, folks are really stepping up”, says Gene. “You know, an organization like the Kansas City Symphony has a track record. We don't. It's challenging, but we have been fortunate.”

Jim is excited about playing at Unity Temple . “Unity is a great place to hear music,” he says. “Tim Whitmer has had a very successful concert series at Unity on the first Wednesday of the month for almost 10 years. The Reverend Duke Tufty is a big advocate for concert jazz.” Plus, it is easily accessible from all parts of the metro area.

After hanging with Jim for awhile, you quickly learn that he's as big a jazz fan as anyone. He'll talk about hanging out with Houston Person, rattle off the names of the 1975 Count Basie band, and seems to have been at every big concert in the area.

He also likes to collect obscure tunes. “I've always enjoyed searching for and learning obscure songs,” he says, “songs that perhaps deserve to be more widely recognized. Actually, I have had an ongoing list of big band charts and recordings that I've been searching over the last 20 years and every so often that search will end!”

But my sense is that this search is what makes Jim so special. It is the kind of quest that develops from a great learning environment with opportunity to grow. Jim has developed and follows a path that seems as natural as walking. (1) Watch where the people you admire have come from, and follow the path to where that leads. (2) Look for the right place to develop your art. (3) Strive to provide opportunities for others who may be seeking a similar path.

You'll also learn that Jim has tremendous respect for the jazz and education environment in Kansas City .

“It's a great jazz town,” he says. “There are good places to perform, and we have a great depth of musical talent here, and a good audience to perform for.” “We need to create more listening environments for jazz where the music is the focal point,” he adds.

“We need to continue creating more situations where young people can experience the music at an affordable price. Most of the high schools and many of the middle schools in the metro and across North America for that matter have jazz bands. Leon Brady directs the Kansas City Youth Jazz Band program. The interest is there and jazz is fun to play. I'd like to see Kansas City and our Chamber of Commerce put more emphasis on promoting the music.”

His local gigging has not been as prolific as in the early days due to his educator role and family. But he is still out there enough so that when he is home on evenings Mandy will ask, “No gig tonight, Daddy?”

The other nights, when he isn't home to answer that question, are nice evenings of music. You can hear him frequently at Jardine's, Plaza III, and every weekend in April at Cascone's in Johnson County (where they really need more of it) with frequent colleague and pianist Mike Ning. So yes, Daddy is still busy, Mandy, and our ears and hearts are thankful for it.
--Roger Atkinson






	Search our site:		JIM MAIR and his KC Jazz Orchestra February was a good month to catch up with saxophonist/educator Jim Mair. He was at Jardine's with frequent collaborator Mike Ning on piano and Charlie Gatschet on guitar. The play list was heavy with songs that comprise Jim's latest CD, Here's To The People. I was drawn quickly to the warmth of his tenor on “Mandy's Tune,” written for his young daughter. Jim played long melodic lines, and the ideas just flowed with seemingly little effort. It was a night to sit back and listen, and that's apparently just what the Sunday crowd seemed to crave. Jim turned to the soprano sax on Ellington's Purple Gazelle , which was recorded on the Ellington and Coltrane album as Angelica . Coltrane originally used his tenor on this tune, which had a great Elvin Jones rhythm behind it. The same rhythm is there with Jim's trio, but, without the drums, it is more implied, allowing the focus to be squarely on Jim. During the set, Jim seemed to acknowledge everyone in the room, from the staff to the anniversary party, from a master percussionist friend to a child's birthday. Jim's a fairly low-key guy--he could be Perry Como up there--but somehow he had the house in his hands. When inviting the percussionist friend in for a couple of tunes, his dry humor came out. The guy was well dressed, and Jim gave credits to his tiemaker, jeweler, bootmaker, tailor, you name it, this was Jim's good-natured fun. Near the end of the set, Jim put the horns down. Then he proceeded to sing and whistle Gerry Mulligan's “I Never Was A Young Man,” and I wanted to turn the calendar back a day so I could extend the evening. Needless to say, I'm not surprised by the reputation Jim has earned over the 15 or so years since he first appeared on the Kansas City jazz scene as a graduate student at UMKC. JAM voted him the top saxophonist in 1991 when he performed regularly at The Phoenix. He then became a full time educator, first at the College of Southern Idaho , and since 2000 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Jim is originally from Winnipeg , Manitoba , in Canada . In his teens, music won out over ice hockey, and he found himself practicing daily. “Some friends and I started a jazz combo and we would rehearse after school almost everyday,” he says. “In fact, the principal of the school would allow us to rehearse as long as we wanted if we made sure the door was locked behind us when we left for the evening. Music won out over hockey shortly thereafter.” “In high school we had one of the best band programs in the country,” he continues, “and our high school band director had an amazing library of big band charts at the school. We attempted to play charts by Thad Jones, Rob McConnell, Hank Levy and of course Sammy Nestico.” “Several musicians I went to school with became really fine players and writers,” he says. “One is touring with Lenny Kravitz; another, Dan Thomas, was the musical director for Maynard Ferguson and now runs the jazz program at the University of Connecticut . In fact, Dan and I went to the same high school, undergrad school and grad school.” The list of Canadians who have played on international stages is vast. There is pianist Oscar Peterson, trumpeter John McNeil, sisters Ingrid and Christine Jensen, guitarists Peter Leitch, Ed Bickert, and Sonny Greenwich, and vocalist Diana Krall—just the tip of the iceberg of talented Canadian players. It's not surprising to Jim that Canada has produced some great musicians, as art education in Canada has a position like sports do in our schools. “The Canadian scene is very hip,” relates Jim. “Audiences seem to embrace a wider variety of jazz styles including the avant-garde. The biggest difference that I've seen is that in Canada, athletics take a back seat to music in most middle school and high school programs which is the antithesis of the United States . Not to mention that there are very few marching bands and pep bands in the Canadian high school music programs.” Little wonder that Jim has embraced music education. Great early mentors and supportive learning environment led to a passion for playing, an experience which he strives to provide in his role as Director of Bands at KCKCC. It's all about education through performance. “KCKCC has had a long jazz tradition,” he says. “Marlin Cooper directed the jazz bands from 1972 through 1999. Some of our former students include Bobby Watson, Michael Warren, Wayne Hawkins, and Lisa Henry to name a few. Every year we have several students that have terrific potential.” This mission will continue in one of Jim's new projects, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (KCJO). In fact, while his resume is already impressive, in years to come we may very well find the Orchestra to be his most lasting and memorable achievement on the Kansas City arts scene. The initial concerts of the KCJO were huge successes. The November tribute to the late Warren Durrett, which featured Marilyn Maye, drew an audience of 1,000. “It was a great evening,” relates Orchestra trumpeter Jay Sollenberger. “The charts were great, the band has wonderful soloists, and Marilyn just has it! Plus, the band does it right – three good rehearsals before one of the concerts.” And what a band it is. The roster includes many of the best players in the city. The trumpet section includes Woody Herman and Stan Kenton veteran Sollenberger, Stan Kessler, Bob Harvey, and Steve Malloy. The sax section includes Hal Melia, Gerald Dunn, Ron Hathorn, Doug Talley, and Kerry Strayer. An outstanding trombone section includes Lee Hill Kavanaugh, Paul McKee, Jeff Hamer, and Jason Godeau. Add a rhythm section of pianist Charles Williams, bassist Theodore Wilson, guitarist Rod Fleeman, and drummer Tom Morgan, and you can understand why co-founder Gene Hall says that “Jim's ability to attract such wonderful musicians is a major attribute of the band.” And it's worth noting that Jim himself is not in the band, but he will front. “Our vision for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is to be on the same cultural plane as the symphony, the ballet and the Lyric opera,” Jim says. “For this to happen we need to present concerts that are of the highest artistic quality--concerts that have some entertainment value to them. And we need to cultivate a loyal audience of supporters.” “We also need to attract young people to our concerts and we have several ideas that will help to achieve these goals,” he said. “Another issue is the fact that locally there is not a pre-existing jazz model in place to emulate. We must impress upon civic and community leaders that the music can be a vital component to our artistic cultural fabric. We are presenting American Classical music just as the symphony, opera and ballet present European Classical music.” The band is a not-for-profit 501c(3) organization, a model that has been used by many similar bands across the country. There is one in Columbus , Ohio , that may have been the first. Since then others have flourished, including bands in Fargo, Seattle, Knoxville and Omaha. The well-known Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra can also be considered a similar organization. “Jim was at a conference in Toronto where there was a workshop on such an organization, and he started thinking about the possibilities for Kansas City ,” explained Gene Hall. “We incorporated last year and obtained the tax-free status in May.” Jim and Gene are quick to say that the band could not have happened without the other, and without the additional administrative work of Jim's wife Mary. According to Gene, it's Jim's vision and contacts that were essential. But according to Jim, the band would not have got off the ground without Gene and Mary's efforts. It's just a good team. In order to cultivate a loyal audience, the band plans on theme-based concerts, with featured soloists and some vocalists. The May 14 concert at Unity Temple on the Plaza is a case in point. The theme is “Louis and Ella – Together Again”, and will feature Byron Stripling (another Herman veteran) and Paseo graduate Deborah Brown. “Byron can do a tremendous Louis Armstrong impersonation”, says Sollenberger. “It's wonderful!” There is another gig scheduled for November 12. “This fall we hope to have a four-concert subscription season in place and in several years a six-concert season,” says Jim. And Gene would like the Orchestra to eventually find a home at the future Performing Arts Center . Jazz repertory, which will be a part of what the band will do, brings its challenges, says Jim. “When performing classic works you have to strive for stylistic accuracy, textural accuracy and improvise in a way that is historically relevant,” he says. “The quality of instruments has improved especially in the last 30 years so unless you use period instruments it can be a challenge to capture that sound and the fact that the ensemble is not on the road night after night, year after year. That still gives you a lot of opportunity to personalize the performance without compromising the essence of the composition.” The band will also have an important education focus. For example, clinics will be held in conjunction with the May 14 concert in Kansas City schools. “Youth outreach and education are part of the KCJO's mission”, says Mair. “From June 14-18 the 3rd annual KCKCC Jazz Camp will be co-sponsored by the KCJO. This will be the first of several educational partnerships that will take place in our community and the aim is to nurture a younger audience of jazz enthusiasts through education.” The impression is that Jim and Gene envision a first-class operation. “Absolutely first class,” says Sollenberger. “Paid rehearsals, good music, a first class opportunity to play. I'm excited about the personnel and the organization. And I don't have to travel. I did enough of that back with Kenton and Herman!” Ticket sales should pay about 60 percent of the costs, with the rest coming through grants and contributions from corporations and other organizations and individuals. Gene, a retired lawyer and pianist, is the main fundraiser. “Despite the economy, folks are really stepping up”, says Gene. “You know, an organization like the Kansas City Symphony has a track record. We don't. It's challenging, but we have been fortunate.” Jim is excited about playing at Unity Temple . “Unity is a great place to hear music,” he says. “Tim Whitmer has had a very successful concert series at Unity on the first Wednesday of the month for almost 10 years. The Reverend Duke Tufty is a big advocate for concert jazz.” Plus, it is easily accessible from all parts of the metro area. After hanging with Jim for awhile, you quickly learn that he's as big a jazz fan as anyone. He'll talk about hanging out with Houston Person, rattle off the names of the 1975 Count Basie band, and seems to have been at every big concert in the area. He also likes to collect obscure tunes. “I've always enjoyed searching for and learning obscure songs,” he says, “songs that perhaps deserve to be more widely recognized. Actually, I have had an ongoing list of big band charts and recordings that I've been searching over the last 20 years and every so often that search will end!” But my sense is that this search is what makes Jim so special. It is the kind of quest that develops from a great learning environment with opportunity to grow. Jim has developed and follows a path that seems as natural as walking. (1) Watch where the people you admire have come from, and follow the path to where that leads. (2) Look for the right place to develop your art. (3) Strive to provide opportunities for others who may be seeking a similar path. You'll also learn that Jim has tremendous respect for the jazz and education environment in Kansas City . “It's a great jazz town,” he says. “There are good places to perform, and we have a great depth of musical talent here, and a good audience to perform for.” “We need to create more listening environments for jazz where the music is the focal point,” he adds. “We need to continue creating more situations where young people can experience the music at an affordable price. Most of the high schools and many of the middle schools in the metro and across North America for that matter have jazz bands. Leon Brady directs the Kansas City Youth Jazz Band program. The interest is there and jazz is fun to play. I'd like to see Kansas City and our Chamber of Commerce put more emphasis on promoting the music.” His local gigging has not been as prolific as in the early days due to his educator role and family. But he is still out there enough so that when he is home on evenings Mandy will ask, “No gig tonight, Daddy?” The other nights, when he isn't home to answer that question, are nice evenings of music. You can hear him frequently at Jardine's, Plaza III, and every weekend in April at Cascone's in Johnson County (where they really need more of it) with frequent colleague and pianist Mike Ning. So yes, Daddy is still busy, Mandy, and our ears and hearts are thankful for it. --Roger Atkinson RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 2004 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.