JAM: August/September 2004 Issue: Hampton's Hot Licks

Dean Hampton

The Good Ol' 90s

Not long ago I was talking with a friend about the state of KC jazz in 2004. He said, “I never thought we would be looking back at the ‘90s as ‘the good old days' of KC jazz.” Many who think of the good old days of KC jazz pick a different and much further distant decade –- the ‘20s, ‘30s or ‘40s. Those days have been called the “heyday” or the “golden age” of KC jazz.

I was not here during those really old “good old days” but there is much written about them. Few recognize that there has been a lot written about the wonderful ‘90s era. Most of that was done right here, in JAM. And even the ‘80s had some very significant growth for our KC jazz world.

The June 2004 issue of JAM marked our 18th anniversary issue. In all those years, JAM has captured the most complete history of recent KC jazz. Let's remember some of those great times and significant developments and even a few of the tragedies of these years.

Remember when . . .

Mayor Richard Berkley created the nation's first municipal Jazz Commission in Kansas City . It was in the early ‘80s. It lasted until shortly after Mayor Emanuel Cleaver ended its formal association with the City of Kansas City in the mid ‘90s.
In 1985, Jazz Commission's Executive Director, Ken Poston called the first meeting of the KC Jazz Ambassadors (KCJA), a group that was to work with the city's Commission in the promotion of jazz.
Jazz Ambassador Magazine #1 hit the streets in May 1986 with a printing of approximately 200 copies. It was booklet size and contained 16 pages.
The KCJA logo was a piano keyboard. It was last used on a JAM cover in June 1990. Look hard and you will still see a few members wearing their piano keyboard name tags.
Every August was officially Jazz Month and special jazz event occurred every day of the month.
Winter jazz festivals and Women's jazz festivals (originated in KC).
Jazz History Day sponsored by the Jazz Commission and Young Audiences entertained and brought the KC jazz story to over 4,000 KC area fourth graders.
Carmell Jones moved home from his 10+ years in Europe and Mayor Berkley proclaimed "CARMELL JONES DAY" (October 5, 1980).
The skywalks at the Hyatt-Regency collapsed during a Friday night Tea Dance. The Steve Miller Band was playing Duke Ellington's “Satin Doll” while about 1,500 people danced. Over 100 people died in the disaster. (1981)
There was a real river boat in Kansas City and the KCJA sponsored an annual river boat jazz cruises.
Attorneys for the Arts offered a seminar for musicians - “The Beauty and the Beast: Artists and the Law.” They covered copyrights, royalties, business and tax planning.
JAM's Club Scene listed so few clubs that we could actually list all of their performance dates and performers.
You could listen to KCJA's own radio show, “Jazz Ambassador Showcase” on KKFI-FM every Wednesday.
KCJA through Communiversity, held “Jazzin' Up the Town” jazz educational tours. Class instructor was Todd Wilkinson who had just written a book to benefit KCJA, “The Kansas City Jazz and Blues Nightlife Survival Guide.”
Annual Jazz Heritage Awards Ceremony at Saks Fifth Avenue , usually a wine and cheese reception was included.
Annual 21-sax salute for Charlie “Bird” Parker's birthday at his gravesite (and we actually had 21 sax players show up).
Dick Wright and all he did - need I say more!
American Cablevision's weekly show, “Kansas City Jazz with Ruth Rhoden.”
JAM's “For the Record” was called “Platter Chatter.”
Every issue of JAM included the Passport to Jazz page. “Present your KCJA membership card to the following businesses and receive: ...” Offered were many discounts and freebie's (cover charges, drinks, lunches, dinners, appetizers, picture framing, tuition, video rentals at the Record Cabinet, record purchases and many local stores, tickets discounts at the Folly, KC Symphony and many other concert venues, stereo and sound systems.
Every issue of JAM included a KCJA merchandise page offering t-shirts, sweat shirts, hats, books and more.
JAM's Music Mart took only one page in large type.
The Last Tuesday Night Out series: Battle of the Saxes, T-Bone Night, Guitar Wars, Burnin' Up the Ivories, Organ Grinder's, Trumpet Summit, and many more.
Other jazz/blues support organization: Friends of Jazz, Charlie Parker Foundation, Jazz Festival Committee.
Clubs past: Tuba, City Light's, Club Eblon, Fitzpatricks, Jimmy's Jigger, Alameda Rooftop Lounge, Maxie's, Baxter's, English's, Patches, Birdland (in KC), Mary Ann's on Main, Nightmoves, Cajun Bistro, Colony, Jazz Loft, Blvd Café, Obsessions, Drum Room, Club 427, River City Café, Milton's (worthy of a whole story of its own), and many more.
CDs were only financial instruments.
There wasn't an Internet. We had to really talk to each other or write real letters.
And finally, from my Hot Licks column in October 2001, a repeat. “On Friday, September 14, 2001, ABC anchor Peter Jennings closed his broadcast with a very profound question: ‘Do you remember what it was like before Tuesday, September 11th?" There will soon be a generation who does not remember. How sad!

This is just a tip-of-the-iceberg look at those valuable recent pages in our history book/magazine. It is probably worthy of a Part 2 as a further reminder of our accomplishments. To those who are new to the KC jazz scene, I hope it can serve as a brain storming tool for you to pick up where a lot of us who are now on the outskirts of the action, left off.

Go hear some live KC jazz tonight!!

--Dean Hampton






	Search our site:		Dean Hampton The Good Ol' 90s Not long ago I was talking with a friend about the state of KC jazz in 2004. He said, “I never thought we would be looking back at the ‘90s as ‘the good old days' of KC jazz.” Many who think of the good old days of KC jazz pick a different and much further distant decade –- the ‘20s, ‘30s or ‘40s. Those days have been called the “heyday” or the “golden age” of KC jazz. I was not here during those really old “good old days” but there is much written about them. Few recognize that there has been a lot written about the wonderful ‘90s era. Most of that was done right here, in JAM. And even the ‘80s had some very significant growth for our KC jazz world. The June 2004 issue of JAM marked our 18th anniversary issue. In all those years, JAM has captured the most complete history of recent KC jazz. Let's remember some of those great times and significant developments and even a few of the tragedies of these years. Remember when . . . Mayor Richard Berkley created the nation's first municipal Jazz Commission in Kansas City . It was in the early ‘80s. It lasted until shortly after Mayor Emanuel Cleaver ended its formal association with the City of Kansas City in the mid ‘90s. In 1985, Jazz Commission's Executive Director, Ken Poston called the first meeting of the KC Jazz Ambassadors (KCJA), a group that was to work with the city's Commission in the promotion of jazz. Jazz Ambassador Magazine #1 hit the streets in May 1986 with a printing of approximately 200 copies. It was booklet size and contained 16 pages. The KCJA logo was a piano keyboard. It was last used on a JAM cover in June 1990. Look hard and you will still see a few members wearing their piano keyboard name tags. Every August was officially Jazz Month and special jazz event occurred every day of the month. Winter jazz festivals and Women's jazz festivals (originated in KC). Jazz History Day sponsored by the Jazz Commission and Young Audiences entertained and brought the KC jazz story to over 4,000 KC area fourth graders. Carmell Jones moved home from his 10+ years in Europe and Mayor Berkley proclaimed "CARMELL JONES DAY" (October 5, 1980). The skywalks at the Hyatt-Regency collapsed during a Friday night Tea Dance. The Steve Miller Band was playing Duke Ellington's “Satin Doll” while about 1,500 people danced. Over 100 people died in the disaster. (1981) There was a real river boat in Kansas City and the KCJA sponsored an annual river boat jazz cruises. Attorneys for the Arts offered a seminar for musicians - “The Beauty and the Beast: Artists and the Law.” They covered copyrights, royalties, business and tax planning. JAM's Club Scene listed so few clubs that we could actually list all of their performance dates and performers. You could listen to KCJA's own radio show, “Jazz Ambassador Showcase” on KKFI-FM every Wednesday. KCJA through Communiversity, held “Jazzin' Up the Town” jazz educational tours. Class instructor was Todd Wilkinson who had just written a book to benefit KCJA, “The Kansas City Jazz and Blues Nightlife Survival Guide.” Annual Jazz Heritage Awards Ceremony at Saks Fifth Avenue , usually a wine and cheese reception was included. Annual 21-sax salute for Charlie “Bird” Parker's birthday at his gravesite (and we actually had 21 sax players show up). Dick Wright and all he did - need I say more! American Cablevision's weekly show, “Kansas City Jazz with Ruth Rhoden.” JAM's “For the Record” was called “Platter Chatter.” Every issue of JAM included the Passport to Jazz page. “Present your KCJA membership card to the following businesses and receive: ...” Offered were many discounts and freebie's (cover charges, drinks, lunches, dinners, appetizers, picture framing, tuition, video rentals at the Record Cabinet, record purchases and many local stores, tickets discounts at the Folly, KC Symphony and many other concert venues, stereo and sound systems. Every issue of JAM included a KCJA merchandise page offering t-shirts, sweat shirts, hats, books and more. JAM's Music Mart took only one page in large type. The Last Tuesday Night Out series: Battle of the Saxes, T-Bone Night, Guitar Wars, Burnin' Up the Ivories, Organ Grinder's, Trumpet Summit, and many more. Other jazz/blues support organization: Friends of Jazz, Charlie Parker Foundation, Jazz Festival Committee. Clubs past: Tuba, City Light's, Club Eblon, Fitzpatricks, Jimmy's Jigger, Alameda Rooftop Lounge, Maxie's, Baxter's, English's, Patches, Birdland (in KC), Mary Ann's on Main, Nightmoves, Cajun Bistro, Colony, Jazz Loft, Blvd Café, Obsessions, Drum Room, Club 427, River City Café, Milton's (worthy of a whole story of its own), and many more. CDs were only financial instruments. There wasn't an Internet. We had to really talk to each other or write real letters. And finally, from my Hot Licks column in October 2001, a repeat. “On Friday, September 14, 2001, ABC anchor Peter Jennings closed his broadcast with a very profound question: ‘Do you remember what it was like before Tuesday, September 11th?" There will soon be a generation who does not remember. How sad! This is just a tip-of-the-iceberg look at those valuable recent pages in our history book/magazine. It is probably worthy of a Part 2 as a further reminder of our accomplishments. To those who are new to the KC jazz scene, I hope it can serve as a brain storming tool for you to pick up where a lot of us who are now on the outskirts of the action, left off. Go hear some live KC jazz tonight!! --Dean Hampton RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2004 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2004. All rights reserved.