JAM April/May 2007 Issue: Feature Story

By Ed Fenner

The Kansas City community is fortunate to have available many jazz resources: jazz clubs, jazz concerts, jazz festivals, summer jazz series, UMKC Jazz Studies Program, Marr Sound Archives, Kansas City Youth Jazz, American Jazz Museum , Mutual Musicians Foundation, JAM , and several jazz organizations. One resource that, perhaps, many of our readers are not familiar with are the summer jazz camps in the Kansas City area. We have four Jazz Camps and they span fifteen years of operation, from the first one at Kansas University in 1993 to the Johnson County Community College's second one this year

The mission, format, and organization of all of the Jazz Camps have the same objectives: education, performance, and fun . They all accept middle-school through adults, and essentially all of the instruments. They vary, primarily, in their length, cost, amenities and, of course, the faculty and location. Most of the faculty is from our vast pool of local eminent jazz educators—but there are some imports. This is a reportage article—“just the facts, ma'am.” Last year I visited all of the jazz camps. I talked with the head honchos, the instructors, plus some participants and parents. It was an enlightening, stimulating, and hopeful experience as I viewed the activities involved in these great programs. I am going to report on the jazz camps in the order of the dates on which they are held. So, here we go.

First out of the box is the 6 th Annual Kansas City Kansas Community College / Kansas City Jazz Orchestra jazz camp on Monday, June 4 th , through Friday, June 8 th , from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day. The schedule on Monday through Thursday has Jazz Theory at 9:00 . At 10:00 there are Jazz Combos rehearsals. After lunch there is a Faculty Concert from 12:45–1:15 . Then it's back to work with more Jazz Combos rehearsals from 1:30 to 3:00 .

Friday starts at 9:00 with a trip to the Charlie “ Bird ” Parker gravesite at Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Summit, MO (just west of Independence ). From there it's downtown for a tour of the American Jazz Museum in the 18 th & Vine Historic Jazz District. Then it's a short jaunt over to the Jardine's Restaurant & Jazz Club for the Jazz Combos Concerts, which are open to the public. The faculty includes Jim Mair , woodwinds; Mike Metheny , trumpet; Everette DeVan , keyboards; and Scott Prebys , drum set/percussion, plus others. All instruments are welcome and additional instruction is available on guitar, bass, trombone, and voice. Instruction and rehearsals are in the Humanities Building at KCKCC at 7250 State Avenue , Kansas City , KS 66112 . Tuition is $190 (includes lunch). Contact : Jim Mair at 913-288-7149; jmair@kckcc.edu; www.kcjazzorchestra.org .

Next is the “new kid on the block.” Last year, Ron Stinson at Johnson County Community College put together their first jazz camp. They had such an overwhelming response that they had to carry on to the 2 nd Annual Jazz Camp this year. On Sunday, June 17 th , there will be a reception and opening concert by the clinicians from 2:00–4:30 p.m. at the Polsky Theater in the Carlsen Center . Things really start hummin' on Monday, June 18 th , through Wednesday, June 20 th , from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Those days are packed with Listening , Jazz Theory , Improvisation , Combos , and the Jazz Ensemble rehearsals. The public is invited to the final concert from 6:30–8:00 on Wednesday at Polsky Theater in the Carlsen Center .

The clinicians include Ron Stinson , trumpet; Gerald Spaits , bass; Doug Auwarter , drums; Stan Kessler ,trumpet; Doug Talley , saxophones; Wayne Hawkins , piano. Instruction and rehearsals are at the Music Department on the JCCC campus. Tuition is $135 and includes lunch and a T-shirt. Contact: Ron Stinson at 913-469-8500 X3275; rstinson@jccc.edu .

The UMKC Jazz Camp is at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, in collaboration with the Carlsen Center 's Arts Education Program at the Johnson County Community College . It runs from Sunday, June 24 th , through Friday, June 29 th . Sunday, June 24 th , it's registration from 2:00–3:00 p.m. and auditions from 3:00–4:00 . Then there's an Informal Faculty Concert starting at 4:15 with refreshments to follow. Monday the 25 th through Thursday, the day starts at 9:30 a.m. with Improvisation / Theory and Master Classes at 11:00 . Lunch is at noon , and then Combos and Choir rehearsals run from 1:00–2:30 . From 3:00–4:00 each day is a Faculty Concert. On Friday at 9:30 there are Masters Classes followed by Rehearsals at 11:00 . After a noon lunch, the Combos and Choir Concert run from 1:00–2:30 , all free and open to the public.

The Director is bassist Jim Widner who has played with Stan Ken ton, Woody Herman, and Glenn Miller. He is currently the director of jazz studies at the University of Missouri-St Louis. This is Jim's 20 th year of hosting jazz camps across the U. S. Featured instructors are Bobby Watson , saxophone; Dave Scott , trumpet; and Michael Pagan , piano. Other proposed faculty includes Bob Bowman, Joe Cartwright, Danny Embrey, Rod Fleeman, Gary Hobbs, Paul McKee, Clay Jenkins, Mike Metheny, Kim Richmond, Gerald Spaits, Todd Strait , Pamela Watson, and Roger Wilder . All of the UMKC Jazz Camp activities take place in the Performing Arts Center on the UMKC Campus. Tuition is $340 (includes lunch; T-shirt is $10). Room and board are available at a reasonable price. Contact : 816-235-2741 ; music-ce@umkc.edu; www.umkc.edu/conservatory/cmda.

The Kansas University 's 15 th Annual Jazz Workshop is slated for Sunday, July 8 th through Friday, July 13 th . It all starts at 10:00 a.m. Sunday with registration/dorm check-in. At 1:00 there is an opening meeting and faculty combo concert. Then, starting at 1:45 , there are auditions and theory placement. Monday through Thursday it's up and at ‘em with breakfast at 7:00 . Jazz Theory is at 9:00 and combo rehearsals and improvisation are at 9:50 . Jazz history is at 11:15 with lunch at noon . Big Band rehearsals are at 1:30 with masters classes at 2:45 . There are general sessions at 4:00 . The Evening Concerts start at 7:00 and then Student Jam Sessions at 8:30 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. On Monday and Tuesday evenings it's Faculty Combos Concerts, and a Faculty Big Band Concert on Wednesday evening. The Student Jazz Combos will perform on Thursday evening. Friday there's jazz theory at 9:00 and big band rehearsals at 9:50 . Jazz theory is at 11:15 and then, after lunch, it's the Final Concert of the Student Big Bands starting at 1:30 . All music activities take place in Murphy Hall.

The faculty includes Dan Gailey , director & saxophone; Vince Gnojek , saxophone; Chuck Tumlinson , trumpet; David Glenn , trombone; Wayne Hawkins , piano; Brian Baggett , guitar; Karyn Quinn , bass; Todd Strait , drums; and Steve Owen , saxophone. The concerts are held in Murphy Hall and are open to the public. Tuition : payment received by June 15, 2007 , is $295 for non-residents and $485 for residents. After that it is $350 for the non-residents and $550 for the residents. Included in the residents' fees are your room and board. Contact : 785-864-4730; musiccamp@ku.edu; www.musiccamp.ku.edu.

So, there you have it. Four opportunities spread throughout the Kansas City area for some time invested in learning, playing, and enjoying jazz. These great Kansas City area resources are perpetuating our unique jazz heritage and preparing the jazz performers, educators, and listeners of the future. We should all be proud of the availability of these jazz camps and the services that they provide—applause, please.