JAM: DECEMBER 2007/JANUARY 2008 Issue: Hampton's Hot Licks

2007 Roasts & Toasts

It's been another year with too much jazz and too little time to experience all of it. It may seem that we have less jazz in KC now than we had a few years ago. Is that a fact? It's a tough call. While we probably don't have as many hours of jazz in the clubs, there is still much more jazz going on than the average jazz lover can take in. The good part is that it's all over town. What is lacking is audience. We need to be selling out gigs and concerts and that's not happening. It's that problem that kicks off my annual Roast and Toasts.

Roast: KC Jazz Community. We are the ones who are going to the jazz events. However, we are doing a very poor job of growing the community, the audiences, and the support. It's easy to say that we don't know how to do it any better. That's a cop out! I challenge all of you get with it, get creative and do you part in ‘08 to expand the jazz audience. Help educate those who are on the music genre fence.

If somebody tells you they don't like jazz, let them know that that is like saying they don't like food. Their real problem is that they just haven't discovered the kind of jazz that they do like. Help them find it. Then they will expand their jazz listening. Soon they will be buying tickets to the same events you are attending. They will be sitting at the table next to you in a club. I challenge you to take at least one “non jazz” person per month to a jazz function (club, concert, meeting, etc.).

Toast: NPR, WBGO ( New Jersey ), KCUR, AJM, KC Repertory Theater - Toast of the Nation. The year 2007 roared in on National Public Radio live from Kansas City . Their Toast of the Nation show was hosted at the American Jazz Museum . Throughout the night the music came from coast to coast as the midnight hour approached. Best of all, most of the evening featured Kansas City jazz artists. Early was a rebroadcast of Bobby Watson and crew from a New York show that took place earlier in the year. At our Midnight hour, the live show went to the Kansas City Repertory Theater for a Karrin Allyson concert. Kansas City was on the national map that night. Thanks to Becca Pullium (Producer) and Rhonda Hamilton (Show Host from WBGO in New Jersey ) for talking about their visit to Kansas City for a long time! KCUR is also toasted for all they did to make this show possible.

Roast: KANU/Kansas Public Radio. What a missed opportunity to spread the word and the jazz throughout their state! They failed to broadcast the Toast of the Nation show!

Toast: KC Jazz Ambassadors Don & Barb Mathewson. For many years, Don and Barb have made the trip to the JAM Printer and picked up their 3,000 copies of JAM and delivered them throughout Johnson County . I am sad to see them “retire” from this gig because they did it so well and so fast. My guess is that it will take a number of people to replace them. Thanks Don and Barb for many years of true jazz ambassadorship!

Toast: American Jazz Museum - It's taken many years of Roast and some other things to finally get signs on I-70 that tell you that there is a jazz museum in town. Finally, they are here and I know it will help attendance in the area. There is a roast that goes along with this but it doesn't get its own heading this year. (I think it is being worked,) We still need billboards in each direction as one come into the KC metro area. Number 1 on the list for a jazz billboard is coming in on I-29 from the airport.

Toast: American Jazz Museum Re: Greg Carroll. For the first time in the history of the American Jazz Museum , a true jazzer is at the helm of the organization. It was long overdue that we have a leader in this position who understands the business of jazz and can hop on stage and play with the best of them. Also for the first time, the AJM has a director who is making the rounds and getting to know and understand the WHOLE jazz community. He needs all of us to support his efforts and I'm sure he is willing to give back to the entire jazz community. He understands that jazz in KC is the whole scene, not just what is happening on 18th & Vine. Let's all grow together.

Toast: Mutual Musician's Foundation - Charlie Parker Birthday Party. This was my third year to produce the Charlie Parker Gravesite Birthday Celebration. It was by far the best year of the event and the Foundation did their part in grand style with the continuation of the party at their facility. We drew a lot of local and national press this year. I expect the ‘08 version of these two functions to be even better.

Roast: The Phoenix Piano Bar & Grill. Gee! Over 15 years of jazz at 8th & Central and now it's all gone but the memories. What I wouldn't give for just one more Friday night to walk into The Phoenix and hear Tim Whitmer yell “Hot Fresh JAMS ” while his KC Express (including Rusty Tucker) is doing “Red Hot Nuts!”

Toast: Mutual Musician's Foundation - Rush Hour Jam. Thanks to Betty Crow and the other important folks at the Foundation for picking up some of the Phoenix slack (and more) on those Friday nights. Give the Friday evening Rush Hour Jazz a try - you'll like it!

Toast: KC Jazz Community, City of Kansas City , Missouri State Legislature, Mutual Musician's Foundation. It has taken over a year but we are just about there. A huge thanks to all who have done their parts to see that the Foundation gets its 6:00 a.m. liquor license. Soon, we should be back to the all night sessions of yesteryear.

Toast: Ed Fenner and Tammy Buckner - Jazz Hotline Online. We are all benefitting from the efforts of these two for getting the hotline online each week. We no longer have the telephone hotline and are saving well over $100 per month by canceling it. Now, you can check it online 24X7, even on your PDA while making the rounds at night.

Toast: Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. What a hoot that this lady rung in her second term as Governor of Kansas with a Karrin Allyson jazz concert at her KC area Inaugural celebration last January. She could have had Kansan Martina McBride but she's a jazz lover. Way to go lady!

Toast: JAM Staff. Again, a year with six wonderful issues of JAM. These troops just keep on keeping on. It's easy to think of JAM as a simple magazine about the local jazz scene. JAM is a lot more than that. JAM's over 125 issues have documented the history of Kansas City jazz since 1987. Our jazz history is still being made and JAM is the only (mostly) complete record of it. Thanks to all who work on it!

Well, I'm a little short on Roasts this year. Maybe that is because I am writing this on Thanksgiving Day. In Kansas City , jazz lovers have a lot jazz to be thankful for. We could have as little jazz as Houston , Denver , Phoenix , St. Louis and a host of other cities the same size or larger. Or, it could be expensive like it is at Birdland (and many other clubs) in New York - $40 to get in and a table minimum of $20 per person PER SET. Please get out and enjoy live jazz this month and throughout '08.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you!