Singing The Blues And A Lot Of Jazz In Kansas City Brings History Alive

Kansas City might be known for its sporting teams, barbecue and fountains, but it would be remiss to forget it’s also the cradle of American jazz and blues. In fact, the Midwestern city saw the launch of careers for some of America’s most legendary performers, including Charlie “Bird” Parker and William “Count” Basie.

Down in the clubs on 18th and Vine, these performers and many others following in their footsteps found their start on stage, helping create a style and sound of music that’s all American, and by many rights, all Kansas City.

Kansas City’s clubs and their performers added their own distinct touch to jazz. Their music is more of a swing-style, blues-based jazz that speaks to the very soul. While some say New Orleans gave birth to jazz, many say it grew up in Kansas City, where ragtime and blues were blended together to create a style of music that prompts a range of emotions that few other forms of art can rival.

This history of the blues and jazz in Kansas City dates back decades into the region’s past. During the Roaring ‘20s, for example, jazz was already considered the dance music of choice by most Americans. During Prohibition and even after it, Kansas City was reportedly controlled by mob boss Tom Pendergast, who many say helped keep the liquor flowing, the gamblers gambling and the music playing at all hours of the day and night at many of the city’s private clubs.

Thanks to the free spirit of Kansas City fostered by Pendergast, the region played host to some of the biggest musicians of the time. Bands such as Walter Page’s Blue Devils, Thamon Hayes and the Kansas City Rockets and Andy Kirk’s Twelve Clouds of Joy kept the music going in clubs all along 12th Street and 18th and Vine. Here, too, the strains of Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington could be heard.

The hot Kansas City scene began to cool down in the 1930s when federal investigators started looking into Pendergast, but the fact of the matter is Kansas City’s strong ties with the formation of blues and jazz were sealed in history by this point. The action may have cooled, but it was far from dead.

Jazz and blues remain a mainstay on the Kansas City scene today with clubs all over town continuing to pay homage to the sounds of the past while modern musicians add a few refrains of their own. Many of buildings that saw the birth of jazz and blue along 18th and Vine have now been restored, with the American Jazz Museum making its home at 1616 E. 18th Street. Within this complex also can be found the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Gem Theater and the Blue Room, where jazz greats such as Fitzgerald performed.

Kansas City is known for many things, but make no mistake, jazz and the blues top that list. Thanks to restoration efforts, it’s more than possible to walk in the footsteps of musical legends while hearing the sweet sounds that helped put the city on the map.