Kansas City Music History - Kansas City Jazz

Kansas City Music History - Kansas City Jazz

Kansas City jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri during the 1920s and 1930s, which marked the transition from the structured huge band style to the musical improvisation design of Bebop. The hard-swinging, bluesy shift design is bracketed by Count Basie who in 1929 signed with the Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra and Kansas City native Charlie Parker who ushered in the Bebop design in America. "While New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz, America's music grew up in Kansas City". [1] Kansas City is referred to as among the most popular "cradles of jazz". Other cities consist of New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City. [2] Kansas City was known for the organized artists of the Local 627 A.F.M., which controlled a variety of venues in the city.

 

The very first band from Kansas City to acquire a national track record was the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra, a white group which broadcast nationally in the 1920s. The Kansas City jazz school is determined with the black bands of the 1920s and 1930s, consisting of bands led by Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, Harlan Leonard, George E. Lee, William "Count" Basie, and Jay McShann.

Kansas City in the 1930s was really much the crossroads of the United States resulting in a mix of cultures. Transcontinental trips at the time whether by aircraft or train frequently required a stop in the city. The period marked the zenith of power of political boss Tom Pendergast. Kansas City was a wide open town with alcohol laws and hours totally neglected and was called the brand-new Storyville. The majority of allure artists associated with the design were born in other locations however got caught up in the friendly musical competitions among performers that might keep a single song being performed in variations for a whole night. Often members of the big bands would perform at regular venues earlier at night and go to allure clubs later on to jam for the remainder of the night.

Jay McShann informed the Associated Press in 2003:

It was Kansas City Style. They knew it up North and they understood it down South."

Claude "Fiddler" Williams described the scene:

Because we 'd be jamming all night, Kansas City was different from all other places. And [, if] you come up here ... playing the incorrect thing, we 'd correct you out.
Clubs were scattered throughout city but the most fertile area was the central city community of 18th Street and Vine.

Amongst the clubs were the Amos 'n' Andy, Boulevard Lounge, Cherry Blossom, Chesterfield Club, Chocolate Bar, Dante's Inferno, Elk's Rest, Hawaiian Gardens, Hell's Kitchen, the Hey Hat, the Hey Hay Club, Lone Star, Old Kentucky Bar-B-Que, Paseo Ballroom, Pla-Mor Ballroom, Reno Club, Spinning Wheel, Street's Blue Room, Subway, and Sunsetx.

Design:

Kansas City jazz is distinguished by the following musical components:

A choice for a 4 feel (walking) over the 2 beat feel discovered in other jazz styles of the time. As an outcome, Kansas city jazz had actually a more relaxed, fluid sound than other jazz styles.
Prolonged soloing. Sustained by the non-stop nightlife under political manager Tom Pendergast, Kansas City jam sessions went on well past daybreak, cultivating a highly competitive environment and a distinct jazz culture in which the goal was to "say something" with one's instrument, instead of simply reveal off one's strategy. It was not uncommon for one "tune" to be carried out for numerous hours, with the best musicians typically soloing for dozens of choruses at a time.

So-called "head plans". The KC huge bands often played by memory, composing and organizing the music collectively, instead of sight-reading as other big bands of the time did. This more contributed to the loose, spontaneous Kansas City sound.

A heavy blues influence, with KC songs often based around a 12-bar blues structure, rather than the 32 bar AABA standard, although Moten Swing is in this AABA format.
One of the most identifiable attributes of Kansas City jazz is regular, fancy riffing by the various areas. Glenn Miller's famous swing anthem "In the Mood" carefully follows the Kansas City pattern of riffing areas, and is a good example of the Kansas City style after it had actually been exported to the rest of the world.

Kansas City jazz is a design of jazz that established in Kansas City, Missouri during the 1920s and 1930s, which marked the shift from the structured big band design to the musical improvisation design of Bebop. The hard-swinging, bluesy transition design is bracketed by Count Basie who in 1929 signed with the Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra and Kansas City native Charlie Parker who ushered in the Bebop style in America. Other cities include New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City. Kansas City was known for the arranged musicians of the Local 627 A.F.M., which managed a number of venues in the city.

Glenn Miller's popular swing anthem "In the Mood" carefully follows the Kansas City pattern of riffing areas, and is an excellent example of the Kansas City style after it had actually been exported to the rest of the world.