Kansas City Music History - Kansas City Jazz

Kansas City Music History - Kansas City Jazz

Kansas City jazz is a style of jazz that established in Kansas City, Missouri during the 1920s and 1930s, which marked the transition from the structured huge band style to the musical improvisation style of Bebop. The hard-swinging, bluesy transition style is bracketed by Count Basie who in 1929 signed with the Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra and Kansas City native Charlie Parker who introduced the Bebop design in America. "While New Orleans was the birthplace of jazz, America's music matured in Kansas City". [1] Kansas City is called among the most popular "cradles of jazz". Other cities include New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and New York City. [2] Kansas City was known for the arranged musicians of the Local 627 A.F.M., which managed a variety of places 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 relayed nationally in the 1920s. The Kansas City jazz school is determined with the black bands of the 1920s and 1930s, including bands led by Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, Harlan Leonard, George E. Lee, William "Count" Basie, and Jay McShann.

Kansas City in the 1930s was extremely much the crossroads of the United States leading to a mix of cultures. Transcontinental journeys at the time whether by plane or train often needed a stop in the city. The age marked the zenith of power of political employer Tom Pendergast. Kansas City was a broad open town with alcohol laws and hours absolutely ignored and was called the new Storyville. Many of the jazz musicians associated with the design were born in other locations but got caught up in the friendly musical competitors among entertainers that might keep a single song being carried out in variations for a whole night. Typically members of the huge bands would carry out at routine places earlier at night and go to the jazz clubs later on to jam for the rest 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 explained the scene:

Since we 'd be jamming all night, Kansas City was various from all other locations. And [, if] you show up here ... playing the incorrect thing, we 'd align you out.
Clubs were spread throughout city but the most fertile area was the inner city community of 18th Street and Vine.

Among 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 aspects:

A choice for a 4 feel (walking) over the 2 beat feel found in other jazz designs of the time. As an outcome, Kansas city jazz had a more relaxed, fluid noise than other jazz styles.
Prolonged soloing. Sustained by the non-stop nightlife under political employer Tom Pendergast, Kansas City jam sessions went on well past dawn, fostering an extremely competitive environment and an unique jazz culture in which the goal was to "say something" with one's instrument, rather than simply show off one's technique. It was not unusual for one "song" to be performed for a number of hours, with the finest musicians frequently soloing for lots of choruses at a time.

So-called "head plans". The KC huge bands typically played by memory, making up and setting up the music jointly, rather than sight-reading as other huge bands of the time did. This additional contributed to the loose, spontaneous Kansas City noise.

A heavy blues influence, with KC tunes often based around a 12-bar blues structure, instead of the 32 bar AABA requirement, although Moten Swing remains in this AABA format.
One of the most recognizable qualities of Kansas City jazz is regular, sophisticated riffing by the various areas. Glenn Miller's popular swing anthem "In the Mood" closely 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.

Kansas City jazz is a style of jazz that developed in Kansas City, Missouri throughout the 1920s and 1930s, which marked the transition from the structured huge band design to the musical improvisation style 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 design 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 well-known swing anthem "In the Mood" carefully follows the Kansas City pattern of riffing sections, and is a good example of the Kansas City design after it had actually been exported to the rest of the world.