For a hot time in a cool city, Kansas City has it all: hot jazz, spicy barbecue and
tons of sparkling fountains.
I grew up in New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, so it's in my blood naturally. As
most native New Orleaneans, I always took the Big Easy's claim as the Birthplace of Jazz
to mean the city "owned" the jazz legend. Not so. Kansas City natives quickly
assured me, "New Orleans may have been the birthplace of jazz but Kansas City is
where it grew up!"
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Entrance to the American Jazz Museum |
A trip to the American Jazz Museum in the Historic 18th and Vine Jazz District
convinced me that was so. The reason for this lies in prohibition and its sometimes
strange effects. In the early 1900s jazz began to take on a life form of its own. By the
time prohibition arrived .in 1920, New Orleans was already rocking to the jazz beat of
greats like Louis Armstrong, King Oliver, Kid Ory and Jelly Roll Morton. As everyone
knows, jazz and booze just naturally go together. When prohibition shut the spigot on
America's alcohol habit elsewhere, Kansas City was under the control of Tom Pendergast's
Democratic political machine. Pendergast refused to allow the liquor supply to dry up in
"his" city. He also was the owner of a concrete plant so many WPA type
projects were flourishing in Kansas city also. There depression did not grip the residents
as it did elsewhere. Musicians traveling anywhere found Kansas /city a convenient hub as
well since it was so centrally located in the county. The city was wide open. The sounds
of jazz poured into the streets 24 hours a day. Between 12th and 18th streets, there were
50 live music clubs. Edward Morrow refereed to Kansas City in his Omaha World
Herald column, "If you want to see some sin, forget about Paris and go to
Kansas City. With the possible exception of such renowned centers as Singapore and Port
Said. Kansas City probably has the greatest sin industry in the world."
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Dennis explains Louis Armstrong exhibit |
I was fortunate enough to have Dennis Winslett,
the Jazz Museum education specialist, explain the museum and its purpose to me. He started
off with the four "tribute areas" to the all time greats of jazz: Louis
Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald.
Louis Armstrong was the most familiar tome as he was a New Orleans native who spent
much of his life in the Crescent City. He achieved the greatest measure of fame a African
American musician of his generation ever knew. He scored the first jazz number one hit
with "All of Me" in first jazz hit in March 1933 and was the oldest recording
artist to have a number one hit: Hello Dolly in May 1964 when he was 63.
Charlie (Bird) Parker was born in Kansas City.He is credited with starting the
"Bebop" movement. He introduced a lot of improvizations to jazz which influenced
many of the jazz greats who followed him Although addicted to heroin, Parker still
produced many great records.His addiction often caused him to be very short of money and
found him pawning his sax. As a result much of his music was played on a cheap plastic
instrument, now on display that the museum. He left Kansas City, and his first and
only legal wife,in 1942 to seek his fortune in New York. When he died due of
pneumonia, caused in part by his alcohol and narcotic habits, a corner said that the body
was that of a 60 year old instead of Parker's actual 34 years. His
common-law-wife at the time of his death, Chan Parker, said that he did not ever want to
return to Kansas City but his first wife, whom he had never legally divorced, had her way
and the body was returned and buried in Lincoln Cemetery just outside Kansas City city
limits perhaps he got his wish technically.
Duke Ellington was another jazz great that played in Kansas City on November 2, 1936.
He appeared at Paseo Hall in Kansas City before more than 2,000 music
lovers who were crammed into every available inch of space.
"Every man prays in his own language." Duke Ellington
said and surely his music is a prayer that lives on long after its composer is gone. He is
well remembered at the Jazz Museum.
Ella Fitzgerald is another old favorite. As the woman, her star shines brightly at the
museum. She once said "It isn't where you came from, its where you're going that
counts." In her own case that was so very true. she grew up a poor girl in Yonkers,
New York. After her mothers death, she got into some trouble and ended up in a reform
school. Conditions were so bad there she ran away and at 15, found herself alone and
penniless in the middle of the great depression. Somehow she struggled along until in 1934
her name was pulled in a weekly drawing at the Apollo Theater for the opportunity to
compete in Amateur Night. The Apollo had a rough and rowdy crowd who never hesitated to
boo a performer off the stage if they didn't like the act. Ella went to the theater that
night planning to dance but when the act before her was a great dancing team of sisters,
she changed her mind at the last minute. The audience was already becoming restless while
she contemplated what to do. then she asked the band to play Hoagie Carmchael's Judy,
one of her mother's old favorites. The audience was captured and demanded an encore. Her
career was launched. By 21 she was the leader of her own band. From then on it was musical
history. Known as the "First Lady of Song," Fitzgerald is considered one of the
most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century. In her lifetime, she won 13 Grammy
awards and sold over 40 million albums. She was awarded the National Medal of the Arts and
a Kennedy Center Honors award.
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Dennis at the Blue Room |
All four musicians have had United States postage stamps issued in their honor.
Of course, the museum had much more starting with a great film about the history of
jazz. Another unique part of the museum is the Blue Room, a real legacy for the 30s and
40s when jazz was king in KC. By day, an exhibit in the museum by night a performing club.
The nine small glass enclosed tables on the floor level are display cases containing
musical treasures from Kansas City's musical heyday I returned that
Thursday night to hear Bob Bowman and Bowdog play. It felt like I was transported to
the thirties. It has earned recognition form many sources and has been named three
times by DownBeat Magazine as one of the Top 100 jazz clubs in the world –
Kansas City's only club to earn that honor.
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Arthur Bryant's |
Kansas City may be best known for its barbecue. I enjoyed a sampling of that
tasty stuff at Arthur
Bryant's, known as "The King of Ribs."
There are over 90 barbecue restaurants in Kansas city, more than any other city in the
country but Author Bryant's has been named "best
restaurant in the world" by New Yorker Playboy columnist Calvin Trillin and
just as highly praised in other magazines like Forbes, Bon Appetit, Better Homes and
Gardens, People, Gourmet and others. The restaurant had humble beginnings and the
main restaurant still looks like just a poor inner city place but oh the taste of
that food!
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Larry at Arthur Bryant's shows off the pit |
It all began in 1908 when Henry Perry opened the first barbecue joint in Kansas City in an
old trolley barn at 19th & Highland. Charlie Bryant was one of his first cooks,
Charley learned his skills from the master and when Perry died, he bought the now thriving
business and brought in his younger brother Arthur to help. When Charlie died in 1946,
Arthur moved the business to its present location at 18th and Brooklyn. Arthur tinkered
with the sauce until he achieved finger licking perfection, a sauce both hot and sweet and
thick enough to stay on the meat. He has served rich and poor alike. Two presidents have
eaten at his restaurant, Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter both have enjoyed the food. Some of
the other famous patrons are Steven Spielberg,
Michael Landon, Robert Redford, Jack Nicholson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bryant Gumbel, Tom
Watson, George Brett and many more. the restaurant's front room side wall attests to
the many famous patrons who have eaten there.
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| BBQ at Bryant's |
Although Arthur passed away in 1982, Gary
Berbiglia and Bill Rauschelbach now carry on the tradition. There are now several branches
and their catering is famous. I enjoyed a very stuffed plate and could truthfully say the
food is incomparable.
The third item that distinguishes Kansas City is
its fountains. They claim more fountains than any other city except Rome. I didn't get to
visit all of them but saw enough to know that not only is there quantity but quality is
present also. Kansas city is graced with over 200 fountains. The "Fountain
Movement" began in the 189s with the "city Beautiful" movement. The
city's oldest fountain was built in 1899 by George Kessleri at 15th and The Paseo. That
original fountain was destroyed in 1941 but the same year, he designed another fountain
that still exist and is the oldest in the city. It is the Women's Leadership Fountain.
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Cat Fountain Photo courtesy of Charvex |
Early fountains served multiple purpose. they ere beautiful but they were also
useful. For example, The Humane Society of Kansas City built many of the early fountains
over natural;y occurring springs to provide water for people, horses and dogs. In one
fountain, A lions head formed a spigot that spurted clean water for humans, it fell into a
trough the right height for horses and then trickled into lower bowls for dogs and cats.
The Cat Fountain in Country Club Plaza is reminiscent of that fountain.
Today, any new corporation that builds in Kansas city is expected to include a fountain
in its decorating. Kansas City's newest attraction, the 8 city block revitalization of its
downtown called the Power and Light district after the famous deco lars buildinbg of that
name which sets the backdrop for the district has a $1 million fountain. In fact, almost
anywhere you look you will fouund a fountain.
Crown Plaza has one that welcomes kids of all ages to frolick amid its jets.Hallmark
which will s=celebrate its 100th aniversery in Kansas city has a long reflecting pool that
drops in mini waterfalls over six times alog thelength of th efountian and culminates in a
pebble bottomed pool thart simulates a riverbed.
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Rozzelle Court Fountain |
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art rivals the best art musuems to be found anywhere.
It has a reflection pool that reflects the newest addition to the musuem, Bloch Building.
Its Sculpture Park is ast ourtside amiodst the lush grass. The Shuttlecock sculptures
which are workld famous are the scene fo free movies at night, The musuem is very open and
has many entraces where a patron wiht a tired child might enjoy the interior art and
then take the child outside to the courtyard and retuen easily through one of th enumerous
doors.
Not all of the fountains are outdoors. The Nelson-Atkins boast one of the oldest
fountains in what has been called "the prettiest museum café in the Midwest" by
Travel Holiday magazine, Rozzelle Court Restaurant. The resturant is
designied to replicate an open-air Italian courtyard. Normally it serves
buffet-style meals with gourmet main dishes, salads, soups, breads and desserts.
Some Fridays there is live jazz music. The centerpiece of the courtyard resturant is the
Rozzelle Court Fountain. This fountian dates to areound 200 A.D. It was used in a Roman
bath however not as a fountain. The shallow marble bowl was used to hold sented oils that
patrons of the bathwoudl anoint themselves wiht.
Kansas cit has so many fountains I could not cover them all. For the best in fountains,
barbeque and jazz,you can do what one famous jazz song, suggest. "Going to
Kansas City" tells it like it is. It was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike
Stoller, back in 1952. Incidentally, it was first prefoirmed by Little Willie Littlefield
at the Orchid Room at 12th and Vine Streets, Kansas City.
http://www.americanjazzmuseum.com/
http://www.arthurbryantsbbq.com/index.htm
http://www.visitkc.com/index.aspx
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