![]() The Pendergast political machine collapsed after Boss Tom was indicted on tax evasion charges in 1939. Possibly the most influential on modern jazz was bebop, introduced in the 1930s by hometown saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker. Musicians gathered after shows for late-night jam sessions, where friendly, improvisational competition led to these new and distinct sounds. As the Encyclopedia Britannica put it, “prominent characteristics of Kansas City style were the loose and relaxed rhythmic feeling (less stiff than Chicago and New York City counterparts) and a simplicity of arrangement ….” Legends like Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Andy Kirk, Julia Lee, Joe Turner, Hot Lips Page and Jay McShann all performed in Kansas City and helped develop its unique sound. Blocks away stood 18th & Vine, another nationally respected neighborhood that stood as the epicenter of the Kansas City black community.īut it’s the musical pioneers-playing everything from pianos and saxophones to trumpets and their very own vocal cords-who truly put KC on the map. Musicians from across the country flocked to what soon became the Paris of the Plains to perform in local clubs, including on KC’s famed 12th Street, which was home to 50-plus jazz clubs at its peak popularity. Thanks to political boss Tom Pendergast, Kansas City largely ignored the Federal ban on alcohol. But it wasn’t until Prohibition hit that KC came into its own in the jazz scene. The American musical style first began in dance halls, cabarets and speakeasies, where blues singers and ragtime musicians performed for enthusiastic crowds. It’s often said that while jazz wasn’t born in Kansas City, it did grow up here.
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