Winterlude - “Kansas City and All That’s Jazz: Bringing Legends to Life”

Go on a journey of Kansas City jazz that celebrates the greats! This concert includes narration, multimedia images and historic video clips, all narrated by Bryan Busby. Enjoy newly arranged compositions and transcriptions of songs that represent Kansas City jazz pioneers Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Bennie Moten, Julia Lee, Mary Lou Williams, Big Joe Turner and many others!

Carroll leads the Midnight Blue Jazz Quintet on vibraphone and is the former CEO of the American Jazz Museum. He also is an award-winning clinician, guest artist and scholar and was named one of the 100 most Influential African-Americans in Kansas City. Carroll can be heard on 22 recording projects. His newest album, “Greg Carroll & Michael Pagan 2 + 2” was released in 2019 on the Arc label. Each Midnight Blue Jazz member is an award-winning, world-class musician with a strong performance and teaching résumé.

Kansas City's Vine Street Rumble Jazz Orchestra is a 14-piece big band that honors the legacy of Kansas City Jazz during its “golden era” in the ’30s and ’40s. Band members are some of Kansas City's top musicians, who love to perform the music of Count Basie, Jay McShann, Andy Kirk and the 12 Clouds of Joy, Harlan Leonard and His Rockets, Mary Lou Williams, Joe Turner and Pete Johnson, among others. The band delights in taking audiences “Back in time to 18th and Vine!” with toe-tapping, hand-clapping fun.

Busby is a natural showman who has become one of Kansas City's favorite television personalities. He also is the principal timpanist for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and has performed with the Independence Messiah Festival Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Percussion Quartet and the Moody Blues, and was a principal guest conductor of the Kansas City Youth Symphony.

Produced by Midnight Blue Jazz, LLC
Exhibit sponsored by Kansas City Jazz Alive

Supported in part by Peter Goulet.