Saturday and Sunday, March 6, 2027 - March 7, 2027 | Polsky Theatre and Yardley Hall
Tickets start at $25. Festival prices vary.
Choose from standard two-day pass - $50 (general admission) or premium two-day pass - $80 (includes tickets to Mardi Gras Mambo plus a swag bag)
Pre-show dinner on Sun. Mar. 7 at 5:30 p.m. (RC 101)
Individual Tickets Season Tickets (save 15-20% per show) Festival Passes Pre-show Dinner Tickets
Two days of live jazz in Polsky Theatre and Yardley Hall. Performances include some of your favorite Kansas City artists leading up to Mardi Gras Mambo - The Dirty Dozen Brass Band with Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas!
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band are pioneers of the modern New Orleans brass band movement, recognized worldwide as an unstoppable musical machine. Nathan Williams provides a direct connection to Zydeco’s storied pioneers such as Clifton Chenier and Boozoo Chavis. Reunited, the two groups will deliver a nonstop Mardi Gras celebration that will have everyone on their feet. Blues, Cajun, New Orleans soul, zydeco, and R&B from two Louisiana legends!
Since their founding in 1977, the Grammy Award-winning New Orleans-based Dirty Dozen Brass Band has taken the traditional foundation of brass band music and incorporated it into a blend of genres, including bebop jazz, funk and R&B/soul. This unique sound, described by the band as a “musical gumbo,” has allowed the Dirty Dozen to tour across five continents and more than 30 countries, record 12 studio albums, and collaborate with a range of artists from Modest Mouse to Widespread Panic to Norah Jones. More than 40 years later, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a world-famous music machine whose name is synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances.
Nathan Williams started his professional music career at 21, just five years after high school, recording singles for his brother's El Sid label. Sid also opened a venue in Lafayette, El-Sid-O's, where Nathan became a staple performer on Friday nights.
Williams' big break came when Buckwheat Zydeco recommended him to Rounder Records, which was searching for an accordionist after Buckwheat left for Island Records. He auditioned, secured a recording contract, and in 1985, he founded Nathan & the Zydeco Cha-Chas, inspired by a Chenier instrumental. The band debuted at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1988.
For over three decades, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas have toured extensively, performing everywhere from local Louisiana spots to international stages in countries like Austria, Spain, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, and even Poland, a first for a zydeco band.
The band has always been a family affair, featuring Nathan on accordion and vocals, his brother Dennis Paul on guitar, cousin Mark Anthony "Chukka" Williams on rubboard, and Sid as manager. Other family members involved include his son Nathan Jr., cousin Allen, and nephew Djuan, alongside non-family members like bassists Paul Newman and Wayne Burns, and saxophonist Allen "Cat Roy" Broussard.
In his 1995 album "Creole Crossroads," Williams collaborated with Cajun fiddler Michael Doucet from BeauSoleil, highlighting a rare fusion of zydeco and Cajun styles with his brother Sid and Sid's wife, working in their grocery store. During a period of illness recovery, Williams chose to devote himself to mastering the accordion, practicing secretly in the bathroom. He looked up to Buckwheat Zydeco, who was a key mentor, but it was Chenier who left a lasting impact on his music. Sid eventually bought Nathan his first accordion from Buckwheat Zydeco.
Fluorescer brings together the freedom of improvisation with the enduring power of a well-crafted song. Drawing on the lyrical warmth and spaciousness associated with great Mid-western artists such as Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny, the band creates music that is at once post-modern and accessible—edgy without being abrasive, adventurous without losing its sense of melody.
The performances of tenor saxophonist Rich Wheeler, guitarist Adam Scholzman, bassist Bill McKemy and drummer John Kizilarmut move naturally between open-ended improvisation, understated grooves, and quietly reflective passages, allowing each musician room to explore while remaining connected to the larger musical story. The result is thoughtful, expressive jazz that rewards close listening and invites audiences to settle in, listen deeply, and discover something new with each performance.
Under the JCCC Music Department and the direction of Ryan Heinlein, the JCCC Jazz Band performs several free concerts throughout the year. Students also play at events around the metro area and participate in educational opportunities to play with professional musicians such as the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and Hanover Big Band. They've also participated in master classes with saxophonist Benny Golson, trumpeter Roger Ingram, saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and trumpeter and composer Sean Jones. In 2023, they played at the Jazz Education Network conference in Orlando.
Dr. Ryan Heinlein is an Associate Professor of Music and Chair of the Music, Theater and Record Arts department at Johnson County Community College where he conducts the jazz and concert bands. He holds degrees in trombone performance from Wichita State University and the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ryan serves as the jazz education advisor to the Kansas Music Educators Association and is a highly sought after adjudicator and clinician.
Ryan remains an active performer around the Midwest. His versatility has allowed him to play with groups such as the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, the Marcus Lewis Big Band, The Northland Symphony, Michael Feinstein, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, the Buckinghams, the Four Tops, Making Movies, Ana Popovich, and Frankie Negron. Ryan is a Conn-Selmer endorsing artist.
Brass and Boujee is a Kansas City-born collaboration between trombonist, arranger, and bandleader Marcus Lewis and emcees Kemet Coleman and Kadesh Flow. Combining hip-hop and big band jazz sounds, Marcus arranges the original songs of both emcees for an 18-piece big band, creating a blended sound that draws in fans of jazz, hip-hop, and beyond.
Following the release of their self-titled debut album, Brass and Boujee, in August 2018, the group charted at #15 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Chart and peaked at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Charts. Built on live horns, sharp lyricism, original music, and jazz improvisation, the project brings Kansas City musicians, emcees, and creative voices into the same room.
Together, Marcus Lewis, Kemet Coleman, and Kadesh Flow have created a project that reflects the creative spirit of Kansas City while bringing big band jazz and hip-hop into a shared space. Brass and Boujee delivers a live experience driven by powerful horn arrangements, improvisation, lyricism, and collaboration — layered, soulful, bold, and unapologetic.
Legerdemain is a steel pan-led, genre-bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world!
The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way.
In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, come spring.
Bio forthcoming
Eboni Fondren is a dynamic vocalist who captivates audiences with her passionate performances and unmatched energy on stage. Known for her precise interpretations of jazz standards, beautifully infused with a touch of R&B, Eboni lights up every room she steps into. Her smooth, sultry vocals and lyrical storytelling leave listeners entranced, craving more with every note.
A graduate of the Everette DeVan School of Groove in 2012, Eboni has since risen to become one of Kansas City’s premier jazz vocalists. Whether fronting her own projects, such as Eboni and the Ivories, lending her talents to Lost Wax Band, or collaborating with the city’s finest musicians, Eboni is a staple of the Kansas City jazz scene, entertaining audiences with her soulful swing at top venues around town.
Her accolades speak volumes about her talent and impact. Eboni was named Favorite Jazz Vocalist by the KC Jazz Ambassadors for three consecutive years (2021, 2022, 2023) and Favorite Vocalist in The Pitch Best 2024. She was recognized as a “Woman to Watch” by Her Life Magazine and proudly represents Kansas City Jazz as part of VisitKC’s initiatives. Most notably, she represented the United States at the 2023 G20 Summit in Varanasi, India—a testament to her extraordinary artistry.
Eboni’s recent creative ventures include the release of her debut album, The Journey: To Kansas City with Love, in July 2024, and An American in Paris, recorded in Paris, France, with the Laurent Marode Orchestra, released in October 2024. With each project, she not only honors her jazz roots but also redefines what it means to be a modern-day jazz performer.
From Kansas City to international stages, Eboni Fondren continues to inspire with her passion, elegance, and infectious love for music.
A partnership with Folk Alliance International.
5:30 p.m., March 7, 2027
RC 101
$30 per person
Prepaid reservations must be received by noon Friday, February 26.
*All meals will include iced tea and water. Soft drinks, beer and wine are available for purchase.
(*V) indicates vegetarian
