Kansas City blues is a genre of blues music. It has spawned the Kansas Blues & Jazz festival and the Kansas Blues Society. Kansas City has many blues and jazz fans. The careers of Count Basie and Charlie Parker began in Kansas City.^[1]

Local clubs

Local Clubs in Kansas City feature many noteworthy Kansas City Bands. On the corner of 39th and Jackson in Kansas City, Missouri, lies an old night club balled The Blues Alley. This club serves as one of the homes and starts of various jazz legends.^[2] One of the most dedicated artists is John Amaro. His hardwork over years has inspired other Blues Musicians and The 39th Street Blues Band. This band has been around for now two decades and has experienced many changes since. Big John and The 39th Street Blues Band have been touring with other experienced artists such as Chick Willis at Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago and Harry "Big Daddy" Hypolite at the 2003 & 2004 Monterey Blues Festival. They also were included the line up at the Medgar Evers Homecoming Festivals in North Canton and Fayette, MS among with B.B. King, Little Milton, Artie Blues, Boy White, Chick Willis and Willie Cobbs. They've also performed in Des Moines.

Here are some other Kansas City blues clubs:

Kansas City Music Blues & Jazz Festival

The Kansas City Music Blues & Jazz festival is an annual blues celebration. Most recently, Kansas City's Music Blues & Jazz Festival has been held on Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 2-3 at The Woodlands, I-435 and Leavenworth Rd. in Kansas City, KS headlined by Bo Diddley. The event also showased 24 additional acts over the two days. This featured the band Proto-Kaw, the most recent incarnation of the members of rock band, Kansas. "The event expected at least 30,000 seats." “We've got Bo and we are on our way to rockin' this city over Labor Day weekend,” says Mark Valentine, show organizer, creator and himself a professional musician. “We heard you Kansas City! You said you wanted the Blues & Jazz Fest back to where it belongs, and we're honoring your request.”^{[1] [4]} Bo Diidley who is an 1987 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee has also been credited with a “lifetime achievement”, the Rhythm & Blues Foundation's Pioneer Awards (1996), the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' Grammy Awards (1998), and the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters' Communications Awards (2002). ^[4]

Mark Valentine, himself marked the event to have the biggest drawing crowd of the two-day event. ^{[1] [4]} The Latin Jazz All Stars, the Kansas City All Stars to top the list of Kansas City Bands and Fast Johnny Ricker were all featured at the 2006 event. Due to the Woodlands covering land, securing parking, and being close to the Legends, it is one of Kansas City's best entertainment districts.^[4] Valentine additionally had expected the event to outleap 2005's event by crowd audience and originality. ^{[1] [4]} It was an all-day event starting at 11:00.

In 2005, headliners included Billy Paul and John Lee Hooker, Jr.. That year, also invited charity and community group partners benefits, from large ticket sales, with a portion of the ticket price being donated back to their organizations.^[1]

Blues News

Other than the Blues & Jazz festival, other events commonly take place. DC Bellamy Roosters Blyes debut, Water to Wine, was released last summer.^[5] Bellamy, who is Curtis Mayfield's half cousin was born in the West side of Chicago and now resides in Kansas, Missouri. His group named America's Most Wanted, have performed at Memphis' Beale Street at the Handy Awards, accompanied by pianist Ike Turner. He's also performed at the current year's Chicago Blues Festival. Bellamy currently plays every Monday night at Club Paradow in Kansas City. And they had performed at the Kansas City Street Blues Festival on Saturday, June 24 from 5-6:45 PM....International Blues Challenge 2007 finalist Leveetown hosts a week outdoor open mike blues jam at Winslow's Barbecue Sundays from 3pm-7pm featuring dozens of blues musicians.

Local artists

See also

• Blues
• Jazz

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e} .""Kansas City is home to many great Jazz artists"". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
2. ^ "Kansas City Bands". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
3. ^ "KC Club Directory". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
4. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Kansas City Music Blues & Jazz Festival". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
5. ^ "Blues in the summer". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.
6. ^ "In touch with the blues". Retrieved on 2006-11-14.

External links

• Complete Kansas City Band Listing
• 2006 Festival
• 2005 Festival
• Kansas City Blues Society
• Fast Johnny Ricker