July 2–6, 2026

The Blue Room celebrates Independence Day the only way we know how — live on the bandstand, all weekend long, on the corner that put Kansas City jazz on the map. Two free shows to start, KC blues on the eve of the Fourth, a veteran voice singing the holiday itself, and a Monday jam to close it out. Here’s what’s on July 2–6.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Thursday, July 2
Jazz @ Noon: Roger Wilder Trio — 12 pm (free)

Friday, July 3
Indigo Hour: Norman Liggins Band — 5:30 pm (free)
Stacy & The Band — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, July 4
Duck Warner — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, July 6
Monday Night Jam Session: Owen Pirch — 7 pm ($5 cover)

Jazz @ Noon: Roger Wilder Trio — Thursday, 12 pm

Jazz @ Noon is the Blue Room’s free midday set — an hour of live music to break up the workday at 18th & Vine. This week, pianist Roger Wilder brings his trio. Wilder is a fixture of the Kansas City jazz piano scene — a tasteful, swinging player equally at home backing the city’s finest singers and leading his own groups. In the trio format the focus narrows to the essentials: piano, bass, and drums in close conversation, the way the music was built to be played.

Free admission. Come early and grab a seat.

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Indigo Hour: Norman Liggins Band — Friday, 5:30 pm

The Indigo Hour is how the Blue Room does happy hour: live music on the bandstand starting at five-thirty, the week left at the door. This week the Norman Liggins Band takes the stage — a familiar presence on the Kansas City live-music circuit, bringing the kind of grooving, crowd-connecting set built for a Friday evening. Come early, grab a drink, and let the holiday weekend officially begin.

Free admission. Doors at 5 pm.

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Stacy & The Band — Friday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Stacy has been lighting up Kansas City stages this summer with a blues voice that doesn’t bother to apologize for taking up space. Performing as Stacy & The Band, she brings classic blues grit and contemporary soul to every room she plays — the kind of music that sounds like it belongs in a room with a good drink and a Friday night to spare. On the eve of Independence Day, she headlines two full sets on 18th & Vine, the historic corner that has been the address of American jazz and blues for a century. There are worse ways to get the holiday weekend started.

$10 for one show, $15 for both.

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Duck Warner — Saturday, July 4, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

There’s no more fitting place to spend the Fourth of July than the room where the music never stopped. Lester “Duck” Warner is a veteran Kansas City vocalist whose rich, soulful voice and decades on the bandstand have made him one of the most respected presences on the city’s jazz scene. A familiar face at 18th & Vine and a Blue Room regular, Duck brings the warmth, phrasing, and musical wisdom that only come from a lifetime in the music.

This Independence Day he headlines two sets — the kind of unhurried, deeply felt jazz singing that reminds you why a voice and a band in a small room never go out of style. Fireworks later. Jazz first.

$10 for one show, $15 for both.

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Monday Night Jam Session: Owen Pirch — Monday, 7 pm

Some Monday nights you get a jam. This one opens with saxophonist Owen Pirch and a band of sharp young players digging into the hard-bop tradition — think Freddie Hubbard burners — with exactly the kind of energy that makes the Monday jam the proving ground it is. After the featured set, the Blue Room bandstand opens up: bring your horn, your voice, or just your ears. The Monday Night Jam is where Kansas City’s players — veterans and the next generation both — come to stretch out.

$5 cover. Featured set starts at 7 pm; sign up at the door to sit in.

Get tickets →

Come See Us

The Blue Room is the American Jazz Museum’s living jazz club — the music never stopped at 18th & Vine.

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Full calendar and tickets: americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

June 26–29, 2026

A big Friday and a standout Monday on the Blue Room bandstand. Here’s what’s on June 26–29.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Friday, June 26
Indigo Hour: The Band Oasis — 5:30 pm (free)
Homage — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, June 27
The Taylorized Show Band — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, June 29
Monday Night Jam Session: Eboni Fondren Trio — 7 pm ($5 cover)

Indigo Hour: The Band Oasis — Friday, 5:30 pm

The Band Oasis opens the weekend at Indigo Hour — free, this Friday, June 26. They’re one of the Blue Room’s most reliable regulars: a sharp, road-tested Kansas City combo with years of appearances on this bandstand, playing the kind of warm, easy-grooving soul-and-jazz set built for a Friday happy hour. Come early, grab a drink, and let the weekend officially begin.

Free admission. Doors at 5 pm.

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Homage — Friday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Homage headlines Friday night with two full sets on the Blue Room stage — the perfect way to kick off the weekend. There's nothing like a Friday night in this room: an intimate space, a band locked in, and music made to get you up and grooving. Grab a drink, find your spot, and let the night take over. Two sets, two chances to catch it — come start your weekend off right at 18th & Vine.

$10 for one show, $15 for both.

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The Taylorized Show Band — Saturday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Soul runs in the blood. The Taylorized Show Band is led by TJ Hooker-Taylor — the son of soul-blues giant Johnnie Taylor, the voice behind “Who’s Making Love,” “Disco Lady,” and “Cheaper to Keep Her.” A Kansas City singer raised in the church, Hooker-Taylor came up leading the Young Golden Voices and founded the funk outfit the Grand Jury Band, sharing stages with the Bar-Kays, Cameo, and Slave. He spent roughly a decade opening for his father, and he’s carried that catalog forward ever since alongside his own Southern soul originals. Saturday he headlines two sets of soul, blues, and R&B the way it’s meant to be heard.

$10 for one show, $15 for both.

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Monday Night Jam Session: Eboni Fondren Trio — Monday, 7 pm

This one’s the anchor of the week. Eboni Fondren has been named Favorite Jazz Vocalist by the KC Jazz Ambassadors three years running — 2021, 2022, and 2023 — and Favorite Vocalist in The Pitch Best 2024. In 2023 she was selected to represent the United States as a jazz ambassador at the G20 Summit in Varanasi, India. Last year she released two albums: “The Journey: To Kansas City with Love” in July, and “An American in Paris,” recorded with the Laurent Marode Orchestra in Paris, in October.

Monday night she brings her trio for the featured set, then the Blue Room bandstand opens up. Bring your instrument, your voice, or just your ears. The Monday Night Jam is where Kansas City’s players come to stretch out, and there’s no finer artist to set the tone.

$5 cover. Featured set starts at 7 pm; sign up at the door to sit in.

Get tickets →

Come See Us

The Blue Room is the American Jazz Museum’s living jazz club — the music never stopped at 18th & Vine.

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Full calendar and tickets: americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

June 19–22, 2026

It’s Juneteenth weekend at 18th & Vine, and the Blue Room has a homecoming on the bill. Three nights, four acts: thirty years of Kansas City saxophone, a daughter of this district coming home to headline, blue-eyed soul on Saturday, and an acclaimed quintet leading Monday’s jam.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Friday, June 19 Indigo Hour: Chris “C Note” Nickens — 5:30 pm (free) JaySol & Sol Movement — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, June 20 Joey Gallant — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, June 22 Monday Night Jam Session: Michael Pagán Trio — 7 pm ($10 cover)

Indigo Hour: Chris “C Note” Nickens — Friday, 5:30 pm

Some musicians chase the spotlight; others just become the sound of a city. For three decades, saxophonist Chris “C Note” Nickens has been one of Kansas City’s working horns — smooth, warm, and funk-forward, the kind of sound built for the slow exhale at the end of a long week. He opens the weekend at Indigo Hour, our Friday happy-hour set. Pour something cold and let the saxophone carry you in.

Free admission, drink specials. Doors at 5 pm.

Pre-register →

JaySol & Sol Movement — Friday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

This one’s a homecoming. JaySol — born Janay Wilson — grew up in the shadow of 18th & Vine. She sang her first solo at five in her mother’s church choir, trained at Paseo Academy through its Thelonious Monk Institute program under the great Lisa Henry, and got her first taste of the studio and stage right here in the district. From there: background vocals for R&B great Howard Hewett, a national tour on Charlie Wilson’s “In It to Win It” revue, and Kansas City’s People’s Choice Award for Best Female Vocalist. A rich contralto that won’t sit in one lane — gospel, soul, funk, and R&B in a single set — she brings her band Sol Movement home to the room that raised her. On Juneteenth, no less.

Two sets. $10 for one show, $15 for both.

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Joey Gallant — Saturday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Joey Gallant came up in working-class Boston and brought his voice to Kansas City in 2013, where he’s been turning rooms into congregations ever since. Call it blue-eyed soul: a sound steeped in ‘60s and ‘70s R&B with melodies that go straight to the chest. He describes it as “George Michael meets Marvin Gaye” — and when his 2017 original “Obama Tribute” went viral with more than 13 million views, the world heard what KC already knew. Saturday he headlines two sets of warm, vintage soul.

$10 for one show, $15 for both.

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Monday Night Jam Session: Michael Pagán Trio — Monday, 7 pm

Some Monday nights you get a jam. This one opens with a bandleader who knows this building well. The Michael Pagán Trio is led by pianist, composer, and arranger Michael Pagán — a Kansas City fixture who once served as the American Jazz Museum’s own director of marketing and communications. A Capri Records artist whose writing swings like the standards, he brings neo-bop heat and Latin warmth to a featured trio set — then the Blue Room bandstand opens to the city’s players. Consider it a homecoming.

$10 cover. The featured set starts at 7 pm; sign up at the door to sit in.

Get tickets →

Come See Us

The Blue Room is the American Jazz Museum’s living jazz club — the music never stopped at 18th & Vine.

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Full calendar and tickets: americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

June 11–15, 2026

Five shows this week — a lunchtime guitar masterclass, a happy-hour debut, a bebop legend two weeks past his 89th birthday, an all-female trio with a story you won’t forget, and the songbird of Kansas City opening Monday’s jam.

This Week’s Lineup

Thursday, June 11 Jazz @ Noon: Tetsuya Nishiyama Trio — 12 pm (free)

Friday, June 12 Indigo Hour: Sir James Atwood & The Collective — 5:30 pm (free) David Watson — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, June 13 She Groove — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, June 15 Monday Night Jam Session: Lauren-Ashley — 7 pm (free)

Jazz @ Noon: Tetsuya Nishiyama Trio — Thursday, 12 pm

Tetsuya Nishiyama’s journey started with a hand-me-down semi-acoustic guitar in Nagoya, Japan, and ran through Northern Illinois University — where he studied under jazz guitar greats Fareed Haque and Bobby Broom — and Chicago’s storied clubs before landing in the Midwest circuit, where he’s now one of the most called-upon jazz guitarists going. He teaches at KU, anchors organist Mitch Towne’s acclaimed album Refuge, and his sideman list runs from Buddy Guy to Roy Ayers. Blue Room regulars know him from our Monday jams — this Thursday, his trio takes the lunchtime stage.

Free show. Bring your lunch.

Reserve a seat →

Indigo Hour: Sir James Atwood & The Collective — Friday, 5:30 pm

Every artist remembers their first time on the Blue Room stage — and Friday belongs to Sir James Atwood. The Kansas City vocalist, whose voice opened the gala night of ArtFusion KC at the Convention Center, makes his Blue Room debut with his band The Collective: jazz and soul delivered with high-impact, impassioned energy. Debut nights have a special electricity. Be in the room for this one.

Free admission, drink specials. Doors at 5 pm.

Pre-register →

David Watson — Friday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

They call him the Doctor of Bebop. David Watson grew up in a Philadelphia neighborhood John Coltrane once called home, learned to scat from Ella Fitzgerald and Eddie Jefferson records, and spent four years tending bar at the legendary Showboat Jazz Theater — soaking up Miles, Trane, and Monk from behind the rail — before a bassist who’d played with Sonny Rollins told him to stop pouring and start singing. He turned pro at 34, cut his debut album at 61, and recorded Big Town with Dizzy Gillespie’s drummer and Sonny Rollins’ bassist. A few years ago he brought it all home to Kansas City. Now, two weeks past his 89th birthday, he headlines Friday night — living proof that bebop keeps you young.

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She Groove — Saturday, 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Leah on vocals, G on guitar, Elisa on bass — She Groove is Kansas City’s all-female trio blending soul, jazz, R&B, and funk, with a repertoire 150 songs deep. And their story is as powerful as their sound: the band came together while two of its members were beating cancer, and their first performance became a celebration of healing and being fully alive. That spirit has fueled every show since. As they put it: “It is never too late to chase your dreams, discover your purpose, or return to something you love.”

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Monday Night Jam Session: Lauren-Ashley — Monday, 7 pm

Her family named her “the songbird” long before Kansas City did. Lauren-Ashley — preacher’s kid from St. Louis, rediscovered her voice hosting karaoke nights in KC — went from her first open mic in September 2022 to fronting her own band, playing KC Pride, and performing on FOX 4’s Great Day KC. Monday she opens the jam with soul-soaked R&B, then the bandstand opens to the room. Bring your horn, your voice, or just your ears.

Free admission. Sign up at the door to sit in.

Pre-register →

Come See Us

The Blue Room is the American Jazz Museum’s living jazz club — the music never stopped at 18th & Vine.

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

Full calendar and tickets: americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

June 5–8, 2026 · The Blue Room · 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City

June opens with a full slate at 18th & Vine — two headline nights, a free happy hour with the Blue Room’s favorite party-starters, and a Monday jam hosted by the family that practically built this stage.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Friday, June 5 — Indigo Hour 5:30 PM — Darron J & Go Hard Band (free)

Friday, June 5 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — The Piaget Experience

Saturday, June 6 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Mikole Kaar & Kaar Club Band

Monday, June 8 — Jam Session 7 PM — The James Ward Band (free)

Friday Indigo Hour: Darron J & Go Hard Band

Darron “DaRockboi” Cobbins doesn’t just perform — he throws a party. The frontman of Darron J & Go Hard Band is one of Kansas City’s most electrifying entertainers, and his band holds the record as the most frequent Indigo Hour act in Blue Room history — over 20 appearances and counting. R&B, soul, funk, and grooves that blur the line between concert and celebration.

Free admission, drink specials, and the best happy hour energy in town. Doors at 5 PM — arrive early.

Register free →

Friday Headliner: The Piaget Experience

Piaget Long‘s story starts the way the best ones do: a little girl humming in her bedroom in St. Louis, dreaming of connecting with people through her voice. She carried that dream to Kansas City more than a decade ago and has been winning the city over ever since — Divas Night Out, Indigo Hour, and Friday headline nights on this very stage.

The Piaget Experience is exactly what it sounds like: jazz and R&B interwoven with hints of pop and country, delivered by a vocalist whose gift is making every person in the room feel personally sung to.

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Saturday Headliner: Mikole Kaar & Kaar Club Band

Mikole Kaar‘s resume reads like a tour through American music history. Born in New York City, he was on the charts at thirteen and mentored by tenor legend Clifford Scott — the man who played the solo on Bill Doggett’s “Honky Tonk,” one of the most influential R&B records ever cut. The decades since carried him through Europe and Asia, onto the soundtrack of the 1988 hit Twins, and alongside The Temptations, Joe Cocker, Bo Diddley, and The Drifters.

Six solo albums later — most recently Turning East — he’s brought that lifetime of music home to Kansas City. Saturday he takes the Blue Room stage with the Kaar Club Band: tenor and soprano sax, flute, clarinet, and stories you can hear in every note.

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Monday Night Jam: The James Ward Band

Nobody knows the Monday Night Jam like the family that’s been holding down this stage for almost thirty years. James Ward joined the Blue Room’s house ensemble in January 1998; Angela Ward found the club even earlier, sitting down at the piano during the district’s opening festivities in 1997. Their son Jaylen — first sat in at age six, since performed at jazz festivals in Shanghai and Chile — holds down the drums.

They’ll open the night with a featured set, then the bandstand opens up. Bring your horn, your voice, or just your ears. Free admission; sign up at the door to sit in.

Register free →

Also at the Blue Room This Week

Electric Renaissance — the Coterie Theatre’s immersive musical play staged right here in the club — continues its run with shows Thursday, June 4 at 7 PM and Sunday, June 7 at 2 PM, running through June 14. Tickets via the Coterie →

And today’s Jazz @ Noon brought saxophonist Nneoma Lanea back to the lunchtime stage — keep an eye on this newsletter for the next free noon show.

See You at 18th & Vine

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

May 29–30, 2026 · The Blue Room · 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City

The last weekend of May at 18th & Vine — three shows across two nights, anchored by two vocalists Blue Room regulars already know by name.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Friday, May 29 — Indigo Hour 5:30 PM — Lady D (free)

Friday, May 29 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Blair Bryant & the B2 Experience

Saturday, May 30 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — J Love Band

Friday Indigo Hour: Lady D

Lady D is a Kansas City fixture with a voice rooted in gospel, old-school R&B, and blues. She recognized her gift at age 8 in church choirs and gospel groups, recorded a gospel album in her teens, and has since opened for an honor roll of Black American music: Roger Troutman & Zapp, Brian McKnight, Najee, Peabo Bryson, Kool & the Gang, and Howard Hewitt.

Her crowd interaction is legendary — audiences don’t just watch a Lady D show, they’re part of it. Free admission, drink specials, the right way to start a Friday night at 18th & Vine.

Get tickets →

Friday Headliner: Blair Bryant & the B2 Experience

Blair Bryant takes the Blue Room headliner stage Friday night. A Kansas City bassist and bandleader who performs as the B2 Experience, Bryant is one of the brightest names in the city’s contemporary and smooth jazz scene — a UMKC Conservatory graduate building groove-forward, melody-first bass on the foundation his hero Stanley Clarke laid down. He’s shared stages and recordings with Najee, Eric Roberson, Mike Phillips, and Althea Rene, and his catalog runs from New Colours (2015) to 2023’s Red Tiger, a smoothjazz.com top-100 album of the year.

Two sets, 8:30 & 10 PM, in one of Kansas City’s most storied jazz rooms.

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Saturday Headliner: J Love Band

J Love is one of Kansas City’s most sought-after live performers — a vocalist whose gritty, commanding voice and magnetic stage presence have made her a fixture at the Blue Room and across the city. Rooted in the traditions of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Etta James, she delivers her sets with a style all her own: commanding when it needs to be, tender when it wants to be, always honest.

Originally from Kennett, Missouri, J Love grew up surrounded by music — her grandfather a gospel singer, her cousin an R&B artist, the church her first stage. Her debut album, Life’s Side Effects, showcases the depth and range that have made her one of KC’s most requested live acts. As the frontwoman of the J Love Band, she brings some of the city’s finest musicians with her, moving between soulful ballads, uptempo R&B, and jazz standards with ease.

Two sets to close out May at the Blue Room.

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See You at 18th & Vine

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

May 22–25, 2026 · The Blue Room · 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City

A Memorial Day weekend at 18th & Vine — four Blue Room shows across three nights, with the rest of the district celebrating around them. The City cuts the ribbon Friday morning on two new pieces of the Jazz District. The Walk of Fame inducts Herbie Hancock at the Gem on Saturday. Inside the Blue Room, four working musicians take the stage.

This Week’s Lineup

Friday, May 22 — Indigo Hour 5:30 PM — Jazzy Jazz Miyagi (free)

Friday, May 22 — Headliner: Divas Night Out 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Delynia Jannell & Erin Jones

Saturday, May 23 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Darryl White

Monday, May 25 — Memorial Day Jam 7 PM — David Watson (free)

Friday Indigo Hour: Jazzy Jazz Miyagi

Born in Okinawa, Jazzy Jazz Miyagi came to the United States on a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music and continued her training at Berklee College of Music, studying flute under Lois Schafer — piccoloist for the Boston Pops and Boston Symphony under Seiji Ozawa. That classical foundation runs through everything she does, but what she builds on top of it is what makes her shows unforgettable.

She’s worked as a studio musician for motion picture soundtracks and shared stages with Miroslav Vitous (founding bassist of Weather Report), Herbie Mann, Chaka Khan, Joe Sample, and Mannheim Steamroller. Her instruments range from flute and classical guitar to alternative flutes and the Japanese koto. She was chosen as a soloist for the grand opening of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and has appeared at the Carmel Jazz Fest and Monterey Jazz Festival.

A truly global musician who calls KC home. Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner: Divas Night Out — Delynia Jannell & Erin Jones

Divas Night Out is one of the Blue Room’s most popular recurring series — a night where Kansas City’s best vocalists share the stage and trade songs, stories, and the kind of energy that only comes from friends who love what they do. This edition spotlights two powerful voices.

Delynia Jannell has been singing since she was two years old, starting on the church pews of Bethel Church of God in Christ in Kansas City, Kansas. A vocal music scholarship to Washburn University expanded her range from gospel into R&B, jazz, blues, neo-soul, and opera. She sang background for Shania Twain on the Kansas City tour, was featured soloist in “This Little Light of Mine” at Carnegie Hall, and has provided vocals for Tech N9ne, Krizz Kaliko, Stevie Stone, and Kelley Hunt. She leads the Delynia Jannell Ensemble and holds residencies across the city.

Joining Delynia is Erin Jones, a Blue Room favorite whose soulful delivery and warm stage presence have made her a sought-after performer in Kansas City’s jazz scene. Together they deliver an evening of songs from the Great American Songbook, R&B classics, and modern standards.

Two sets.

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Saturday Headliner: Darryl White

Darryl White is a trumpeter whose career bridges the classroom and the bandstand. A native of Warren, Ohio, he’s been playing trumpet since the age of nine — a path that took him from a Bachelor of Music at Youngstown State University to a Master’s at Northwestern, and on to a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Colorado.

Today Dr. White is an associate professor of trumpet at the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Before that, he taught at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, where he was Instructor of Trumpet and performed with the Aries Brass Quintet (in residence at Lamont) and the Faculty Jazz Quintet.

The Darryl White Quartet has become a Blue Room favorite, with multiple appearances since 2023. Whether playing the straight-ahead tradition or pushing into more modern territory, Dr. White brings the kind of tone, phrasing, and command that only comes from a lifetime dedicated to the trumpet. Two sets.

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Monday Memorial Day Jam: David Watson

The Blue Room is open on Memorial Day — and the music is on.

David Watson is a veteran Kansas City–based jazz singer and bandleader. Originally from Florida and raised in Philadelphia, he’s been in the music all his life. He started singing in elementary school and first fell in love with jazz as a child when he heard Ella Fitzgeraldscatting. That early influence never left him.

David is a singer, songwriter, and drummer; a composer and record-label founder; and the founder of the Sonoma Valley Jazz Society, a nonprofit supporting jazz education and performance. His 89th birthday lands the following Saturday — a quiet milestone for a working musician who’s been on the bandstand his whole life.

Monday Night Jam features a 45-minute featured set followed by an open jam — bring your instrument, come listen, or both. FREE admission.

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Also at 18th & Vine This Weekend

Friday, May 22 at 11 AM — the City of Kansas City cuts the ribbon on the Jazz District Parking Garage at 1819 Lydia Avenue. Come out and celebrate this new part of the neighborhood!

Saturday, May 23 — the American Jazz Walk of Fame inducts Herbie Hancock as its 2026 honoree at the Gem Theater, 1615 E 18th St. The induction ceremony begins at 6 PM, followed at 7 PM by a concert featuring Ruben Studdard and Kim Waters. Tickets at americanjazzwalkoffame.org. Darryl White takes the Blue Room stage right after at 8:30 PM — a full Saturday night on 18th Street.

See You at 18th & Vine

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

May 14–18, 2026 · The Blue Room · 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City

This Week’s Lineup

Thursday, May 14 — Jazz @ Noon 12 PM — Mikole E. Kaar (free)

Friday, May 15 — Indigo Hour 5:30 PM — Lady D (free)

Friday, May 15 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Chris Hazelton

Saturday, May 16 — Headliner 8:30 PM & 10 PM — Roger Wilder & Rob Scheps

Monday, May 18 — Monday Night Jam 7 PM — KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band (free)

Thursday: Jazz @ Noon with Mikole E. Kaar

Mikole E. Kaar started on clarinet at nine years old, mentored by the great Clifford “Scotty” Scott. He grew up watching Junior Walker and King Curtis blow horns the way he wanted to. Today he plays tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, piano, and bassoon — and has spent decades touring the world with the music.

In 1985 he traveled to Europe and released Back to the Heart on Germany’s Heliocon Records. Back stateside, he’s played alongside The Temptations, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Platters, Joe Cocker, Bo Diddley, and Rita Moreno. His work has appeared on motion picture soundtracks.

Step away from the workday, get an hour of live music, head back into Thursday. Free admission.

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Friday Indigo Hour: Lady D

Lady D is a Kansas City fixture with a voice rooted in gospel, old-school R&B, and blues. She recognized her gift at age 8 in church choirs and gospel groups, recorded a gospel album in her teens, and has spent the years since opening for an honor roll of Black American music: Roger Troutman & Zapp, Brian McKnight, Najee, Peabo Bryson, Kool & the Gang, Howard Hewitt.

Her crowd interaction is legendary — audiences don’t just watch a Lady D show, they’re part of it. Free admission, drink specials, the right way to start a Friday night at 18th & Vine.

Get tickets →

Friday Headliner: Chris Hazelton

Chris Hazelton is one of today’s foremost Hammond B-3 organists, known for soulful groove, impeccable touch, and deep command of the soul-jazz tradition. A lifelong Kansas Citian, he studied under two giants of the instrument: local legend Everette DeVan and the iconic Dr. Lonnie Smith.

Beyond his own acclaimed groups — Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 chief among them — he’s a featured member of the soul collective The Freedom Affair and the British rhythm & blues outfit The James Hunter Six. His sound pulls from Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, and a century of gospel-inflected organ tradition, always with a personal sense of melody that keeps people leaning in.

Chris teaches applied organ at Kansas City Kansas Community College, where he plays Everette DeVan’s personal Hammond B-3. He is also the music director at St. James United Methodist Church at 55th & Paseo. Two sets at the Blue Room.

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Saturday Headliner: Roger Wilder & Rob Scheps

Two of the most widely credited players to share a Blue Room stage pair up for a Saturday night at 18th & Vine.

Roger Wilder is a Kansas City-based pianist whose career took him from the University of Miami into South Florida sideman gigs backing Stanley Turrentine, Randy Brecker, Adam Nussbaum, and Chris Potter — and eventually to Kansas City, where he’s become a pillar of the KC jazz scene. He has served as adjunct jazz professor at the UMKC Conservatoryfor over a decade, hosts “The Jazz Geek” on 90.1 FM KKFI, and appears on albums by Angela Hagenbach, Mike Metheny, Sons of Brasil, and Stan Kessler.

Rob Scheps is a tenor saxophonist and composer whose own entry in The Encyclopedia of Jazz captures the scope of his work: from the New England Conservatory to stages with Aretha Franklin, Buddy Rich, Gil Evans, and John Abercrombie. He served as Principal Saxophone with the Oregon Symphony for 13 years, has performed with the Gil Evans Orchestra and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, leads bands in New York, Seattle, Portland, Kansas City, and Honolulu, and in 2023 published Rob Scheps: 30 Original Compositions.

Two veterans, deep credits both ways, one stage. Two sets.

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Monday Night Jam: KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band

The week closes with the Blue Room’s Monday Night Jam — and this week the featured set comes from the KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band, one of the showcase ensembles from Kansas City Kansas Community College’s renowned Music Department.

The band has earned a DownBeat Student Music Award and has twice performed on the New Voices Stage at the Jazz Education Network Conference, with additional appearances at the Kansas Music Educators In-Service Workshop and festivals across the region.

The ensemble is directed by Dr. Justin Binek (Music Theory and Commercial Music), with Chris Hazelton — Friday’s headliner and KCKCC’s B-3 Organ and Jazz Improvisation faculty member — assisting. That depth of mentorship shows up in the music; these students aren’t just learning jazz, they’re playing it at a level that’s drawn national attention.

45-minute featured set at 7 PM, followed by the open jam. Bring your instrument, come listen, or both. FREE admission.

Get tickets →

See You at 18th & Vine

The Blue Room 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room

Thursday, May 7 – Monday, May 11

Five shows across the week at 18th & Vine. It starts Thursday at lunch — a free Jazz @ Noon set from one of Kansas City’s most respected bassists. Friday brings the return of an Indigo Hour favorite and an internationally celebrated KC vocalist on the headliner slot. Saturday night belongs to a group that’s been playing Brazilian jazz in Kansas City every week since 1991. And Monday’s free jam is led by a Berklee-trained saxophonist who came up under Bobby Watson.

The Lineup

Thursday, May 7
Jazz @ Noon: Bill McKemy — 12 pm (FREE)

Friday, May 8 Indigo Hour:
The Band Oasis — 5:30 pm (FREE)
Deborah Brown — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, May 9
Sons of Brasil — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, May 11
Monday Night Jam: Houston Smith — 7 pm (FREE)

Thursday Jazz @ Noon — Bill McKemy (12 pm)

Bill McKemy is a Kansas City upright bassist, bandleader, and composer whose playing anchors some of the city’s most respected groups. His resume reads like a who’s-who of the contemporary jazz scene — performances and recordings with Randy Brecker, Karrin Allyson, Maceo Parker, John Abercrombie, Benny Green, Gregory Hutchinson, and many more.

His three solo albums have been featured on NPR’s All Songs Considered, with Duendenamed to the Kansas City Star‘s Top Ten of 2002 and Om Nidrah winning Pitch Weekly’s Best Local Jazz CD of 2003. An hour of live music in one of Kansas City’s most storied rooms — step away from the workday and into 18th & Vine.

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Friday Indigo Hour — The Band Oasis (5:30 pm)

A Blue Room Indigo Hour favorite. The Band Oasis has built a devoted following across the 18th & Vine district, with regular appearances at Bayou on the Vine and the Blue Room — nine Blue Room sets and counting. Smooth jazz with soul and R&B influences, played by a tight ensemble that knows how to read a room. Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner — Deborah Brown (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

When Deborah Brown takes the stage, you’re hearing one of the most celebrated jazz vocalists of her generation — and she’s from right here in Kansas City. Deborah has spent decades performing on the world’s biggest stages. She lived in Europe for 12 years, appearing with orchestras in Russia, Denmark, Poland, and across the continent, and has been featured at international jazz festivals around the world.

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra tapped her for their “The Voice” concert series. She’s conducted masterclasses for students at her own alma mater. All About Jazz, The Pitch, and the Kansas City Star have placed her in the company of the greats.

What sets Deborah Brown apart isn’t just range or resume — it’s presence. Rich, bluesy, deeply personal. Whether she’s swinging through an uptempo standard or pulling you into a slow-burning ballad, she makes the room disappear. The Blue Room is exactly the kind of intimate setting where her artistry shines brightest. Two sets. Don’t miss either one.

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Saturday — Sons of Brasil (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

In Kansas City, there is a popular jazz group that has performed every week since their inception in 1991. This would not be so remarkable, as Kansas City is renowned for its tradition of great jazz since the days of Count Basie and Charlie Parker. What is remarkable is that this group of native Kansas Citians plays nothing but Brazilian jazz — with a flavor and passion one might think could only be found at a night club in Ipanema or Leblon.

Sons of Brasil draw from samba, bossa nova, and contemporary Brazilian jazz, delivered with musicianship honed over three decades of weekly performance. Their set list moves easily between classics of the Brazilian jazz canon and original compositions, always with the same warmth and rhythmic depth that has made them a beloved Kansas City institution.

The Sons of Brasil invite you to sample these sounds — which stem from their love and admiration of musica bem brasileira. Two sets at the Blue Room.

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Monday Night Jam — Houston Smith (7 pm)

Houston Smith started making music before he could read. At three he was studying drums under Leon Brady in Kansas City, Kansas. By six he held the drum chair at his local church. At ten he picked up the alto saxophone, joined Kansas City Youth Jazz, and by thirteen was performing professionally under the mentorship of Bobby Watson, Gerald Dunn, and Chris Burnett.

The stages came fast. Houston performed on Good Morning America, played the Kauffman Center’s opening festivities, and was selected as an inaugural member of the Grammy Music Revolution Project — all before heading to Berklee College of Music, where he studied under Terence Blanchard, Walter Beasley, Bill Pierce, and Tia Fuller. Back in Kansas City, Houston performs as both a bandleader and sideman while teaching the next generation through KC Area Youth Jazz and Bird Bootcamp.

A 45-minute featured set followed by the Blue Room’s open jam. Bring your instrument or come just to listen. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets (FREE)

Visit Us at 18th & Vine

The Blue Room — 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 The American Jazz Museum — 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Thursday, April 30 – Monday, May 4

It’s a four-night week at 18th & Vine. Thursday closes out Jazz Appreciation Month with live music from the David Basse Band and a panel on the late Barney Lessing — a jazz fan whose love for the music left a lasting mark on Kansas City. Then the Blue Room weekend rolls in: Indigo Hour and a neo-soul Friday, James Ward leading his band on Saturday, and one of KC’s most adventurous drummers taking over the Monday jam.

The Lineup

Thursday, April 30 — at the Museum
Jazz Appreciation Month Evening Event — 5:30 pm – 7 pm (FREE, RSVP)

Friday, May 1 — at the Blue Room
Indigo Hour: Darron J & Go Hard Band — 5:30 pm (FREE)
Just A Taste A Jazz — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, May 2 — at the Blue Room
James Ward Band — 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, May 4 — at the Blue Room
Monday Night Jam: Arnold Young and The Roughtet — 7 pm – 10:30 pm (FREE)

Thursday at the Museum — The Impact and Legacy of Jazz (5:30 pm – 7 pm)

A Jazz Appreciation Month evening to remember. We’re closing out JAM with a reception, a set from the David Basse Band, and a panel discussion on Barney Lessing’s memoir I Know ‘Cause I Was There: Reflections of a Jazz Fan — a book the music world described as “too bright for words to describe.”

Barney’s sons, David and Scott Lessing, will open the evening with personal reflections. Then Andy Haynes (AJM Board) moderates a panel with Millie Edwards Nottingham, and Max Levy — three Kansas City jazz figures sharing what Barney’s lifelong love of the music meant to the people who make it. Copies of the book will be available at the Swing Shopfor $10, with proceeds benefiting the American Jazz Museum.

Free admission. Reservations by phone: 816-842-1414, ext. 200.

The American Jazz Museum, 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Friday Indigo Hour — Darron J & Go Hard Band (5:30 pm)

The Blue Room’s most frequent Indigo Hour performers are back. Darron J doesn’t just perform — he throws a party. As frontman of Darron J & Go Hard Band, he brings powerhouse vocals and a mix of R&B, soul, funk, hip-hop, and pop that gets entire rooms on their feet. The Go Hard Band locks into tight grooves that shift from smooth jazz to dance-floor anthems without missing a step. With over 20 Indigo Hour appearances and counting, every set is a celebration. Drink specials, free admission.

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Friday Headliner — Just A Taste A Jazz (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Just A Taste A Jazz is exactly what the name promises — an appetizing slice of Kansas City’s R&B and neo-soul scene, led by Bobby D Adams. Funky, contemporary, rooted in deep grooves and soulful melodies, the ensemble has built a loyal Blue Room following with infectious energy and tight musicianship. Original compositions, clever takes on classics, and the kind of house-party vibe that turns a Friday night out into something memorable. Two sets.

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Saturday — James Ward Band (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

The James Ward Band — led by the incredible James Ward on bass — has become one of Kansas City’s most sought-after jazz ensembles. Smooth grooves, dynamic performances, and a deep bench of featured vocalists and instrumentalists. James is also a beloved educator and a co-founder of the annual Show & Shed jazz workshop at the American Jazz Museum, where he mentors the next generation of KC jazz musicians. His playing reflects that same generosity — a bassist who holds the center of the sound while letting every player around him shine. Two sets.

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Monday Night Jam — Arnold Young and The Roughtet (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

A drummer with a singular Kansas City resume. Arnold Young is a composer, educator, and the first drummer to play free jazz in Kansas City — with credits that include Sonny Simmons, Jaco Pastorius, Eddie Harris, Mike Dillon, and members of Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band. In 2014 he formed The Roughtet, a KC-based avant-garde quintet playing what they call “rough jazz” — ambitious, searching, distinctly their own.

For this Monday Night Jam, Arnold and The Roughtet are joined by special guest Roger Wilder on piano — a longtime UMKC faculty member and KC jazz institution whose credits include Stanley Turrentine, Randy Brecker, and Chris Potter. (No, Roger doesn’t look like Thelonious Monk, who is in the picture above. But he is a snazzy dresser.) A 45-minute featured set followed by the Blue Room’s open jam. Bring your instrument or come just to listen. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets (FREE)

Visit Us at 18th & Vine

The American Jazz Museum — 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 The Blue Room — 1600 E 18th St, inside the museum

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Friday, April 24 – Monday, April 27

A bassist who played on a Grammy-winning Thad Jones/Mel Lewis record and toured with Carmen McRae. A veteran Kansas City vocalist whose phrasing carries decades of the city’s jazz tradition. A 17-piece big band that captures the Basie-and-Ellington sound that put 18th & Vine on the map. And don’t forget Indigo Hour on Friday!

The Lineup

Friday, April 24
Encore -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm (FREE)
Lester “Duck” Warner -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, April 25
Bob Bowman & Bowdog -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, April 27
Louis Neal Big Band -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm (FREE)

Friday Indigo Hour — Encore (5:30 pm)

Kick off your weekend with live music and good vibes at the Blue Room’s signature happy hour. Encore takes the stage to set the tone for the night. Drink specials, free admission, and the warm energy that makes the Blue Room one of Kansas City’s most beloved live music spots.

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Friday Headliner — Lester “Duck” Warner (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Lester “Duck” Warner is a veteran Kansas City vocalist whose rich, soulful voice and decades of live performance have made him a respected presence on the city’s jazz scene. A regular at the Blue Room’s Jazz @ Noon series and a familiar face at 18th & Vine, Duck brings the warmth, phrasing, and musical wisdom that only come from a lifetime dedicated to the craft. His performances connect audiences to the deep vocal tradition that has always been central to Kansas City jazz. Two sets.

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Saturday — Bob Bowman & Bowdog (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Bob Bowman is a bassist whose career reads like a chapter from the American jazz songbook. A Kansas native, he picked up the bass at 12, earned a scholarship to the Stan Kenton Jazz Clinic as a high school freshman, and went on to study at North Texas State. In 1976 he joined the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, touring and recording several albums — including the Grammy Award-winning Live in Munich. He followed that by joining the Toshiko Akiyoshi–Lew Tabakin Big Band in Los Angeles and has toured and recorded with Carmen McRae, Freddie Hubbard, Bud Shank, and Karrin Allyson.

Since moving to Kansas City in 1988, Bob has been a pillar of the city’s jazz community, with faculty appointments at the University of Missouri and Ottawa University. With Bowdog, he brings jazz, funk, and groove together with the kind of musical depth that only comes from a lifetime of playing at the highest level. Two sets.

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Monday Night Jam — Louis Neal Big Band (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

A 17-piece big band in an intimate jazz club. The Louis Neal Big Band is Kansas City big band jazz done right — founded in the mid-1990s by bandleader, composer, and arranger Louis Neal, this hard-swinging ensemble captures the Basie-and-Ellington sound that put 18th & Vine on the map.

Five saxes. Four trumpets. Four trombones. A rhythm section. The band features some of Kansas City’s finest jazz musicians, playing traditional big band repertoire alongside Louis’s own compositions and arrangements. A 45-minute featured set followed by an open jam session. Bring your instrument or come feel the full power of a 17-piece ensemble up close. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets (FREE)

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Thursday, April 9 – Monday, April 13

A voice descended from Billboard royalty. The baddest Hammond B-3 in Kansas City with a seven-piece band behind it. A saxophonist the Chicago Tribune called “prodigious” and the New York Times flagged as one to watch. And a jazz/neo-soul jam session to close out the week. Five nights of live music at 18th & Vine.

The Lineup

Thursday, April 9
Gayle Price -- Jazz @ Noon, 12 pm (FREE)

Friday, April 10
J Love Band -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm (FREE)
Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, April 11
Adam Larson Quartet -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, April 13
Kenny Watson & DaNoyze -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm (FREE)

Thursday Jazz @ Noon — Gayle Price (12 pm)

Gayle Price was born to sing. Her mother, the late Priscilla Bowman, had a number-one record on the Billboard charts in 1955 — “the original Rock and Roll Mama.” Gayle grew up in Kansas City, Kansas, singing in her grandfather’s church from the age of five, with her mother training her to sing from the gut, not from the nose. She’s performed the National Anthem at Royals games, won the Truman’s Got Talent grand prize, and her sound is sultry, passionate, and powerful. Step away from the workday and into 18th & Vine.

Get Jazz @ Noon Tickets (FREE)

Friday Indigo Hour — J Love Band (5:30 pm)

Nobody owns a room like J Love. Gritty vocals, magnetic energy, and a sound rooted in Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Etta James — delivered with a style all her own. One of the Blue Room’s most prolific performers, J Love and her band turn every Indigo Hour into a full experience — tight grooves, bold vocals, and the kind of crowd connection that makes you forget you’re at happy hour. Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner — Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7 (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Chris Hazelton is one of today’s foremost Hammond B-3 organists. A lifelong Kansas Citian, he studied under local legend Everette DeVan and the iconic Dr. Lonnie Smith. He’s a member of The Freedom Affair and The James Hunter Six, and teaches on DeVan’s personal Hammond B-3 at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The Boogaloo 7 takes that soul-jazz foundation and amplifies it with a full seven-piece lineup — funky, swinging, and impossible to sit still through. This is one of the Blue Room’s most popular acts for a reason. Two sets.

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Saturday — Adam Larson Quartet (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

The Chicago Tribune called Adam Larson “a player for whom the word ‘prodigious’ was coined.” The New York Times described him as “the sort of jazz musician who gets flagged early on as a promising talent and then hustles to meet every requirement for success.” Nine albums as a leader — including two that earned 4+ stars in DownBeat. A U.S. State Department touring artist, Grammy Foundation mentor, and author of 12 jazz etude books sold in 45 countries. Adam spent 11 years in the New York City jazz scene before landing in Kansas City, where he now teaches at the UMKC Conservatory and KU. Two sets of world-class saxophone at 18th & Vine.

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Monday Night Jam — Kenny Watson & DaNoyze (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

Kenny Watson is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist whose group DaNoyze blends jazz and neo-soul into something groove-forward and musically adventurous. A 45-minute featured set followed by an open jam session — bring your instrument or just your ears. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets (FREE)

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

The Lineup

Thursday, April 2
Blue Devil Funk Band -- Jazz @ Noon, 12 pm (FREE)

Friday, April 3
Darron J & Go Hard Band -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm (FREE)
Carolina Calvache Quartet -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, April 4
Rob Tribb, Tribb III -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, April 6
Heidi Lanita -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm (FREE)

Thursday Jazz @ Noon — Blue Devil Funk Band (12 pm)

The KCKCC Blue Devil Funk Band brings DownBeat Student Music Award-winning talent to the Blue Room for a free lunchtime set. The Kansas City Kansas Community College ensemble has earned Outstanding Performance citations and continues to produce some of the most exciting young jazz musicians in the metro. Step away from the workday and into 18th & Vine.

Get Jazz @ Noon Tickets (FREE)

Friday Indigo Hour — Darron J & Go Hard Band (5:30 pm)

Darron J & Go Hard Band are the Blue Room’s most frequent Indigo Hour performers — over 20 appearances and counting. There’s a reason they keep coming back: Darron “DaRockboi” Cobbins doesn’t just perform, he throws a party. Powerhouse vocals, infectious energy, and a mix of R&B, soul, and funk that gets the whole room moving. Free admission and drink specials.

Get Indigo Hour Tickets (FREE)

Friday Headliner — Carolina Calvache Quartet (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Carolina Calvache is a Colombian pianist and composer who seamlessly blends jazz, classical, and Latin American folk into something entirely her own. Her debut Sotareno — featuring Antonio Sanchez, Jaleel Shaw, and Michael Rodriguez — was named one of the Best 10 Albums of 2014 by the Colombia al Dia Awards. She’s performed at the Apollo Theater, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and jazz festivals across the Americas and Europe. Two sets of world-class jazz at 18th & Vine.

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Saturday — Rob Tribb, Tribb III (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Rob Tribb (Robert W. Tribitt III) was born on the South Side of Chicago into a family steeped in music — his parents toured the country with the gospel group The Joy Ensemble. What started on the drums evolved into a deep love affair with the piano, and Robert’s versatility quickly set him apart. Since arriving in Kansas City, he’s become one of the city’s most dynamic creative forces — performing with artists like Jeanette Harris, Tom Browne, and Sean Tyler, touring internationally from Norway to the Caribbean, and winning the 2025 Kansas City People’s Choice Award for “Best Musician.” Two sets from a true community builder and gifted performer.

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Monday Night Jam — Heidi Lanita (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

Heidi Lanita leads the Monday Night Jam with a 45-minute featured set before opening the Blue Room stage to all musicians. Known for her captivating vocal presence, Heidi brings warmth and musicality to every performance. Bring your instrument or just your ears — it’s one of the best nights of the week at 18th & Vine. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets (FREE)

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

The Lineup

Friday, March 27
Delynia Jannell -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm
Jazzy Jazz Miyagi -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, March 28
Lisa Henry -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, March 30
Millie Edwards: A Tribute to Lori Tucker -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm

Friday Indigo Hour — Delynia Jannell (5:30 pm)

Delynia Jannell has been singing since she was two years old, starting on the church pews at Bethel Church of God in Christ in Kansas City, Kansas. Over 13 years of professional performing, she’s become one of the Blue Room’s most frequent Indigo Hour artists — with residencies at Sullivan’s Steakhouse and both Johnnie’s Jazz Bar locations, and background vocals for Tech N9ne and Kelley Hunt. Gospel warmth, jazz polish, R&B soul. Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner — Jazzy Jazz Miyagi (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Jazzy Jazz Miyagi came to the U.S. from Okinawa, Japan on a full scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music and continued at Berklee College of Music, studying under Lois Schafer of the Boston Pops and Boston Symphony Orchestra. She’s performed with Chaka Khan, Herbie Mann, Joe Sample, and Miroslav Vitous of Weather Report, and was chosen as a soloist for the grand opening of Kansas City’s Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Flute, classical guitar, koto — two sets of genre-bending brilliance from a world-class musician who calls KC home.

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Saturday — Lisa Henry (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Lisa Henry is Kansas City jazz royalty. Her career began in KC nightclubs at age 17, mentored by the great Hammond B-3 player Everette DeVan. Since then: first runner-up in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, PBS’s In Performance at the White House, international tours with Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, and T.S. Monk, and stages shared with Wayne Shorter, Roy Hargrove, Anita Baker, and Lou Rawls. A jazz educator with the Herbie Hancock Institute, Lisa is a living connection to the tradition that made 18th & Vine legendary.

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Monday Night Jam — Millie Edwards: A Tribute to Lori Tucker (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

Millie Edwards — “the little woman with the big voice” — leads a special tribute to Lori Tucker, her friend and fellow founding member of the award-winning Wild Women of Kansas City (alongside the legendary Myra Taylor). Lori performed with Everette DeVan and Richard “Groove” Holmes, sang the National Anthem for the LA Lakers and the KC Royals, and was celebrated across both jazz and gospel. A 45-minute tribute set followed by an open jam session. Bring your instrument or just your heart. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

The Lineup

Friday, March 20
Lady D -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm
Eboni Fondren -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, March 21
Kim Keys -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, March 23
Chris Hazelton w/ Emily Dix -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm

Friday Indigo Hour — Lady D (5:30 pm)

Lady D brings her eclectic mix of jazz, old school R&B, and blues to the Blue Room’s Indigo Hour. She’s opened for Roger Troutman & Zapp, Brian McKnight, and Najee, and her crowd interaction is legendary — by the end of the set, you’re not just an audience, you’re part of “The Family.” Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner — Eboni Fondren (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Eboni Fondren doesn’t just sing songs — she tells stories. One of Kansas City’s premier jazz vocalists with over 15 years of performing, Eboni represented the United States at the G20 Summit in India as a jazz ambassador. Her debut album The Journey: To Kansas City with Love is a tribute to the city and the legends who shaped her. She takes classic jazz and makes it feel fresh, intimate, and personal — with a little R&B remix and a lot of honesty. Recognized by The Pitch and the KC Jazz Ambassadors.

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Saturday — Kim Keys (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Kim Keys is back at the Blue Room. The Arkansas native has built a devoted Kansas City following with her powerful voice, soulful R&B grooves, and above-and-beyond crowd participation. She’s opened for Lyfe Jennings, Tank, Monica, and Ashanti, and has provided background vocals for Michael Buble and Michael McDonald. Come ready to vibe.

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Monday Night Jam — Chris Hazelton w/ Emily Dix (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

Chris Hazelton is one of today’s foremost Hammond B-3 organists. A lifelong Kansas Citian, he studied under local legend Everette DeVan and the iconic Dr. Lonnie Smith. He’s a member of The Freedom Affair and The James Hunter Six, and teaches organ at KCKCC on DeVan’s personal Hammond B-3. Jazz vocalist Emily Dix joins him for a night of standards and soul-jazz grooves.

Monday Night Jam features a 45-minute set followed by an open jam session. Bring your instrument or just your ears. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

The Lineup

Friday, March 13
J Love Band -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm
Deborah Brown -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, March 14
Queens of KC featuring J Love & Misha Alford -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, March 16
Lisa Henry -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm

Friday Indigo Hour — J Love Band (5:30 pm)

J Love (Jaime Chase) kicks off Friday at the Blue Room’s Indigo Hour with her signature soul, funk, and R&B. Known across Kansas City for her gritty, commanding vocals and magnetic energy, J Love and her band turn happy hour into a full-blown celebration. Free admission and drink specials.

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Friday Headliner — Deborah Brown (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

When Deborah Brown takes the stage, you’re hearing one of the most celebrated jazz vocalists of her generation — and she’s from right here in Kansas City. Brown spent 12 years in Europe, performing with orchestras in Russia, Denmark, and Poland. She’s been featured at international jazz festivals, recorded multiple albums, and earned recognition from All About Jazz and the Kansas City Star. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra tapped her for their “The Voice” concert series.

Her vocal delivery is rich, bluesy, and deeply personal. The Blue Room’s intimate setting is exactly where her artistry shines brightest.

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Saturday — Queens of KC featuring J Love & Misha Alford (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Two of Kansas City’s most dynamic voices share one stage. J Love brings the soul and grit — channeling Aretha Franklin and Etta James into every note. Misha Alforddraws from gospel, jazz, and blues, with a vocal power honed on stages from the Blue Room to Starlight Theatre and the Midland. Together they’re the Queens of KC — and Saturday night belongs to them.

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Monday Night Jam — Lisa Henry (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

Lisa Henry is the essence of swingin’ cool. She’s performed at the White House, was first runner-up in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, and has toured internationally with Herbie Hancock, Kenny Garrett, and T.S. Monk. As a jazz educator with the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, she carries the legacy of the music into classrooms around the world.

Monday Night Jam features a 45-minute set from Lisa, followed by an open jam session. Bring your instrument or just your ears. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

The Lineup

Friday, March 6 Darron J & Go Hard Band feat. Jaysol -- Indigo Hour 5:30 pm
J Love Band -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, March 7 Matt Otto Quartet feat. Heidi Lanita -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, March 9 Angela Ward & Friends -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm

Friday Indigo Hour — Darron J & Go Hard Band featuring Jaysol (5:30 pm)

Start your Friday at the Blue Room with Darron “DaRockboi” Cobbins and the Go Hard Band — back for another round of Indigo Hour energy. Darron and his band don’t just play a set; they throw a party. Expect high-energy R&B, soul, and funk with the kind of stage presence that gets the whole room on its feet.

This time they’re bringing Jaysol along for the ride — a Kansas City vocalist and bandleader who fronts Sol Movement, bringing over a decade of live performance experience and a voice rooted in classic soul. Free admission, drink specials, and dancing.

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Friday Headliner — J Love Band (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

J Love steps into the Friday headliner spot for two full sets, and if you only know her from Indigo Hour, you’re in for a whole new experience. Known across Kansas City for her gritty, commanding vocals and magnetic energy, J Love channels the spirit of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Etta James into a live show that leaves nothing on the table.

Originally from Kennett, Missouri, she grew up surrounded by music — her grandfather a gospel singer, her cousin an R&B artist, the church her first stage. That foundation shines through in every performance. The J Love Band features some of KC’s finest musicians, and together they turn a Friday night into something you’ll be talking about all week.

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Saturday Headliner — Matt Otto Quartet featuring Heidi Lanita (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Matt Otto is one of the most accomplished jazz saxophonists working today. An Associate Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of Kansas, Otto studied under Lee Konitz and Charlie Haden, co-founded the Los Angeles Jazz Collective, and has recorded on over 50 albums — including work with the Grammy-nominated Anthony Wilson Nonet. His releases on Origin Records have earned four-star reviews in DownBeat and All About Jazz.

But what you’ll hear Saturday night isn’t a resume — it’s a musician playing with lyrical depth, harmonic curiosity, and the kind of freedom that comes from three decades of dedication. His Kansas City-based quartet features some of the region’s finest players, and together they create intimate, searching jazz that makes the Blue Room the perfect room for it. Featuring vocalist Heidi Lanita.

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Monday Night Jam — Angela Ward & Friends (7 pm – 10:30 pm)

The week continues with Angela Ward & Friends at the Monday Night Jam. If you know the Blue Room, you know Angela — she’s been part of this room since the 18th & Vine district reopened in 1997, one of the most respected keyboardists in Kansas City jazz. She’s served as Musical Director for Jazz Night at the Sunflower Music Festival, conducted an 18-piece orchestra, and performs multiple times a week across the city.

Monday Night Jam features a 45-minute set from Angela and a hand-picked group of friends, followed by an open jam session where musicians are invited to sit in. It’s Kansas City jazz in its most natural form. Bring your instrument or just your ears. FREE admission.

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Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Friday, February 27 Just A Taste A Jazz -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm The James Ward Band -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, February 28 Stan Kessler -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Monday, March 2 Ernest Melton -- Monday Night Jam, 7 pm – 10:30 pm

Friday Indigo Hour — Just A Taste A Jazz (5:30 pm)

Kick off your Friday with Just A Taste A Jazz, an ensemble that brings funky R&B and neo-soul grooves to the Blue Room’s beloved Indigo Hour. Led by Bobby D Adams, the band has become a Friday evening staple, building a loyal following with their infectious energy and tight musicianship.

Whether it’s original compositions or clever arrangements of classics, Just A Taste A Jazz brings a house-party vibe to the early evening — the kind of music that turns a post-work drink into the start of something bigger. Free admission, drink specials, and dancing.

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Friday Headliner — The James Ward Band (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

The Blue Room doesn’t just have a house band — it has a house family. The James Ward Band — bassist James Ward, keyboardist Angela Ward, and drummer Jaylen Ward — have been the heartbeat of this place for nearly 30 years.

James got the call from Gerald Dunn to join the house ensemble in January 1998, just months after the 18th & Vine district’s revitalization launched. Angela found the Blue Room even earlier, wandering in during the district’s opening festivities in 1997 and sitting down at the piano. Nearly three decades later, they’re still here — deeper in the music, richer in their legacy, and just getting started.

James is one of Kansas City’s most versatile bassists, equally at home in jazz, gospel, Latin, and classical. Angela brings harmonic sophistication shaped by decades of performing and teaching. Jaylen has already performed internationally at festivals in Shanghai and Chile. Together, the Wards average over 250 performances a year and run the Comprehensive Arts Institute, bringing affordable music education to Kansas City’s young people. They’re not just playing the Blue Room — they’re the reason the Blue Room sounds the way it does.

Come feel the family magic. You’ll understand why this band is irreplaceable.

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Saturday Headliner — Stan Kessler (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Stan Kessler is a living institution. Fifty years on the Kansas City jazz scene. Trumpet virtuoso. Composer. Educator. Duke Ellington Award winner. Kansas Music Hall of Fame. And still the guy who’ll tell you a joke between sets and make sure everyone in the room is having the time of their lives.

Kessler leads several ensembles — most notably The Sons of Brasil, where he explores the grooves of Brazilian and Afro-Cuban jazz — and The Stanton Kessler Quartet, where bebop meets modern sensibility. He’s worked with icons like Clark Terry and Paquito D’Rivera, recorded 12 CDs, and spent 25 years teaching jazz theory and improvisation to the next generation. He’s a musician’s musician and a people’s musician all at once.

But what makes a Stan Kessler night at the Blue Room special is the man himself: his virtuosity, his warmth, his absolute commitment to making sure the music connects. He’s the keeper of Kansas City’s jazz soul, and he’s ready to share it.

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Monday Night Jam — Ernest Melton Quartet featuring Paula Saunders(7 pm – 10:30 pm)

The week continues with Ernest Melton, one of Kansas City’s most compelling voices on the saxophone. A serious composer and bandleader, Melton draws inspiration from jazz legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis, channeling their spirit into complex, deeply personal compositions.

This Monday Night Jam features a 45-minute performance from Melton, followed by an open jam session where other musicians are invited to sit in and collaborate. It’s a chance to experience Kansas City’s jazz ecosystem in action — serious artistry, collaborative spirit, and the kind of spontaneous creativity that defines the city’s music culture.

Featured artist: Ernest Melton (45-minute set) + open jam to follow. FREE admission.

Get Monday Jam Tickets

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Four acts. Two nights. The Blue Room keeps the music rolling at 18th & Vine -- starting with a special Jazz at Noon.

This Weekend’s Lineup

Friday, February 20
The Ward Family Band -- Jazz at Noon, 12 pm (free)
J Love -- Indigo Hour, 5:30 pm (free)
Robert “Imtume” Owens -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Saturday, February 21
Marcus J -- 8:30 pm & 10 pm

Special Jazz at Noon — The Ward Family Band (12 pm, Free)

Kick off your Friday early with a very special Jazz at Noon featuring The Ward Family Band. Bassist James Ward Sr., keyboardist Angela Ward, and drummer Jaylen Ward have been part of the Blue Room since the 18th & Vine district reopened in the late 1990s. James got the call to fill in with the house band in January 1998. Angela found the Blue Room even earlier, sitting down at the club’s piano during the district’s opening festivities. Their son Jaylen first performed with them at age six -- and just returned from performing internationally in China and Chile with Bobby Watson and Charles Williams.

Bring your lunch. The music starts at noon. Admission is free.

RSVP for Jazz at Noon

Friday Indigo Hour — J Love (5:30 pm)

Start your weekend right with J Love at the Blue Room’s Indigo Hour. Known across Kansas City for her gritty, confident vocals and magnetic energy, J Love (Jaime Chase) has been captivating audiences for years with a sound rooted in the greats -- Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Etta James -- delivered with a style all her own.

Originally from Kennett, Missouri, J Love grew up surrounded by music. Her grandfather was a gospel singer, her cousin an R&B artist, and the church was her first stage. As the frontwoman of the J Love Band, she brings a party every time she takes the stage. Expect sing-alongs, dancing, and the kind of energy that turns a Friday happy hour into a full-blown celebration.

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Friday Headliner — Robert “Imtume” Owens (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

The Blue Room welcomes Robert “Imtume” Owens for an evening of sophisticated R&B and jazz. With a career spanning four decades, Owens is one of those rare vocalists who can move effortlessly between genres -- R&B, jazz, gospel, classical -- while making every note feel deeply personal.

His musical journey began at age seven on the streets of South Central LA. By eight, he was performing in the California state choir under the legendary Andre Crouch. He went on to study opera and jazz percussion, formed the fusion band Group Therapy, and spent a decade fronting the Midwest touring band Kokomo before collaborating with contemporary jazz artist Max Groove on a Billboard top-10 single. The credits kept stacking from there -- studio work and stages shared with Gerald Albright, Freddie Jackson, Najee, Grover Washington Jr., and Ashford & Simpson.

Come hear a voice shaped by a lifetime of music -- from gospel choirs to Billboard charts to the intimate stage of the Blue Room.

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Saturday Headliner — Marcus J (8:30 pm & 10 pm)

Join us Saturday for a night with Marcus J (Marcus Williams), a rising voice in Kansas City’s vibrant R&B and soul scene. With albums like “Diary Of The Lover,” “Smooth Talking,” and “Secrets,” Marcus J has built a reputation for silky vocals and songs that move between slow-burn romance and feel-good grooves.

His sound draws from the deep well of classic R&B while keeping things fresh and contemporary. Saturday night at the Blue Room is always a vibe, and Marcus J is the perfect artist to set the tone. Pull up a seat, order a drink, and let the music take over.

Get Saturday Night Tickets

Visit the Blue Room

The Blue Room is located at 1600 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108, inside the American Jazz Museum at the historic 18th & Vine district.

See the full schedule and get tickets at americanjazzmuseum.org/blue-room.

Join us today at the Blue Room for Jazz at Noon featuring the extraordinary Charles Williams on piano. The music starts at 12 pm, admission is free, and you're welcome to bring your lunch and enjoy the show.

Charles Williams is a Kansas City native who has been playing piano for over 40 years. A product of the legendary Sumner High School jazz program -- the band that was named "the best High School Band in the World" at the 1972 Paris International Jazz Festival -- Charles cut his teeth playing alongside giants like Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Clark Terry, and Cannonball Adderley during the Turner House Jazz series in the 1970s. Today he serves as pianist for the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, a role that has taken him to festivals in Germany and Poland. He is also an instructor at the American Jazz Museum's Jazz Academy, a member of the Museum's board of directors, and a dedicated mentor to young musicians across the KC area.

Don't miss this chance to hear one of Kansas City's own keeping the tradition alive. See you at noon.