A Jazz Fan Comes Home: Honoring Barney Lessing at 18th & Vine
Thursday, April 30 at the American Jazz Museum — reception, live music from the David Basse Band, and a tribute to Barney Lessing, a lifelong jazz fan whose story comes to 18th & Vine through his sons
A Jazz Fan Comes Home
Some people listen to jazz. Others live inside it.
Barney Lessing was the second kind. For decades, he followed the music wherever it went — through New York, through Paris, through Philadelphia. He wasn’t a player. He wasn’t a critic. He was the kind of fan every musician counts on — one who paid attention, showed up, and remembered the names.
Near the end of his life, his two sons — David and Scott — did something for him that most of us will never think to do for our own fathers. They took him on a tour of the American Jazz Museum.
Not in person. Over the phone. On a video call from Kansas City, room by room, through the galleries, the Blue Room, and 18th & Vine. By every account, the smile on his face was too bright for words to describe. It was the last stop on a lifetime of jazz.
In the time since, his sons have carried their father’s story forward. The Lessing family has become part of the American Jazz Museum’s extended community — and on Thursday, April 30, David and Scott return to the museum in person for an evening honoring their dad’s lifelong love of jazz and the musicians who made it. A reception. A live set from the David Basse Band. A panel conversation with four of Kansas City’s jazz voices. And the story of one fan who was there.
The Evening
Thursday, April 30, 2026 · 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM · American Jazz Museum Atrium · FREE
The night unfolds in three movements.
Reception and live jazz. The evening opens with a reception in the Atrium, soundtracked by a set from the David Basse Band — led by longtime Kansas City bandleader, jazz vocalist, and radio host David Basse, whose catalog crosses decades of the city’s jazz tradition.
A family’s story. David and Scott Lessing then open the panel with highlights from their father’s memoir, along with personal anecdotes — the musicians Barney met in New York, Paris, and Philadelphia, and the small, specific moments that made a lifetime of listening into a story worth telling.
A Kansas City conversation. A panel of local musicians and educators takes up the thread. Moderated by AJM Board member and working Kansas City musician Andrew Haynes, the panel explores the impact and legacy of jazz through the lens of Barney’s life and the community he loved.
The Book
I Know ‘Cause I Was There: Reflections of a Jazz Fan gathers Barney Lessing’s life of listening into a single volume — the clubs, the musicians, the trips, the memories of a fan whose enthusiasm never dimmed. The book will be available exclusively in the museum’s Swing Shop for $10, with all proceeds donated to the American Jazz Museum.
“Barney Lessing’s deep passion for the music, along with his lifelong dedication to celebrating and preserving the art form, has left a lasting legacy. The American Jazz Museum is honored to help share his story and contributions with our audience during this special event.”
— Jill Johnson, Interim Executive Director, American Jazz Museum
The Panel
Andrew Haynes — Moderator
Known as the “Singing Benefits Lawyer,” Andy blends a career in benefits law with a deep love of music. A Missouri Bar leader — he’s chaired both the Employee Benefits Committee and the Department of Insurance Liaison Committee — he earned his law degree from Emory University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri–Columbia. He serves on the Board of Directors of the American Jazz Museum and plays actively in his church band and at local gigs around Kansas City.
Millie Edwards Nottingham — Panelist
Known affectionately as “the little woman with the big voice,” Millie is a Kansas City institution — a vocalist whose career has taken her across the KC jazz and blues circuit and onto national and international stages. Her musical journey began early: piano at age four, viola at age ten. Alongside her performing career she is an accomplished educator, serving as Reading Coordinator at Metropolitan Community College, where she received the Missouri Governor’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017. She holds a Master of Education.
Dan Thomas — Panelist
Dan serves as Director of Jazz Studies and a lead faculty member in the Department of Music at Ottawa University. He previously co-chaired the Jazz Studies Program at the University of Missouri–Kansas City alongside Bobby Watson, and he’s recognized for developing an innovative model for jazz education that has drawn national attention.
Max Levy — Panelist
Originally from southeastern North Carolina, bassist Max Levy earned his bachelor’s degree in jazz performance at East Carolina University under bassist Carroll Dashiell. He moved to Kansas City in 2016 to study at UMKC and has since become one of the most active young voices in the KC jazz community — serving on the UMKC Conservatory Alumni Board, teaching private lessons, working with the Kansas City Jazz Academy at 18th & Vine, subbing as a jazz DJ at KKFI, and co-hosting The Jazz Jam Podcast.
Attend
Reservations are available by phone only.
Call 816-842-1414 Ext. 200 to reserve your seat while they remain available.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM American Jazz Museum Atrium 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
About the American Jazz Museum
The American Jazz Museum preserves, celebrates, and continues the legacy of jazz at 18th & Vine — through the museum’s galleries, the Gem Theater, and the Blue Room. americanjazzmuseum.org
Barney Lessing loved this music his whole life. On April 30, we have the chance to hear one more chapter of his story — told by his sons, alongside the Kansas City musicians who carry the tradition forward at 18th & Vine.