History of Jazz Locations
Claude “Fiddler” Williams, “the leading exponent of the Kansas City brand of Swing” (Hamilton
College Jazz Archive 2011), spoke of Kansas City’s influence in the jazz community when he
said that “if you’ve got the Kansas City stamp you’ve got it made” (Williams 1995). Starting in
the 1920s, Kansas City, Missouri transformed itself into a mecca for young jazz musicians. In many
capacities, it acted “as a proving ground for the best and brightest in the black jazz world” (Ward
and Burns 2002). Its geographic location and “wide-open” policies allowed for the influx of
many different people and a booming entertainment industry. This environment fostered artistic
creativity and growth, leading to a distinct Kansas City style of jazz. Only a stone’s throw away
from each other, 12th street and the cross streets of 18th and Vine housed almost all of the “more
than 100 nightclubs, dance halls and vaudeville houses in Kansas City regularly featuring jazz
music” (Visit KC 2015).
Kansas City, Missouri directly lies in the middle of the United States. As such, it developed
independently of strong east or west coast cultural influence, and before the 1920s, Kansas
City did not have enough of an established artistic profile for its musical development to be hindered or
tainted. In other words, “Kansas City was well positioned to have a distinctive musical style
evolve and mature organically” (Vinson 2007). Furthermore, with multiple railroads, notably the
Union Pacific, leveraging it as a crossroads and airlines including it on their routes, Kansas City
became a transportation hub with many people passing through (Kansas Historical Society
2011). Additionally, its proximity to southern states allowed for the migration of African-
Americans to a place of growing prosperity (Ward and Burns 2002).
Political boss Tom Pendergast's decision to turn a blind eye to alcohol distribution during
prohibition transformed Kansas City into an entertainment center, a jazz hotbed, and the
destination of musicians throughout middle America (Visit KC 2015). Incredibly, some 120
nightclubs and more than 300 bars existed under Pendergast, yet “there was not one felony
conviction for violation of prohibition statutes” (Vinson 2007). This policy influenced jazz so
much that, during the Depression, while American jazz bands failed elsewhere, Kansas City
jazz bands remained prosperous (Visit KC 2015).
Kansas City’s unrivaled atmosphere permitted the development of a unique style of jazz,
characterized by competition, a new type of blues, and the emergence of jam sessions. Because
Kansas City’s artistic advancement was so unencumbered, both the ability to innovate and to
improvise were essential. Because the “competition between Kansas City musicians ran
especially deep” (Ward and Burns 2002), the talent of those who succeeded there was
unmatched. In fact, the competition was so intense, they would play head-to-head. According to
a PBS documentary, “there were informal cutting contests for high school kids, free-for-alls for
professionals, and the equivalent of heavyweight championship contests between the top
musicians in town” (Ward and Burns 2002). Claude Williams suggested the degree of
competition when he said that “’it [sic] you come up here...playing the wrong thing, we'd
straighten you out’” (Ward and Burns 2002). Influencing Kansas City style were the people
moving up from the south: “these poor migrants preferred the uniquely African-American,
Southern styles of music and dance, which relied heavily on improvisation and call-and-
response” (Vinson 2007). This music could also be characterized “as a rural Black vocal music
with a style improvised to the rhythms of work” (Visit KC 2015). This cadence transformed into
the blues which finally evolved into the Kansas City style of jazz, “a kind of blues that jumps
with a jazz sound” (Visit KC 2015). Additionally, Kansas City was the birthplace of jam
sessions: “after performances, musicians would get together to exchange ideas and experiment
with new methods of playing” (Visit KC 2015). The jam sessions would not end during the
night though. They would most often continue into the next day. These jam sessions “helped
create the improvisational tradition of Kansas City jazz” (Kansas Historical Society 2011).
The dance clubs, speakeasies, and cabarets that set the stage for the jazz revolution in Kansas
City lined 12th street and the cross streets of 18th and Vine. The area was so racy that 12th
street “became nationally known for its jazz clubs, gambling parlors and brothels, earning the
city the moniker, ‘The Paris of the Plains’” (Visit KC 2015). Additionally, over 50 jazz clubs
comprised 12th street (Visit KC 2015). Jazz maintained its popularity further south at 18th and
Vine, “which became nationally respected as the epicenter of the city’s African-American
community” (Visit KC 2015). The cross streets became “a city within a city” (Jazz District
Redevelopment 2012); African-Americans did not even need to leave the area to find most
necessities. Club Reno hosted some of the jazz battles mentioned earlier and proved to be “the
Queen of Kansas City clubs” (University of Missouri – Kansas City 2000).
Discussion of "History of Jazz Locations"
Add your voice to this discussion.
Checking your signed in status ...