Alan Hoskins, Supervisor of Public Information
Thursday, July 15, 2010
College Advancement
The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will open its 2010-11 season at Kansas City Kansas Community College Friday, Sept. 10.
The opening concert, “Hot Latin Nights,” will be the first to be performed on the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue. In the previous seven seasons, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra (KCJO) has performed at such venues as the Folly Theater, Unity on the Plaza and Mid-America Nazarene University.
“Jazz orchestras all across the country are now partnering with colleges and universities and since Kansas City Kansas Community College has been a partner with the Jazz Orchestra from the beginning, we felt it was time to pull our audience over to the college,” says Jim Mair, the KCJO Director and Director of the Instrumental Jazz Music program at KCKCC.
Presented as part of KCKCC’s Fun Arts Series founded by Bill Yeazel in collaboration with KCKCC’s Intercultural Center directed by Barbara Clark-Evans, Mair said “This collaboration is absolutely a perfect fit. Jazz is the epitome of multiculturalism and embraces every type of music and ethnicities. It’s basically a hybrid of our culture. The U.S. is the world-wide epitome of diversity and jazz is the same way.”
A collection of 18 of Kansas City’s finest professional jazz musicians, the KCJO was formed as a not for profit corporation in 2003 and according to the Kansas City Star, has become “An indispensible jewel on the Kansas City Performing Arts landscape.”
Miguel Deleon, one of Kansas City’s top Latin percussionists and vocalists, will be the special guest artist in the 7:30 p.m. concert which will feature “flaming hot music” composed by such famed Latin composers as Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza, Carols Santana and Chick Corea along with legends Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Woody Herman and others.
The concert will be presented in the College’s Performing Arts Center and will offer on-stage seating for donors. “The stage will be decorated like Havana in the ‘50’s with tables and chairs and the ability to have beverages and snacks on the stage,” says Mair.
The hot and spicy musical selections will feature all types of Latin music including samba, Bossa Nova, calypso and mamba and include such Latin classics as “Cherokee,” “Spain,” Manteca,” “Night in Tunisia,” “Take Five,” “Mambo Inn” and others.
Tickets are $25 and are now on sale through the Central Ticket Office (816-235-6222) or the KCJO website at www.kansascityjazz.org. Early purchase of tickets is encouraged because of limited seating. In addition, there will also be a paid pre-concert reception for donors starting at 6 p.m.
For persons who have never been to the KCKCC campus, it is located just four miles east of The Legends and easily reached via College Parkway Exit 415 just north of I-70. Easy access parking is free on KCKCC’s well-lighted and heavily patrolled campus.
Proceeds from the concert will go to various KCJO educational undertakings including clinics, music scholars programs and the annual Jazz Camp which this summer had a record enrollment of 56 participants on the KCKCC campus.
New this fall will be the formation of the Kansas City High School All-Star Band and next April the KCJO will host the weeklong Kansas City Jazz Summit on the KCKCC campus.