New Orleans may be known as the birthplace of jazz, but "America's music" really grew up in Kansas City. Here, jazz developed and matured, growing out of ragtime and blues into a distinct Midwestern sound. The most important bands to come out of Kansas City's jazz heydays of the 1930s were Walter Page's Blue Devils and Benny Moten's BB&D band. 18th and Vine, the center of the black community at the time, was their stomping ground and the stage at the Panama Club was their showcase. Benny's band was quickly noticed by record producers and eventually got a recording contract, and Kansas City-style jazz was soon introduced to the world, along with a newcomer in the band named Count Basie. Among the other jazz greats to come out of our city were Big Joe Turner, Charlie Bird Parker, and L.C. "Speedy" Huggins.
At its height in the 1930s, Kansas City had over 200 jazz clubs, and old-timers say that music could be heard at all hours of the day and night. It was one giant, non-stop jazz party, much like New Orleans. Today, 18th & Vine has been restored to its former glory, and the sights and sounds are all worth a visit. Be sure to stop by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and, of course, The American Jazz Museum, the only museum of its kind devoted solely to this American art form. And be sure to let your ears lead you to one of the many jam sessions that still go on at the Mutual Musicians Building.
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