Kansas City Music
Blues and Jazz Festival 2006
September 1-3, 2006
Labor Day Weekend
The Kansas City Music Blues and
Jazz Festival
September 2-3, 2006 at The Woodlands Horse Track.
Wednesday - August 30, 2006
COWTOWN CONFIDENTIAL
A big stage for KC’s big jazz
Hearne Christopher Jr.
Keeper of the Flame …
That’ll work when it comes to describing rocker-turned-promoter Mark Valentine. His
band once was called “The Very Wealthy,” but that doesn’t appear to be
Valentine’s current motivation for this weekend’s Kansas City Music Blues &
Jazz Festival at The Woodlands.
“No it’s not, thanks for asking,” Valentine quips. “I wish it was;
it’s very expensive to put on one of these shows, man.”
Last year’s inaugural fest was a money loser.
“That’s all right, man,” Valentine says. “It was cool to do —
I’ll make it up. We had about 10,000 people last year. It was fun and real
comfortable — it’s very easy there.”
This year’s fiesta features headliners such as Bo Diddley, Latin Jazz All Stars,
Moutin Reunion and Proto-Kaw Saturday and local blues bashers such as Shannon & the
Rhythm King Band Sunday.
“The mission is still the same, man,” Valentine says. “It’s Kansas
City’s tourist attraction to have that nice mix of jazz and blues and show off our
talent to the world, and it’s working, man. We need a big stage to really show off an
act — that showcase is physically important. If you really want to say we’re a
big music town you have to have something upscale — we don’t need a big stage
for Elton John, we need a big stage for Kansas City music.”
At $17.50 a whack, kids under 12 free and free parking, it’s family-friendly,
Valentine notes.
The KCMBJ fest’s best-kept secrets: “We have Kerry Livgren from the band
Kansas,” Valentine says. “The group is called Proto-Kaw, and that means, to him,
the original Kansas — it’s kind of rock but very jazzy, very cool. And I’ve
got one other real cool story on Moutin Reunion, they’re from Paris. Earlier this
year they played the jazz festival in Metz, France, Kansas City’s sister city.”
Comfort zone alert
The Kansas City Music Blues & Jazz Festival at The Woodlands will be among the most
civilized fests in the area ever, Valentine boasts.
“The chairs are already there; there’s an overlay so you don’t have to be
in the sun — I mean, every seat has a good view, and the sound is very good,” he
says. “If you want, you can walk toward the back and there’s air
conditioning.”
Equally important: “I’m a big fan of indoor bathrooms, too, by the way”
Valentine says. “And we have full concessions, so if you want to you can get a vodka
tonic and a lime — it’s there, man. It’s the real deal, man. We’ve got
Famous Dave’s barbecue coming in, and Jazz — A Louisiana Kitchen will be there.
It’s like you can go to a festival and wear your high heels. It’s OK, it’s
all paved.”
Tickets are only $17.50
Children Under 12 Free with adult
On Sale June 1
This Just In: |
Talent
arrangements are being made. |
Blues and Jazz fans will see 24 acts over 2 days.
The facility will hold 30,000.
The covered grandstand will shelter
Kansas City Music lovers from the sun and elements.
There is plenty of free parking.
The level, paved and patrolled parking lots
will allow the physically challenged to attend
as well as those partial to high heels.
Tickets are only $17.50
Children Under 12 Free with adult
or
All TicketMaster outlets including Hen House
or charge by phone at 816-931-3330
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