NEWS RELEASE

DATE:                                                             CONTACT:  Betsy Donnelly

24 August 2005                                Phone 913 236 7757

                                                            Email  Betsy@kansascitymusic.com

 YOUNG JAZZ LOVERS TO PERFORM AT KC MUSIC BLUES & JAZZ FEST

More Than 50 Area Schools Represented

KANSAS CITY, KS. – The spotlight will shine of some of Kansas City’s youngest jazz musicians at the Kansas City Music Blues & Jazz Festival, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4.

 These young jazz lovers, grades 6-12, are part of the Kansas City Youth Jazz Program, led by Music Director Leon Brady.  The group will open the festival at Noon on Sept. 3 by performing with local musician and University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) music professor Bobby Watson. 

 “Bobby and the kids will perform several selections,” says Brady.  “And these kids are good!  They get up every Saturday morning to start practice at 9 a.m.  They’re here because they really want to be!”

 The Kansas City Youth Jazz Program started four years ago with 12 children and two area schools.  Today, 100 children represent 50 area schools, including Lawrence, Lansing, Olathe, Raytown, Raymore-Peculiar, Lee’s Summit, Blue Valley, Blue Springs, Kansas City, Mo., Independence, Turner, Shawnee Mission and Kansas City, Kans.

 The program, which consists of four jazz bands, hosts an annual concert at Unity Temple on the Plaza and is joined by local musical artists Marilyn Maye and the McFadden Brothers.

Their performance at the jazz festival is one of 24 acts featured over two days.  Headline acts include such favorites as John Lee Hooker, Jr., Billy Paul and Joanna Connor.  They will also be joined by popular blues and jazz musicians like Lonesome Hank, Mama Ray, Chubby Carrier, The Scamps and Sons of Brasil, among others.  The festival also recently added Bobby Carson, Bobby Watson, Jimmy Bratcher, Dustin Thomas, Dan Doran and The Rain Dogs to the schedule.

Acts get underway at Noon on Sept. 3 and 4th. Tickets are $17.50 per day; children under 12 are free with a paid adult. The Woodlands offers concert-goers a covered grandstand with seating for 30,000, free parking and patrolled parking lots.

A portion of the ticket proceeds will go toward helping several local charities, including Midland Hospice, Youth Arts Consortium (YAC), KC Free Health Clinic and PUPS-Without- Partners.org.

Show sponsors include Coldwell Banker Advantage, Famous Dave's BBQ, Tommy Guns Vodka, 75th Street Brewery, Barley's, O'Dowd's Little Dublin, the Blue Moose Bar & Grill, Jerry Bait Shop, Jazz Louisiana Kitchen, Jostins, EKC Online, BNSF Railway, RawhideDirect.com, and Big Dude's Music City. Media sponsors include Magic 107.3, Hot 103 Jamz, and all the Kansas Cumulus radio stations.

Visit The Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival Website >>

About The Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival

For more information and up-to-date additions to the show, visit the Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival website at www.kansascitymusic.com.

Message to the Press: To schedule an interview, please call Betsy Donnelly at 913.236.7757 or contact by email at betsy@kansascitymusic.com

Website: http://www.kansascitymusic.com/festival

Copyright 2005 : Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival