THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
Swingin'
on
18th and Vine
Connect with the roots of jazz by bar-hopping in the Kansas City Jazz District. By Chris Brown, Jayplay writer
9:30 p.m., Friday, April 2
"The life of an artist has never been easy. It demands great sacrifice and discipline. In addition, most jazz musicians have had to endure discrimination, poverty and life on the road. Throughout it all, musicians remain committed to their mission: to create the most sincere, meaningful and beautiful jazz possible." These powerful words describing the plight of the jazz musician seem to jump right off a large plaque nestled in a back corner as I take my seat at a round table at the Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St. I look around and observe the dimly lit interior.
in blue, orange and red hues, as the featured band—the Luqman Hamza Quartet—plays a traditional jazz number. Pleasant notes saunter through the air, causing heads to bob and sway with the changing rhythmic pulse of the song. On tables all around me are the remnants of martins and mixed drinks in highball glasses. The diverse crowd is up of white-collared 30-something professionals and 50-plus jazz hipsters adorned with wing-tip shoes and derby hats. They focus their attention on the band with a certain intensity that is rare among listeners of live music. Conversations are kept to a minimum and take a back seat to the main attraction of this club: the music.
At set break, which comes just a few minutes after I sit down, I head over to the bar, down a set of stairs from where I sit. I order a gin and tonic and strike up a conversation with bartender Carl Anderson, 49, from