2014v2Online

Spirituality and All That
Jazz Series Continues
The monthly Spirituality and All That Jazz Series is
held at Unity Temple on the Plaza, 707 West 47th Street in
Kansas City. Performances begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7
and are available at the door; children under 16 are admitted
free. For more information, go to www.unitytemple.
com/culture/allthatjazz.asp. The upcoming concerts are:
Wednesday, April 2: Kansas City Kansas Community
College Jazz Ensembles – Latin Band, Vocal Jazz I and
Bebop Combo, under the direction of Jim Mair and Jurgen
Welge.
Wednesday, May 7: The Stride Stylings of Bram
Wijnands, with Tim Whitmer & The Consort Band
KCKCC Number 1 for 15th
Consecutive Year at Pitt
State Jazz Festival
Congratulations to Jim Mair and the ensembles from
KCKCC for their success at the recent Pittsburg State Jazz
Festival, where the KCKCC Jazz Band and combos 1 and
2 received Number 1 ratings for the 15th consecutive year.
Ten of the KCKCC musicians were cited for outstanding
musicianship and soloist recognition. They were Karriem
Sayles of Wyandotte, piano; Richard Tucker, Sumner
Academy, alto; Cole Mertz, Basehor-Linwood, trombone;
Nelson Hanson, Lansing, vibes and drums; P.J. Churn,
Kansas City Kansas Community College Jazz
Band members cited by outstanding musicianship
and soloist recognition included (from left Jon
Tobaben, Charles Glover, Rayvon Haggerty, Karriem
Sayles, Levi Holgersen and Director Jim Mair.
PHOTO BY ALAN HOSKINS
SM West, flute; Jon Tobaben, SM South, trumpet and
voice; Levi Holgersen, McPherson, bass; Kenneth Watson,
Knob Knoster, drums and voice; and Charles Glover of
Olathe North and Rayvon Haggerty of Topeka High,
both tenor saxophones.
JCCC Jazz Series Concludes
Spring Program
The Johnson County Community College Jazz Series
concludes their spring concert series on April 1 with a
performance by the Ron Carlson Group. The recital takes
place at noon at the Recital Hall of the Carlsen Center. All
performances are free and open to the public; seating is
available on a first come, first served basis. The Jazz Series
is sponsored by the JCCC Music and Theater department.
A Gravestone for Bennie Moten
Sometime last year, it came to the CODA board’s
attention that the grave site of Kansas City’s jazz master,
Bennie Moten, in Highland Cemetery was without a
marker. CODA has since made arrangements for a gravestone
to be made, and a remembrance and stone setting
ceremony will be held Wednesday, April 2 at the Highland
Cemetery site, beginning at 3:00 p.m. (April 2 is the 79th
anniversary of Bennie Moten’s death). There will also be an
event that evening at the Blue Room featuring the music
of Bennie Moten performed by the Elder Statesmen of
KC Jazz.
Virginia “Ginny” Coleman, 91
Ginny Coleman, a great friend and active supporter
of jazz in Kansas City, died on March 6. Ginny is best
known for being co-host with Ruth Rhoden of the KCUR
radio show “Just Jazz”, which was broadcast for twenty
three years every Sunday afternoon until 2005. This show
was an important showcase for Kansas City musicians.
She also started the excellent Kansas City Jazz Workshop
concert series with Mike Ning, Sherry Jones, and Jim
Monroe. Ginny’s voice could be heard on the Kansas
City jazz hotline, which gave a complete listing of local
performances. The date for a celebration of life service has
not been set.
Charles Gray, 74
Charles Gray, a drummer who played in Kansas City,
died on January 11 in Oaxaca, Mexico. Among the musicians
who played with Charles were Paul Smith, Mike
Ning, Bill Hargrave, Arny Young, Bryan Hicks, Ed Pharr
and Ray Riepen.
JAZZ AMBASSADOR MAGAZINE • APRIL + MAY 2014 5