American Jazz Museum

Sergio
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
Reviews

American Jazz Museum

  • October 20, 2003
  • Rated 4 of 5 by kylebarber from Seattle, Washington
Although the museum is rather small for what seems like a large space on the outside, the quality of the exhibits is on par with more celebrated music museums in New York, Cleveland, and Seattle. The artifacts were somewhat unexciting, but the thoughtful text and presentation was appropriate for jazz newbies and more savvy fans alike.

There is a short film that precedes your entrance to the main gallery that is pleasant, if not truly illuminating. Inside the gallery, you'll find shrines to some of the biggest names in jazz: Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Charlie Parker. There are interactive multimedia stations that help differentiate musical styles, a nice touch for those who are just beginning to explore jazz music.

Finally, you might want to coordinate your visit with a performance in the neighboring nightclub space. It has been restored so that residents and visitors can once again experience what it was like to be in Kansas City when it was one of the most lively and influential bastions of jazz music.

From journal Missouri: Kansas City

Editor Pick

The American Jazz Museum

  • October 25, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Sergio from
Kansas City is the natural place to build a jazz museum. Jazz musicians from Charlie Parker to Pat Metheny hail from the KC area. The museum does not limit itself to local artists however. Rather, the goal is to provide an overview of jazz styles, eras, various geographic centers of jazz music and their significance.

There are lots of artifacts (including Charlie Parker's alto saxaphone), and interactive music-making activities. Mostly though, you have lots of listening booths and lots of commentary at hand that allow you to piece together Jazz's musical developments over the past 100 years. Imagine the listening booths at Borders, except there are lots more disks, and they are all the most important pieces in history.

The space is brand new and co-located with the Negro League Museum. The facility is located in the historic heart of Kansas City's African American community, and is experiencing a bit of a renaissance, with a couple of jazz clubs and nice restaurants springing up nearby. If you want to learn about Kansas City's past, this is as good a place to do it as any.

From journal Kansas City Here I Come

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