They understood it up North and they knew it down South."Ĭlaude "Fiddler" Williams explained the scene: Jay McShann told the Associated Press in 2003: Typically members of the big bands would perform at routine venues previously at night and go to the jazz clubs later to jam for the rest of the night. Most of allure artists connected with the design were born in other places however got caught up in the friendly musical competitors among performers that might keep a single tune being performed in variations for an entire night. Kansas City was a large open town with liquor laws and hours completely neglected and was called the brand-new Storyville.
The age marked the zenith of power of political boss Tom Pendergast. Transcontinental trips at the time whether by plane or train frequently needed a drop in the city. Kansas City in the 1930s was very much the crossroads of the United States leading to a mix of cultures. Lee, William "Count" Basie, and Jay McShann. The Kansas City jazz school is identified with the black bands of the 1920s and 1930s, including bands led by Bennie Moten, Andy Kirk, Harlan Leonard, George E. The very first band from Kansas City to get a national reputation was the Coon-Sanders Original Nighthawk Orchestra, a white group which transmitted nationally in the 1920s.