The sound that put Kansas City on the map is honored in a museum as alive as the music itself.

by Contributor

The Scene
Beginning with the film "Jazz Is," longtime followers of Kansas City's scene nod in appreciation of remembrances by key players like Max Roach and Jay McShann. In the studio, attendees play with rhythms, melody styles, and studio techniques, learning how everything comes together to create a unique form of self-expression.

The Collection
Exhibits play classic recordings, and timelines trace the lives of icons like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald through photographs, posters, and personal artifacts. Neon signs from yesteryear's clubs and an album art gallery highlight the age as well. The Holy Grail for aficionados, though, is the plastic horn Charlie Parker played in concert with Roach, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Dizzy Gillespie, captured on the legendary album "Jazz at Massey Hall."