The Blue Room at the American Jazz Museum

Here’s our final broadcast from The Gem Theater featuring familiar faces from The Blue Room! This final set is performed by the Joe Cartwright Trio.

Another free set of live music for you featuring familiar faces from The Blue Room! This second set is by the Charles Williams Trio. If you love this show, considering making a suggested donation of $10 here: americanjazzmuseum.org/support

Look here! We’ve finally got a bunch of live music for you featuring familiar faces of The Blue Room! This first set is by the Matt Villinger Trio. If you love this show, considering making a suggested donation of $10 here: americanjazzmuseum.org/support

*edit: this applies to the Museum specifically, as The Blue Room is still not yet open. We are hoping to have a reopening date for The Blue Room for you soon! Beginning today, face masks are required for all visitors and staff. Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to implement policies and procedures with the health and safety of our community in mind. For more information visit https://americanjazzmuseum.org/reopening

FREE VIRTUAL CONCERT ALERT! Join us the day after Believe In: AJM | a virtual event with the American Jazz Museum to celebrate #Brubeck100, the centennial anniversary of jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck! This event features an all-star line up of Kansas City jazz pianist trios. Get ready for Matt Villinger, Charles Williams and Joe Cartwright to grace The Gem Theater stage! And we want to give a special shoutout to our Senior Manager of Entertainment, Gerald Dunn. He k...nows how much you're missing live music, and he's got more to announce soon. Click below for full event details. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements! https://americanjazzmuseum.org//dave-brubeck-centennial-tr

Looks like we're getting out our Sunday Spotlight tonight! Kansas City native band We The People recently released "Misunderstood," a mix of modern jazz & hip hop. We were so glad we were able to showcase their incredible talent in The Blue Room before it closed due to the pandemic. Got any other jazz musician recommendations for us? Share it in the comments below. We may feature it in our next Sunday Song Spotlight! https://youtu.be/eQdrmO5iKu4

Have you been keeping up with the acts announced in "Believe In: AJM," the American Jazz Museum's free virtual event happening in 3 days? Well guess what jazz lovers: THERE ARE ONLY 18 VIP PACKAGES LEFT! Each package features access to an exclusive pre-show with Grammy Award-decorated jazz artists Jazzmeia Horn, Christian McBride, and Terence Blanchard! You also get a goodie basket filled with treats from our local friends, including Crane Brewing Company and Sugahrush Berrie...s. Here are all the options to choose from for this special event: - RSVP | Free! - Raffle Ticket | $25 or 5 for $100 - Give or gift an AJM membership | $30+ for 1 year - VIP Package | $125 Find your perfect set of options here: secure.givelively.org/e/american-jazz-museum/believe-in-ajm Lastly, yesterday the museum announced the unfortunate news of closing its doors at least through Tuesday, December 8th. Please note this show was pre-recorded before the museum closed, and social distancing policies and procedures were in place while production took place. For more information about how the museum adapted to social distancing measurements, read here: americanjazzmuseum.org/covid19

And now, a full-length jazz concert for your weekend. It's "The Music of Miles Davis - Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis"!

We are at a loss for words. On Wednesday, November 25th around 8:00 am, it was announced by family that Kansas City's jazz vocalist, Molly Hammer, passed away after battling breast cancer for 13 years. Molly was a frequent performer in The Blue Room and long-time supporter of the 18th & Vine District. Her talent for both calming AND energizing an audience will always be unmatched. Our condolences to her family as we stand in love and remembrance with them and those who knew her through her performances in jazz venues. Those who witnessed her shows knew just how special she was.

Our first content feature this month: live from right across the street inside the American Jazz Museum's Gem Theater, it's the Jamdemic feat. We The People and The Brownz! If you are a fan of jazz and hip hop, this is definitely the show for you. https://www.facebook.com/626962054086786/videos/836715956866910

Blue Room fans! We know you haven't heard us from a long time, but we've finally got content we're ready to share with you this month: - On Wednesdays, we're sharing livestreams related to Kansas City jazz or something related to The Blue Room. - On Fridays, we're sharing full length jazz concerts that we've found from around the world. - On Sundays, we're doing song spotlights that will include local, national, and international jazz artists!... That being said, our space is still closed for the time being. COVID-19 has made the logistics of our small, intimate space complicated, and we want to ensure we keep you and other jazz fans safe. In the mean time, you are invited to join us Thursday, Dec. 3rd at 7:00 pm for "Believe In: AJM," our first ever virtual event that will feature our beautiful Blue Room space! Registration is now open. Follow American Jazz Museum on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find the latest updates! We miss you so much and appreciate your support during a time when arts and education are being deeply affected by this pandemic. We do hope to open our doors in the near future and thank you for keeping us and jazz musicians in your hearts

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! Tomorrow The Pitch Kansas City's "The Best of Kansas City 2020" competition closes, and we're looking for one more surge of help from you! It only takes a minute! Visit https://www.thepitchkc.com/bestofkc20/, click the ‘Arts & Entertainment’ category, and vote for us in the following categories: Best Museum: American Jazz Museum... Best Jazz Event: Jazz Storytelling Best Blues Venue: The Blue Room Best Jazz Venue: The Blue Room Fingers crossed we snag one of these awards with you!

For our final #MuseumMomentofZen this month, we've got a Kansas City jazz musician to feature. Mary Lou Williams shows off her delicate piano skills "It Necessarily So," backed by upright bass and brush snare drums.

We’re about an hour away until the official livestream unveiling of the Ida McBeth Gallery! Here are Collections Associate Katie Molnar and Executive & Operations Associate Armelia Mason in action. Looks like you get an official sneak peek! Like our museum page (American Jazz Museum) to watch the official livestream at 7:15 pm!

The Museum is honored to unveil a new wall space called the Ida Mcbeth Gallery, named after the local jazz vocalist whose contributions continue enriching the Kansas City jazz community. She has been a regular headliner at The Blue Room for years, and we are honored to dedicate this special space to her with rotating collections on display. Due to COVID-19, the official opening reception is closed to the public. However, we will broadcast the unveiling on the American Jazz Museum Facebook page Thursday, September 24th starting around 7:15 pm to make sure we share this historic moment with you! Follow the page and be on the lookout for this special event!

In 2017, Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrated Ella Fitzgerald's centennial. As one of AJM's four Jazz Masters, the vocalist's legacy and influence defined a classic era of jazz singing. Enjoy this concert and see why the "First Lady of Song" remains a case study in succinct phrasing and uncompromising musicality.

Today we remember Stanley Crouch, who died at age 74. His voice and influence were prominent as a jazz critic and author of "Kansas City Lightning, The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker." Though controversial, his legacy also lives through his contributions to the jazz music community, granting him a NEA Jazz Master award in 2019. Our thoughts are with his family and all those mourning his passing.

Vocalist Dinah Washington is our featured musician for today's #MuseumMomentofZen. Listen to her flawless solo backed by a string orchestra in "What A Diff'rence A Day Make"

Another full-length concert for your viewing pleasure, brought to you by Jazz Night In America: "Some musicians don't have to expend much effort to achieve radiance. Camila Meza is one of these a singer-songwriter and improvising guitarist originally from Santiago, Chile, and now a luminous fixture on the scene in New York. Ámbar, her major-label debut, just out on Masterworks, captures the deep synthesis in her music, with a chamber-jazz cohort she calls the Nectar Orchestra."

Have you voted for all of the awesome categories The Blue Room and American Jazz Museum are nominated for in The Pitch Kansas City's "The Best of Kansas City 2020" competition? We are finalists for FOUR different awards! Best Blues Venue: The Blue Room Best Jazz Venue: The Blue Room Best Museum: American Jazz Museum... Best Jazz Event: Jazz Storytelling Visit https://www.thepitchkc.com/bestofkc20/, click the ‘Arts & Entertainment’ category, and show some Blue Room and AJM love. Thanks for helping us

This morning's #MuseumMomentofZen is brought to you by one of Kansas City's on famous jazz musicians. Valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer brings together piano, percussion, saxophone, and xylophone in "Misty," originally composed by pianist Erroll Garner: http://ow.ly/TDK850BhzSq