KC Jazz ALIVE

09/22/2026

🎺 100 years of Miles. 9 KC jazz pros. One great night at the 515.

Celebrate the centennial of Miles Davis with David Watson and his powerhouse nonet for 100 Miles & More! 🎶

Expect bebop, swing, standards and plenty of creative energy from nine of Kansas City’s finest musicians.

📅 Thursday, Sept. 24
🚪 Doors 5:30 | Music 6 PM
📍 515 Music Hub
🎟️ Just $10 — advance tickets or cash at the door
🥂 Beverages by KC Pours

Grab your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/100-miles-more-with-the-david-watson-nonet-tickets-1998547346914?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/09/2026

🎹✨ Tomorrow night at the 515!

Kansas City’s own Jackie Myers Music brings her Quartet to 515 Music Hub for a night of inventive, soulful jazz with plenty of groove. Jackie is a pianist, composer and vocalist who knows how to honor the tradition while taking the music somewhere entirely her own.

Come grab a seat, settle in and hear one of KC’s distinctive jazz voices up close. 🎶

📍 515 Music Hub | 515 Southwest Blvd.
🎟️ Get tickets on Eventbrite⁠

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jackie-myers-quartet-tickets-1996827624177

Jackie Myers shares originals, standards and her easy style, putting her mark on Kansas City jazz.

08/30/2026

As one of the main architects of modern jazz and bebop, Charlie "Bird" Parker redefined what was possible on the saxophone. But his genius wasn't just raw talent, it was grounded in relentless discipline.

Parker understood a crucial paradox of artistic mastery: spontaneity requires foundation. You spend endless hours woodshedding, learning scales, and mastering harmonic changes so that muscle memory takes over. Once you step onto the bandstand, the conscious effort disappears, leaving only pure emotional expression and instant creation.

08/30/2026

What a great night. What awesome musical performances! what a way to honor KC’s jazz history. What a way to show up, KC!

More photos and recaps to come in the days ahead, but big thanks to all of the musicians, the sponsors, the attendees for such a cool night — music brings us together in the best way.

Hats off to The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra!

08/29/2026

🎷 Tonight’s the night, KC!

After an incredible month celebrating Charlie “Bird” Parker and Kansas City jazz — past, present AND future — we’re ready for one big finale at the Folly with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra!

The stage is set. The music is ready. Now all we need is YOU. 💛🎶

See you tonight, KC!

08/29/2026

Charlie Parker was born on August 29. Today, on Bird’s birthday, celebrations of his life and music are taking place in two cities that shaped his story: Kansas City and New York.

In Kansas City, the American Jazz Museum marks Charlie Parker Day with a celebration at 18th & Vine, while in New York, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival continues its annual tribute with performances in Harlem.

Decades after Bird was born, his music is still bringing people together. How will YOU celebrate Charlie Parker today? Are you attending one of these events or another Charlie Parker tribute? Is there a favorite song you stream? Or are you putting a piece of Charlie Parker vinyl on your record player? Share your celebrations in the comments.

Happy Birthday, Charlie Yardbird Parker

American Jazz Museum https://americanjazzmuseum.org/exhibits-events/charlie-parker-day/
City Parks Foundation Charlie Parker Jazz Festival https://cityparksfoundation.org/charlieparker/

08/29/2026

🎷 TONIGHT! This is the one, KC.

One stage. A full big band. Kansas City jazz legends and rising stars coming together to celebrate the music and legacy of Charlie “Bird” Parker.

The The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra takes over the Folly Theater at 7 p.m. tonight for the grand finale of Spotlight: Charlie Parker — and you do NOT want to hear about this one tomorrow.

🔥 Last-minute plans = solved.
🎟️ Grab your tickets, bring your people and let’s fill the Folly for Bird!

Tickets: https://orders.follytheater.org/ChooseSeats/39401

08/29/2026

🎷 A legacy this powerful deserves to be heard.

This Saturday, we come together with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Folly Theater to celebrate Charlie “Bird” Parker, the musicians carrying his influence forward, and the Kansas City community that keeps jazz alive.

One stage. Generations of talent. One unforgettable night for Bird.

Let’s fill the Folly and keep the music moving forward.

🎟️ Saturday, Aug. 29

https://orders.follytheater.org/ChooseSeats/39401

08/29/2026

Happy 106th birthday, Bird. 🎉🎷

Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City on this day in 1920 — and today his hometown celebrates, starting at 10 am sharp with a Saxophone Salute of his tunes at the Bird Lives statue.

All day until 3:30: the instrument petting zoo, biographer Chuck Haddix on Bird's KC years, our new Listen In session, Charlie Parker trivia, and sculptor Willie Cole — whose saxophone birds hang over KCI — in conversation at 2:15.

Free and open to the public. Raffle tickets $5 at the door; ace the trivia (7 of 10) for free entry into the second drawing.

Today · 10 am–3:30 pm · 1616 E 18th St

Schedule: https://dub.sh/cwcMuS0