There are numerous KC Jazz comps out there all of which are good, but this one does a tremendous job showcasing Kansas City as a pioneering city in music. The back liner notes do a much better job than me, but it takes all the artists featured here and connects the dots. From Buster Smith showing up from Texas, Basie from Ohio, and McShann coming from Oklahoma, they all met and played together in Kansas City. They also crossed paths with Charlie Parker. And just as soon as they hit upon a Kansas City sound, they took it nationwide.
What you have hear is the Atlantic Records story of Kansas City. The swing that would transform jazz. The same artists who featured a young Charlie Parker before he revolutionized the genre. And the jump blues performed by Big Joe Turner that would eventually lead others to rock n' roll and be heard in soul records. It's not the complete story, but the selections here are all amazing and tell some of the best parts to it.
Jay McShann Jumpin' At the Woodside
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