MMF In The Media

FILM

The Last of the Blue Devils – The Kansas City Jazz Story (1995)
Starring: Buddy Anderson, Count Basie Director: Bruce Ricker

Kansas City in the 1930s was a wild, wide-open place. Under political boss Tom Pendergast, the booze flowed freely, prostitution and gambling flourished, and the Depression pretty much passed the city by, making it an ideal spawning ground for some great music. Pianist-bandleader Count Basie, saxophone immortals Lester Young and Charlie Parker, and blues belters Big Joe Turner and Jimmy Rushing were all working there, along with a host of lesser- known but equally formidable musicians, and they all played the blues, Kansas City style.

Director Bruce Ricker’s 90-minute The Last of the Blue Devils chronicles the 1979 reunion of many of these legendary players, combining interviews, vintage film footage, photos, and some inimitably swinging performances by Basie, Turner, pianist Jay McShann, and many others to create an intimate, good- natured portrait of what one old-timer calls the “cool, relaxed sound” of the city. The camaraderie among these men, all of whom are colorful raconteurs (drummer Ernie Williams’s harangues to some bemused local kids are especially entertaining), is palpable. But it’s the music, unsurprisingly, that’s the main attraction; performances include some familiar tunes, like Turner’s “Shake, Rattle & Roll” and a Basie big band version of “Night Train” (featuring tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest, the tune’s composer) that’s as greasy as the local barbecue. The Last of the Blue Devils is an absolute delight.
– Sam Graham
(HISTORIC REFERENCE NOTE:  The Last of the Blue Devils – The Kansas City Jazz Story prominently features several modern era scenes from within the Mutual Musicians Foundation.)

TELEVISION

FEATURE STORY: CBS This Morning

(YouTube Video: MMF Featured on CBS This Morning)

About CBS This Morning<
CBS This Morning made its debut in November 30, 1987, with hosts Harry Smith, former GMA news anchor Kathleen Sullivan, and Morning Program holdover Mark McEwen. This Morning became the immediate predecessor to The Early Show. (Source: Wikipedia)

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FOX 4 NEWS STORY
Budget Cuts Bring Jazz District Redevelopment To A Halt
Tess Koppelman | Meagan Kelleher, FOX 4 Web Producer
4:28 PM CST, March 10, 2010

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KCTV5 NEWS STORY
Musicians Foundation To Receive Stimulus Funds
May. 11, 2009. 07:44 AM EST

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II announced Monday that the Mutual Musicians Foundation will receive a $143,000 earmark.

PRINT

COVER STORY: Jazz Ambassador Magazine

COVER STORY: Jazz Ambassador Magazine

The Mutual Musicians Foundation Celebrates 75 Years

On May 4, 1930, over 100 musicians proudly lined the street at 1823 Highland. There was much merriment and celebration as members of Musicians’ Union Local 627 officially opened the doors to its own building. It was a grand event.

Seventy-five years later, the building is the only black musicians’ union hall left standing in the United States. It is also the only building in Kansas City to be designated a National Historic Landmark.

On April 30 the Mutual Musicians Foundation will celebrate Local 627′s move into the building. A party with music, food, films, and a 60-page web site showcasing 180 photos will mark the occasion. [JAM 2005 Archive: full story]
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FEATURE STORY: The New York Times Style Magazine

SPRING 2009 | THE NY TIMES STYLE MAGAZINE

“The Late Late Show: at an after hours joint in Kansas City, the Jazz Age lives on”

By Stephen Metcalf (with photograph by Lisa Volper)

The New York Times Style Magazine presents a rather contumelious article that was published in a Spring 2009 edition and on their flash blog… [TRAVEL.NYTIMES.COM | .PDF]
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FEATURE STORY: Midwest Airlines Magazine – MyMidwest

Midwest Airlines’ MyMidwest FEATURE

Feature article MARCH 2010
KEEPING TIME

“To ensure that an integral part of Kansas City’s heritage is not forgotten, one of the most historic jazz spots in the world still features jam sessions that go all night long…”

[TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SAM POLCER]

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FEATURE STORY: Guide to America’s Greatest Bars – Playboy Magazine

Guide to America's Greatest Bars - FEATURE

Feature article AUGUST 2010
Playboy’s Guide to America’s Greatest Bars

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