You can expect a $5 cover at Green Lady Lounge and Black Dolphin on any given night, and the cover doubles as your pass for both venues, so you can easily hop between bars. With oil paintings on red velvet walls, comfortable Chesterfield booths and pressed copper ceilings, Green Lady Lounge is a sight to behold. If you’re looking to be transplanted back to Kansas City’s Prohibition era, put on your best evening attire and head to Lonnie’s Reno Club for an immersive experience. Lonnie’s offers a list of Prohibition-era cocktails, but the champagne cocktail is their house drink and is a great way to kick off the night. But if you aren’t in the mood for a lavish three-course meal, you can pay the $25 cover, which includes one drink. It’s expected that you’ll stick around for the night to enjoy the three-course prix fixe meal ($85), which includes one drink. This is not the place to just stop in and grab a drink there is no bar seating. Throughout his performance, you can expect to learn about the rich history of the Kansas City jazz scene in an intimate listening room. While McFadden is a stellar trumpet player, vocalist and tap dancer, he is also a storyteller. The photos that line the walls pay tribute to Kansas City musicians from the swing era, including Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Charlie Parker, and even “Pops” McFadden and his tap dancing group.
Much of the music embodies the distinct, local style from the prewar years, but it also ventures beyond that in fusion-style tunes. Head down the steps of the historic Ambassador Hotel and you will enter a quaint, elegantly decorated speakeasy, with McFadden and his bandstand before a backdrop of red velvet curtains. McFadden has been playing since the seventies, continuing the legacy of his father, Jimmy “Pops” McFadden, who was also a sensational performer on the scene nearly a century ago. While Lonnie’s Reno Club may be the city’s newest jazz club, owner and beloved jazz musician Lonnie McFadden is no stranger to the scene. Here’s where to immerse yourself in Kansas City’s rich musical heritage right now. Check out the comprehensive calendar of local jazz at, and you’ll see that this town still swings every night of the week, from divey spots serving beer in red plastic cups to swanky spots where you’ll feel underdressed without a fresh shoe shine. Kansas City has historically been home to innovators.īut Kansas City’s jazz scene is not a museum piece.
It was during Kansas City’s Jazz Age when Charlie Parker cut his teeth improvising, Count Basie swang, Mary Lou Williams crafted killer big band arrangements and Lester Young developed his cool, melodic solos. Kansas City jazz, a distinct style heavily rooted in the blues tradition, as well as ragtime, contributed greatly to the development and prosperity of old “Kaycee” during the Jazz Age. Much like barbecue and speakeasies, jazz is deeply ingrained in the city’s identity. Lee, piano & vocals), and an unidentified drummer.For the past century, Kansas City has been home to one of the country’s most vibrant jazz scenes. Lee (baritone saxophone & vocals), Chester Clark (trumpet), Julia Lee (sister of George E. Lee Singing Novelty Orchestra shows, from left, an unidentified trombonist, Bob Garner (clarinet), Thurston "Sox" Moppins (trombone), George E. Lee retired in 1941 and opened a tavern in Detroit. Continuing on his own, Lee performed alongside saxophonist Charlie Parker in 1937. Known for singing, Lee was billed as the “Cab Calloway of the Middle West.” His organizational skills as bandleader were suspect, but his band lasted until 1935. In 1920 he performed at Lyric Hall at 18th and Lydia streets, and by 1927 he formed a larger band. George Ewing Lee as born in Booneville, Missouri, in 1896 and grew up in Kansas City. Lee fronted one of the most popular and successful bands in Kansas City and was the chief rival to the Bennie Moten Orchestra. During the 1920s and early 1930s, George E.
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