Turner said he felt relatively confident they could finish somewhere in the top three. most mornings, and many students come in even earlier to work solo or with their section. “You’re surrounded by all of this musical culture and suddenly you’re like, ‘I’m actually doing this.’”Īfter all the nerves and travel issues, the band took the stage and let the hundreds of hours of work they’ve put in over the course of the year take over.

“Once you get to the festival, you’re surrounded by all of this jazz culture, especially in Kansas City, which is such a big jazz city,” added guitarist Ares Turner, also a senior. “I’ve been playing jazz since I was in seventh grade and it was so amazing to see where all of these iconic musicians walked and played.”ĭalon Goodwin was named an outstanding musician at the festival “It was really amazing,” added Kaia Wood, a senior who plays baritone sax, of the band’s experience in Kansas City. Students and chaperones also took time to visit a factory where brass instruments are made, as well as the American Jazz Museum, a jazz club and the grave of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker. But once the band, under the direction of longtime music director Greg McKelvey, started their set on Wednesday afternoon, “I actually made myself stop and just enjoy the moment,” Cloke said. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of time,” said Cherie Cloke, vice president of the Battle Ground High School Band Boosters, a dedicated group of parents who work to support the school’s bands all year long. They had to raise nearly $24,000 in just over a month, book flights and hotel rooms and then actually get there for the event. Just getting to Kansas City for the Basically Basie Jazz Summit, April 25-28, was a heavy lift for Battle Ground High School’s advanced jazz band and their supporters. Weather/Emergency Closures – north schools & south schools.School Support Organizations (Booster / PTA).Professional learning communities and waiver days.Special Education – Childfind – Child Find.ASB Financial Reports & Withheld Diplomas.Battle Ground has lowest school taxes in county.Middle School Sexual Health Advisory Committee.Souvenir Stop: Show your support of Negro Leagues heroes with a 1949 KC Monarchs replica wool cap. For a jazz-inspired meal, try the blues brunch at KC Blues & Jazz Juke House or a taste of Cajun country in the Heartland at Bayou on the Vine. While you wait in line, take a look at the wall for a glimpse of the many A-Listers to belly up to the bar.

Have an instrument of your own? You’re welcome to join-this is where the jam session was invented after all.Ĭelebrities and “common folk” alike have made the pilgrimage to Arthur Bryant’s for its legendary barbecue, slow-smoked with a combination of hickory and oak woods, mellowed to the peak of flavor, then splashed with Original or Rich & Spicy sauce. Night owls are in for a real treat at the Mutual Musicians Foundation, where the late-night sounds bebop until 5 a.m. Sample KC’s signature sound at the district’s acclaimed Jammin’ at The Gem series or inside the museum’s working jazz club, The Blue Room. Keep your eyes peeled for Charlie Parker’s saxophone, a gift to the museum from former president Bill Clinton. Next door is what The New York Times called “an interactive paradise,” the American Jazz Museum, with its many listening stations, touch-screen adventures and custom-mixing soundboards. A frequent stop for visiting celebrities and dignitaries, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum chronicles the stars and stories of America’s favorite pastime from the leagues’ origin after the Civil War to their demise in the 1960s. As luck would have it, two of the city’s most acclaimed museums are under one roof.

Kansas city jazz festival