While the era of Prohibition may be long over, the passion and the thrill of jazz lives on in Kansas City.  More than 40 flourishing jazz clubs and over 300 active jazz musicians sing and play the music alive in the area today. Keeping the momentum of the music strong, dozens of jazz–related events take place in the area every day, along with jazz festivals that occur on a yearly basis.  It is this mixture of activity, tenacity and nostalgic charm that caught the imagination of photographer Dan White. 

Inspired to capture the faces and flavor of living Kansas City jazz, Pulitzer-prize-winning photographer Dan White spent almost two decades photographing renowned Kansas City jazz musicians. The result of his work is The Fine Art of Jazz, a series of 50 black-and-white portraits of Kansas City jazz musicians. The portraits allow the viewer to engage with some of the personalities shaping the national and local jazz scene, including Jay McShann, Orville “Piggie” Minor, Eddie Saunders, Rusty Tucker, and Pearl Thuston. In addition to these stunning images, the exhibition features glimpses into the artists’ personal histories through excerpts of interviews with the musicians.