The Fine Art of Jazz
Photographs by Dan White
Click Here for video!

Jazz musicians have a long-standing relationship with Kansas City. Jazz greats Charlie Parker, Pete Johnson, Joe Turner, Jo Jones, Jimmy Rushing, Mary Lou Williams, and Oran Thaddeus “Hot Lips” Page were familiar presences in the Kansas City jazz scene of the 1920s and 1930s. Musicians who came to the city in the 1920s found a booming nightclub scene in a town openly defying Prohibition laws, making these clubs a prosperous environment for musicians on the cutting edge of jazz. The Count Basie Orchestra, for one, had their start in the noisy, boisterous clubs in the famous18th and Vine district. 

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. 

Slideshow image

Tour Schedule

Jan. 28-March 16, 2009
Cab Calloway School for the Arts

Wilmington, DE

April 6-May 25, 2009
State Black Archives
Normal, AL

June 16-Aug. 11, 2009
Alexandria Black History Museum
Alexandria, VA
 
Sept. 1-Oct. 20, 2009
Red Cloud Opera House
Red Cloud, NE

Nov. 10, 2009-Jan. 10, 2010
Flint Institute of Arts
Flint, MI

Jan. 28-March 16, 2010
Oklahoma City Community College
Oklahoma City, OK

April 6-May 25, 2010
Kansas City Public Library 
Kansas City, MO 

June 16-Aug. 11, 2010
J. Wayne Stark University Center Galleries
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX 
 
Sept. 1, 2010 - Jan. 7, 2011
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
Little Rock, AR
 
Jan. 28-March 16, 2011
Wayland Baaptist Univeristy
Plainview, TX
 
June 16 - Aug. 11, 2011
Ella Fitzgerald Theatre
Newport News, VA

Sept. 1-Oct. 20, 2011
Available date  

Nov. 10, 2011-Jan. 7, 2012
Available date  

Jan. 28, 2012 - March 16, 2012
Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council
Texarkana, TX

April 6, 2012 -May 25, 2012
Available date  

June 16, 2012 -Aug. 11, 2012
Available date 
 
Sept. 1, 2012 - Oct. 20, 2012
Available date
 
Nov. 10, 2012 - Jan. 7, 2013
Available date
 
Jan. 28, 2013 - Mar 16, 2013
Available date
 
April 6, 2013 - May 25, 2013
Available date
 
June 16, 2013 - Aug. 11, 2013
Availalbe date
 
Sept. 1, 2013 - Oct. 2013
Available date
 
Nov. 10, 2013 - Jan. 7, 2014
Available date
 
To book this exhibition contact
Client Relations at 800-473-EUSA (3872)
 
 
Exhibition content
50 black–and–white photographs
 
Curator
Chuck Haddix
 
Organized by
ExhibitsUSA
 
Security
Moderate B
 
Shipping
Van line
 
Running feet
250
 
Fee includes
BulletCatalog
Bullet
Educational materials
   BulletText panels
   BulletNarrative identification labels
   BulletProgramming guide
   BulletReproducible gallery guide
   BulletOther materials to be determined
BulletPublicity packet
   BulletPress release
BulletRegistrar's packet
BulletFull insurance
BulletInstallation instructions
BulletCustom designed and built crates
 

 

 

click! to learn how easy it is to book this exhibition
ExhibitsUSA  |  Contact  |  Search 
Copyright  © 2010  Mid-America Arts Alliance. All Rights Reserved