Saxophonist/composer Bobby Watson could not resist the chance to plug his latest CD Saturday evening.

"I'm pretty sure I've seen it online," Watson told those attending the Coda Jazz Fund Benefit Concert. "I will be checking my statement."

Watson, along with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Jazz Combo, then proceeded to play "Lemoncello" a song off his "Horizon Reassembled" CD.

The musicians were the first to entertain the hundreds who attended the benefit concert at the Gem Theater in Kansas City's historic 18th and Vine district.

Others who performed were the Joe Sample Trio, singer Queen Bey and vocalist Von Smith. U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver served as master of ceremonies.

The concert was the fifth annual benefit concert, which raises money so jazz musicians can have proper funerals and burials.

Blanche Williams, the widow of the late Claude "Fiddler" Williams, donated "his cherished violin" to the American Jazz Museum in the 18th and Vine district. The fund helped with funeral and burial expenses when Williams died in 2004.

Since its inception five years ago, Coda Jazz Fund has provided more than $25,000 in assistance for deceased Kansas City area jazz musicians and vocalists.

The Coda Jazz Fund has raised more than $125,000 through donations and ticket sales from the annual benefit concerts. Going into Saturday's concert, the fund stood at $111,000. The amount the concert raised Saturday was unavailable; however, it had sold out of its 500 tickets.

The Kansas City Star columnist Steve Penn came up with the idea after learning many local musicians died without enough money for proper memorials.

"To be honest, I never envisioned it being like this or that it would catch hold," Penn said. It shows that Kansas City cares about its local musicians, he said.

Randy Smith, chairman of the fund and deputy managing editor at The Star, said the fund has taken care of some well-known musicians and some not so well-known.

"We believe everyone has a face and everyone has a name," Smith said.

"We have done our best to take care of them."

The fund has paid to bury seven people and provided grave markers for several other deceased Kansas City jazz musicians, Smith said.

Saturday's event also featured the 2006 Coda Jazz Lifetime Achievement in Jazz awards, which were given to saxophonist Robert Watson Sr., who is Bobby Watson's father; singer Marilyn Maye; former radio hosts Ginney Coleman and Ruth Rhoden; band leader Leon Brady; pianist Pete Eye; bass player and singer Jackie Anderson; and saxophonist Ahmad Alaadeen.

The Star, Sprint Nextel Corp., M&I Bank and the American Jazz Museum were the main sponsors of the concert.
To reach Robert A. Cronkleton, call (816) 234-5994 or send e-mail to bcronkleton@kcstar.com.

 

 

REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM THE KANSAS CITY STAR