Who are we and why are we so much FUN???
The KC Dixieland Band - "Our Story"
... by Byron Redding
First, let’s consider our music, Dixieland Jazz. Research says that "Dixieland" is the name given to the style of music performed
by New Orleans musicians who developed one of the earliest styles of jazz music around the start of the 1900s and spread across the world.
This style combined earlier brass band marches, French "Quadrilles," "Caribbean" rhythms, "Ragtime,"
gospel music and the Delta "working" blues into a fabulous gumbo that was driven by individual and collective improvisation.
Wow, that is a pretty round-about way of saying that Dixieland music is the most fun to listen to … dance to … or, from our standpoint, to play.
Just listen to our KC Dixieland Band and you'll hear what we mean. Go to the home page on this website and be sure to turn up your speakers.
If you have ever been lucky enough to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras,
or have joined in an impromptu “second line” following a band down Bourbon Street on Saturday night,
or have seen videos of the happy tens of thousands folks lining the streets as the parades go by,
you will be caught up in the emotional joy that only Dixieland creates.
Second, just as Dixieland is a "gumbo" combining lots of musical influences,
our band is a blend of more than a dozen highly talented musicians who have been playing a wide variety of music all their lives.
Although each member comes to the band with a unique, non-musical professional background
(dentist, psychiatrist, physician, locomotive engineer, business manager, technician, entrepreneur,
along with the fields of broadcasting, marketing and sales,)
we share a common goal:
"To bring the enjoyment of Dixieland style music to audiences of all ages."
We all met, "fortunately," because of our individual participation with the New Horizon Band.
This band is essentially a local chapter of an international program which
focuses on rejuvenating the musical willingness and ability of the "Fifties-Plus" crowd.
Our local NHB* is made available by the administrators in Johnson County Parks and Recreation District; additionally,
the University of Missouri at Kansas City's Conservatory of Music which has played a key role for many years by providing top-notch leadership on the NHB's podium.
Meyer Music has also been a generous sponsor of NHB by meeting the equipment needs of the band.
OK, Back to the KC Dixieland Band ...
So, how are we doing?
We sound good and have a record of successful private and public performances to prove it.
We not only play music from the century-old "Dixieland Era,"
but also play modern favorites with an upbeat, energetic flare. Oh wait, we also have many slower-beat, "bluesy" tunes in our repertoire.
From the smallest to the largest, we perform at a variety of venues in the Kansas City area to include retirement communities,
city and county celebrations, church events, concerts, and of course, on every “Fat Tuesday” for "Mardi Gras."
Dixieland Jazz has been proven to bring laughter to the many,
and even happiness to the bereaved when played during or after many a Southern Funeral.
If you have not experienced this magical musical experience, you need to start. Now!
* To learn more about our parent organization ...
Click Here
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