Jazz museum funding

Kansas City is looking to cut the budget of the already lean operations at the American Jazz Museum. This is a mistake that must be avoided.

As a member of the Kansas International Film Festival Committee, I worked with the jazz museum to provide film directors and actors from around the world with access to the museum and its jazz club, the Blue Room. To these culturally aware visitors, the legacy of Kansas City jazz identifies this city more than anything else.

We have received numerous letters of thanks from these people for the wonderful time they had at the museum and jazz club. They were thrilled to learn that the legacy of Charlie Parker, Jay McShann and Claude Williams lives on.

What else represents the greatness of Kansas City? The Royals?

Our jazz heritage means more to this city than just about everything else.

Joe Spease

Overland Park

Comments

[Keith Williams3]

I agree; I would rather see U-Station go before the Jazz Museum; I hope they see the importance of this.