[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 75 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                   HONORING THE AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM

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                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2000

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, today the Smithsonian 
Institute will honor the American Jazz Museum located in Missouri's 
Fifth District. The American Jazz Museum, previously known as the 
Kansas City Jazz Museum, is the first museum in the world devoted 
exclusively to jazz. The gallery showcases the often difficult plight 
and rare successes of one of America's first original art forms.
  The museum, which opened in 1997, is housed in a modern 50,000 square 
foot complex at the historic 18th and Vine district in Kansas City. 
Once inside, visitors find interactive exhibits and song samples which 
tell the story of jazz and its musicians in words, pictures, and 
sounds. Last year, the complex was visited by more than 350,000 
visitors who came from all parts of the city, county, and world to 
relive the golden age of Kansas City jazz in the 1920's and 1930's. In 
this era, legendary Kansas City musicians such as Charlie ``Bird'' 
Parker, Count Basie, and Jay McShann developed swing and spread the 
popularity of jazz across the land.
  Not only does the museum educate those who come in from the street to 
learn about jazz, but it also offers 4 symposia each year to learn 
about a specific jazz musician or topic. These conferences are attended 
by musicologists and music lovers from around the world. Past symposia 
have studied Parker, Miles Davis, and the recent revival of swing 
music. I encourage my colleagues to take a cyber tour of the museum at 
http://americanjazzmuseum.com.
 In addition to educating its visitors, the museum has led to a 
revitalization of the historic area once home to several jazz clubs. 
The museum itself operates the Gem Theater to showcase today's up and 
coming musicians. There are now several other clubs and restaurants in 
the area, with a new commercial and residential complex scheduled to 
open within the next year. A once deserted urban neighborhood has 
returned to the days of peopled streets and late night music as a 
result of the success of the American Jazz Museum.
  A grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Doris 
Duke Foundation helped the Museum create JazzNet to establish an 
endowment and support organizations that preserve and present Jazz 
nationwide. The museum has applied for other grants for various 
projects including an academic analysis on the lives of jazz musicians. 
The study would determine working and living conditions of artists in 
four major cities, and the research team would identify areas in which 
support for jazz musicians will be most beneficial in furthering their 
work.
  In three short years, the American Jazz Museum has become an 
impressive institution. It educates its visitors, entertains in its 
theater, analyzes the music and its musicians, and revitalized a 
deserted downtown area. Because of all these accomplishments, the 
American Jazz Museum is most deserving of special recognition from the 
Smithsonian Institute, and I congratulate them and wish them continuing 
success.




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