[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 14430-14431]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING AND CELEBRATING JAZZ LEGEND LUQMAN HAMZA ON HIS 84TH BIRTHDAY

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                          HON. EMANUEL CLEAVER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 16, 2015

  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, the 1930s and 1940s produced the names of 
jazz legends like Count Basie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Dizzy 
Gillespie, and Mary Lou Williams, who either began their careers or 
played in Kansas City's storied 18th & Vine District, which I proudly 
represent. Among those legends was Luqman Hamza, who honed his musical 
skill listening and playing alongside these extraordinary musicians.
  Originally born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 15, 1931, Hamza's 
mother passed away when he was only 6 years old. He was blessed to have 
been raised by foster parents, Isaiah and Elizabeth Cummings, a 
Christian minister and his wife, in Kansas City, Missouri. Hamza once 
related how impactful his foster father was, comparing his life to a 
history book. Cummings' father had been a slave and his mother a Native 
American Indian, which helped shape Hamza during his formative years.
  Hamza grew up in Kansas City's 18th and Vine District, surrounded by 
music. Just a stone's throw away lived Charlie Parker and dozens of 
clubs were located within the district's six-block area. Hamza began 
singing for pocket change around his home when he was only a young 
child. From age 11 until he was 17, Hamza studied voice and piano under 
the Reverend John S. Williams. Williams, a minister and choir director 
at the Bethel Church, was also a music teacher at Lincoln High School 
and is known to have helped educate many of Kansas City's finest 
musicians. At the age of 12, Hamza, along with boyhood friends Sonny 
Kenner, Lucky Wesley and various other artists, formed a group known as 
the Four Steps and later renamed to the Five Aces. This group would 
play at several clubs in the 18th and Vine District, including Scott's 
Theater and the Chez Paris. The young band won a statewide high school 
talent contest in 1948, which allowed them to play on the Bob Hope show 
at Municipal Auditorium Music Hall. They would also land a live radio 
broadcast on KIMO every Sunday for several weeks. Hamza co-wrote his 
first chart-hitting release, When You Surrender, with Ted Battaglia 
when he was only 19 years old.

[[Page 14431]]

  Hamza's experiences included playing with Charlie Parker when he was 
in town, and later with Miles Davis. By 1954, Hamza would venture out 
of Kansas City to continue his professional development. He returned to 
St. Louis, where he found work at the Glass Bar and the Toast of the 
Town. He then moved on to Chicago, where he thrived while the jazz 
scene was at its zenith. He lived and ``gigged'' in Chicago for over a 
decade, playing at numerous established clubs, such as the Black Orchid 
and the Playboy Club.
  Although Hamza was raised in a Christian household, he began to 
explore Islam while in Chicago and became a Muslim in the mid 1960s. He 
grew up with the name of Larry Cummings, but adopted the name Luqman 
Hamza during this time. He held that name in great reverence, as it 
held personal significance and he felt it should be treated with
respect and honor. The name Luqman was mentioned in the Quran as the 
wise man, and the name Hamza was that of the Prophet Mohammad's uncle.
  In 1971, Hamza returned to Kansas City to raise his own family. His 
music career would continue to thrive as he became the featured 
performer at Kansas City's Playboy Club until it closed a few years 
later. Hamza continued to play around Kansas City at various clubs 
until he ventured to St. Louis in 1992, before returning to Kansas City 
just five years later.
  In 2000, at the age of 69, Hamza released two nationally acclaimed 
recordings, With this Voice and When a Smile Overtakes a Frown, which 
received strong praise. Hamza was honored with the American Jazz Museum 
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008 when they highlighted his work with 
the Five Aces, amongst other achievements.
  In addition to a successful personal career, Hamza has also committed 
himself to mentoring and tutoring future musicians at his alma mater, 
Lincoln High School. He still performs regularly, oftentimes in a 
quartet that includes his lovely wife and songstress, Raynola. Hamza 
once commented, ``I love music, and it doesn't matter to me about being 
no star. I'm blessed to be at my age and be able to sing, play and make 
people enjoy, that makes you rich.''
  Mr. Speaker, please join me and our colleagues in honoring and 
celebrating Mr. Luqman Hamza on his 84th birthday for a lifetime of 
devotion to the melodies of jazz His music, his voice, his teachings 
have served as inspiration to generations of artists and peaceful 
enjoyment for the thousands who have listened to him.

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