Kansas City Jazz

Mr. Ghost Goes To Town is....out of town, so please enjoy this special on the history of Kansas City Jazz!

In this hour, we'll take a tour of one of America's great jazz cities: Kansas City. We’ll talk with local boy and jazz historian Chuck Haddix about the storied and sordid roots of the famed Kansas City sound, and get to know the corrupt Kansas City political boss who defied Prohibition and helped spark the city’s early jazz scene. And we’ll take a look at adopted hometown hero (Count) Bill Basie’s long and winding road from Kansas City to the pinnacle of swing, and explore the life and music of one of jazz’s most underappreciated legends: the great Mary Lou Williams.