August 30, 2008

I’m wiped. The cold / allergy attack that has burdened me since last Sunday’s debacle at JFK has kept me off my “A game.” I wake up late simply because I could not have awakened any earlier. Janice takes me on a tour of Kansas City neighborhoods. She and her family have only been here two years and, frankly, they’re not lovin’ it. But Jan and Jerry are feisty and find a way to make things happen.

I won’t bore you with tourist details, but I will say that KC has some interesting history and a lot of (small) neighborhoods. I wanted to visit the Jazz Museum and the Negro League's museum, but I decided those were better to experience with the rest of my family (my wife is a baseball fan and she and my sons would enjoy both of these experiences.) We decided to visit the National World War I Museum (www.nwwone.org) – which seemed appropriate in the aftermath of the Convention and given our current global concerns. It was impressive and sobering. It was also a reminder of how Black Americans were always considered to be less important to this nation no matter what their level of “patriotism” may have been. (Check out my brief discussion with some of the young Museum staffers.)

One great feature is the tower at the museum, which provides an outstanding view of the Kansas City proper -- as well as other areas if you know what you're looking at!

A chunk of Jan’s family is here in KC, including her sister and her mother. We joined them for dinner at the home of friends. They live in the “Northlands” as does Jan – an area which, as I have since been informed, has had its share of racial issues over the years.

After a wonderful home-cooked meal that rivaled any Thanksgiving dinner, seven of us went down to 18th and Vine to visit some jazz clubs. We went first to the “Juke Joint,” where there was a $5 cover charge per person and the blues were rockin! Unfortunately, it was standing room only and we wanted to sit. So we went back down the block to “The Blue Room,” paid $10 per person cover charge and enjoyed two sets from the Sons of Brazil…. as well as some drinks! These guys are smooth and VERY good. We were still restless, however, and it was clear that some of my colleagues did not get out very much.

We went back to the “Juke Joint,” negotiated a $20 cover for all of us to enter (since the club closed at 1 am and it was now nearly 12:30) and caught the final set of a great saxophone player, Darryl Terrell, and his band ( www.darrylterrell.com / 816-606-5585 ). They were loud and fun and sexy and good! Terrell is a short guy with a bald head and a three-piece suit. His sax work was very enjoyable and his theatrics were equally so, as was validated by several women who approached the stage with bills large and small accompanied by suggestive body motions – and proceeded to rub his head as they parted with their dough. Quite entertaining! As we left, one of the club's staff mentioned that this was Terrell's first appearance at this particular club and that he and the band had played from 9 pm to 12 midnight without a break ... and that we had come in during their first and only break of the night.

Next time I’m in KC, I will make sure to go to the after-hours jam where all the musicians go on Saturday nights. I would have loved to do that this time around, but we were all ready to pack it in (old before our time …)

We arrive back at Jan’s home and see on the television that Hurricane Gustav is the force we feared.