Today I have little to say. This video speaks for itself. Besides, if you watch the whole thing, you’ll spend more time with this post than any of the rest.
A friend with no VCR asked me to digitize a video tape she had so she could see what was on it. And on it was a long-hidden gem: A more than 30 year old documentary, full of reminiscing and performance, of Kansas City jazz legend Jay “Hootie” McShann.
A note with the tape labeled it 1971. The date at the end of the documentary says 1978. I don’t know what’s correct. I’ll just call this 1970s vintage.
The video quality is not great. Color shifts abound (despite what you see, nobody really had green skin). But to hear Jay recalling his start, to see him tour the 18th and Vine district circa 1970s, to see and hear him perform with long-time drumming companion Paul Gunther (and a bassist I don’t know) is well worth a few glitches.
Due to YouTube limitations, the video is divided into two parts. Unless somebody asks that they be removed, both are embedded below. Here’s hoping you enjoy them as much as I did. But, if you’re a KC jazz fan, that’s guaranteed.
Part 1
Part 2
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Like Plastic Sax said, thanks so much for unearthing this! I am so grateful I got to see Jay perform so many times. What a treasure.
ReplyDelete