Local jazz band fares well on freshman CD
A local jazz band has produced and released a CD, “In Perspective,” that is faring quite well on a national smooth jazz chart.
The CD by the JWB, also known as the James Ward Band, is ranked 22nd this week on the Smoothjazz.com Top 50 Indie Chart.
Angela Ward, the pianist, and her husband, James Ward, the bass player, produced the CD. Songs from “In Perspective” are getting air time nationwide on more than 50 smooth jazz radio stations.
“Once the CD started receiving airplay, it just took off,” Angela Ward said recently. “… Our promoter told us that it’s very unusual to get this kind of success on the first project.”
As a result of the CD’s airplay, the group has been invited to perform in June in Melbourne, Fla.
“We’re honored,” Angela Ward said. “We’re very grateful. We may not have expected this kind of success, but we did know that it was great music.”
Saxophonist Gerald Dunn, music coordinator for the American Jazz Museum, is featured prominently on the recording.
“It’s a nice CD,” Dunn said. “The next one is going to be even better now that we have a taste of what the market is looking for. Recording it was just a blast.”
The CD can be purchased at the American Jazz Museum Swing Shop, at Amazon.com, from iTunes or at eMusic.com.
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The Rev. Nelson “Fuzzy” Thompson was a senior in college on April 4, 1968, when the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed.
King’s death inspired Thompson to become a minister. Thompson, now 63, is president of the Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
“It changed my life permanently,” Thompson said. “Most of my adult life has been dedicated to the legacy of Dr. King.”
The SCLC and the Baptist Ministers Union are hosting a 40th anniversary remembrance of King’s death. The program will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, 2310 E. Linwood Blvd. The Rev. J. Alfred Smith Sr., a senior pastor at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, Calif., also will speak. Numerous area choirs will perform.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever done this,” Thompson said. “We do so much with King’s birthday.”
At the event, the late Rev. A.L. Johnson Sr. will be honored for his work in the local civil rights struggle.
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The Kansas City Storm is receiving national support from a powerful organization in its quest to continue its competitive swim program. In a recent column, I explained that the swim team is in the midst of a funding crisis that threatens its future.
This week, several officials from USA Swimming, the national governing body for competitive swimming, came to town to help find a solution.
John Cruzat, diversity specialist for the organization, met with the team, its coach, parents and city officials.
“We wanted to show solidarity and clearly express our concerns and our support,” Cruzat said. “The KC Storm swim team is a model for urban swimming for the entire country.
“Programs like this are so rare, but they are all struggling with resources. And as the national governing body over swimming, we have taken the position that we want to broaden the base of our sport by cultivating swimming in areas where swimming is underrepresented.”
To reach Steve Penn, call 816-234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.
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