COMMENTARY
Jazz pianist traces roots to Marshall, Mo.
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star
Marshall, Mo., has long been known for the rich farmland that surrounds it. But it has never been known as a hotbed for young jazz talent.
Yet the small city in Saline County spawned one of the most influential smooth-jazz artists of all time.
Bob James, the two-time Grammy Award-winning keyboard player, was born Dec. 25, 1939, in Marshall. He was raised there and says early gigs around Marshall, his parents’ old jazz records and the trips he took to Kansas City had a lot to do with his success.
James, a graduate of Marshall High School, went on to play a major role in taking fusion jazz to the mainstream. He will be back in the heartland this weekend performing from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday with the group “Fourplay” at the 18th and Vine Rhythm & Ribs Jazz Festival.
I recently interviewed James, who now lives in Traverse City, Mich. Although music has taken him around the world and back again a few times, he holds a grand appreciation for his hometown.
“You’ve got to start someplace,” James said. “Looking back on it, it’s very amazing that I ended up in this field where I did.”
It’s amazing because he seemed destined to become a lawyer but opted against it. His father, Albert “Buddy” James, was a lawyer in Marshall, as was his grandfather. Together, his father and grandfather operated “James and James,” a legal practice in Marshall for many years.
“My father really would have liked for me to carry on that legal tradition,” James said. “And he was frustrated when he realized that wasn’t going to happen. I was too deep into music.”
His parents’ jazz records are partly to blame. That’s where James first heard musicians such as Stan Kenton and Charlie Parker. What really reeled him in was a dance band in Marshall that played at events around town.
“You could imagine when they went looking around for piano players, there weren’t all that many available in a town of that size,” James said. “So I ended up having some early opportunities. I got to find out what it was like to be a sideman in a band. I got my feet wet a little bit.”
It paid off. After college he got serious about his music career.
He went on to perform with singer Sarah Vaughan from 1965 to 1968 before becoming a studio musician. In 1981, his first album with Earl Klugh, “One On One,” received a Grammy for best pop instrumental performance.
“Angela,” the instrumental theme from the sitcom “Taxi,” is another of his more memorable songs.
James came to Kansas City several times to perform. One of his fondest memories was performing a rousing version of “Goin’ to Kansas City” at the Uptown Theater during the late 1980s.
He also has pleasant memories of an outdoor concert many years ago along Brush Creek.
“You’re doing one-nighters, one after the other, and you forget them,” James said.
“But those performances in Kansas City really stick out in your mind. Maybe that’s because it was Missouri. But those performances ring in my memory even though they were quite a long time ago. Maybe this one coming will be another one of those.”
It’s fitting that James is from the Show-Me State. He’s shown the world and other musicians how to make a living creating and performing commercial jazz. In return, the music has taken James many places.
But wherever he’s gone, James has never forgotten where he found his passion for music.
To reach Steve Penn, call 816-234-4417 or send e-mail to spenn@kcstar.com.
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