Ask a Local: Where Can I See Live Music in Kansas City? AFAR 2 hrs ago Lola Méndez
Photo by Notley Hawkins
Housed in the American Jazz Museum, the Blue Room is a great place to see some of the best local and national talent.While New Orleans may be the country’s best city for jazz, Kansas City is a close second.
KC’s association with the genre goes all the way back to Prohibition, when the city flouted restrictions and continued to serve alcohol in bars especially those with live music. Drawn by the promise of a captive audience, jazz legends like Count Basie, Joe Turner, and Kansas City’s own Charlie Parker graced stages on 12th Street and the now-historic 18th & Vine jazz district, earning the city a reputation for the blues and the nickname the “Paris of the Plains.”