Michael Daugherty: KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL–Branford Marsalis & Tim McAllister, sax–Liz Ames, piano

(00:00) 1. Pia-Moor Ballroom
(04:27) 2. Gem Theater
(08:37) 3. The Blue Room
(13:22) 4. Saturday Night at Tom Benton’s
(18:14) 5. Dante's Inferno Speakeasy

MICHAEL DAUGHERTY
KANSAS CITY CONFIDENTIAL (2025)
for Two Saxophones and Piano

Kansas City Confidential for two saxophones and piano was commissioned by the University Musical Society of Ann Arbor, Michigan and premiered by Branford Marsalis and Tim McAllister, saxophones and Liz Ames, piano and harmonica, at Rackham Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, on February 21, 2025
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Publisher: Michael Daugherty Music

For more information on Michael Daugherty and his music: www.michaeldaugherty.net
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PROGRAM NOTE

During the Great Depression and Prohibition, jazz musicians from across the country poured into Kansas City to play with big bands and jazz ensembles that performed in speakeasies, nightclubs, and dance halls in the historic downtown district of 18th and Vine Street.

Kansas City became known as “The Home of the Sax” during this era. Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, and Lester Young were among the legendary saxophonists who developed a swinging, bluesy sound that featured dueling saxophone soloists.

For many years, Kansas City was also the residence of regionalist painter Thomas Hart Benton, whose colorful, provocative wall murals depicted jazz musicians, dancers and gamblers in American nightclubs and speakeasies during Prohibition. In addition, Benton was a skilled harmonica player who often hosted folk music gatherings on Saturday nights at his home.

My composition is in five movements, each named after a musical venue in Kansas City from the 1920s and 1930s and echoes a time when musicians from all walks of life gathered for legendary jam sessions.

Program note by Michael Daugherty

Copyright © 2025 by Michael Daugherty, Branford Marsalis, Timothy McAllister, and Liz Ames.