In the `20s, `30s, and `40s, Kansas City`s 18th and Vine district was a hopping place, filled with colorful clubs, energetic and sensuous dance, and all-night jam sessions. It was here that the bands of George and Julia Lee, Benny Moten, Andy Kirk, and Count Basie were born; Joe Turner developed his signature blues singing style; and Charlie Yardbird Parker began his career with Jay McShann. Here, in the 18th and Vine district, blues-based musical styles were born and grew into what is now recognized worldwide as Kansas City jazz . In 1997, this area so significant in the development of Kansas City jazz was revitalized. Millions of dollars went into the refurbishment of the district, creating new museums, rehabilitating existing jazz venues, and bringing a focus to the legacy of jazz in the neighborhood. In the new Kansas City Jazz Museum -- the first museum in the world devoted solely to jazz -- America`s own classical music forms are presented in numerous exhibits that capture the essence of the music and the legacy of some of the important musicians who created it. Now, through the pages of this stellar book, one of the country`s most important jazz sites is highlighted, portraying such jazz masters as Jay McShann, Mary Lou Williams, and Lester Young, each of whom created his or her own unique jazz style. Through artifacts and memorabilia of major Kansas City-based musicians from the 1920s to the 1960s -- as well as other jazz greats, such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Armstrong -- readers get a unique perspective on jazz as it developed in the United States. The book also features memorabilia from the era and its various venues.