While gridlock appears to be the order of the day in our Nation's capital when it comes to resolving the major issues of the day, two of our esteemed legislators have found common ground in the world of jazz. A resolution, jointly sponsored by Louisiana Congressman Cedric Richmond of New Orleans and Missouri Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, proposes that New Orleans be proclaimed "The Birthplace of Jazz," and Kansas City be officially recognized as "The Home of Jazz."
Rep. Richmond contends, "The sound of brass horns and piano keys are the heartbeat of New Orleans. Since its birth in the French Quarter over 200 years ago, jazz has carried the sound and spirit of the city all over the world."
Rep. Cleaver responds, "Through the musical genius of local artists including Charles 'Yard Bird' Parker, Count Basie, Mary Lou Williams, Big Joe Turner, Bennie Moten and Jay McShann, Kansas City has become known as the breeding ground from which this music unique to the United States has grown up."
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One Night with Fanny Brice, an off-Broadway musical show written by ASCAP award-winning playwright Chip Deffaa, deals with the life of the famed "Funny Girl" who rose from poverty to become America's highest-paid singing comedienne. This solo show features songs Brice made famous, from “Second-Hand Rose,” “A Pretty Girl is like a Melody,” “Bill Bailey,”
