Kansas City Jazz Orchestra to Launch MILESTONES Signature Series 2026-2027

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra Artistic Director Clint Ashlock has announced the 2026-2027 Signature Series: Milestones, featuring five dynamic performances around town from the Gem Theater to the Folly Theater to Helzberg Hall of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts.

Ashlock shared, “In the jazz world, Milestones carries multiple meanings. Not only do we look through the history of the music for anniversaries as touchstones to reflect upon and celebrate, we can look at how a singular artistic figure has the power to shape the way people think and feel for decades. Miles Davis was one of these figures, and his 100th birthday was a fantastic milestone to build this season around. Kansas City Jazz Orchestra's 24th season showcases a celebration of the Milestones that have helped shape music over the years. We are creating our signature, KC-swing and contemporary big band sound to pay homage to Miles & Coltrane's 100th birthdays, the 50th anniversary of Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, the 60th and 70th anniversaries of Sinatra and Basie Live At The Sands and B.B. King's first album, Singin' The Blues, respectively. It has also been 80 years since Charlie Parker recorded with a young Miles Davis, and we are showcasing some of KC's great saxophonists alongside their young proteges at the Folly Theater. And at the heart of it, what's a bigger milestone than our yearly opportunity for your families to create their own memories at our beloved Charlie Brown Christmas. There is so much to celebrate with KCJO in 2026-27, and we can't wait to share it all with you!”

2026-2027 SIGNATURE SERIES: MILESTONES

SPOTLIGHT:

Charlie Parker FEATURING KC'S SAXOPHONE LEGENDS AND RISING STARS

August 29, 2026, at 7 p.m. | Stephen Metzler Hall, Folly Theater

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will roar, with Bobby Watson, Matt Otto, Stephen Martin, and area up-and-coming saxophone students, for a Kansas City-focused, big band reflection on the artistry of its native son and creator of bebop: Charlie Parker. Bird forever lives, and forever swings. In partnership with KC Jazz ALIVE.

MILESTONES:

THE MUSIC OF Miles Davis AND JOHN COLTRANE

November 7, 2026, at 7 p.m. | The Gem Theater

2026 is the centennial of these two titans' birthdays, and their greatest works will be showcased through our jazz orchestra and phenomenal soloists within. Kind Of Blue, A Love Supreme, The Birth Of The Cool, Blue Train and more are given our Kansas City treatment in an homage to two of the greatest jazz artists of all time. Gem Theater 7pm.

MILESTONES:

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

December 8, 2026, 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Good grief! Nostalgia meets improvisation as KCJO presents a beloved tradition for the whole family. Vince Guaraldi's jazz opus to holiday joy is one of our favorite concerts of the season. This year, we invite students to an abbreviated, matinee show in addition to the evening show. Both shows will feature the multi-Downbeat Magazine award-winning vocal group, the KCKCC Standard Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Helzberg Hall, 10:30am and 7pm.

MILESTONES:

SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE: A TRIBUTE TO STEVIE

March 26, 2027, at 7 p.m. | Helzberg Hall, Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Stevie Wonder's landmark Songs in the Key of Life album was released in 1976, bringing the impassioned and profound social commentaries of his lyrics together with the infectious rhythms, melodies, and harmonies. With such musical gems as “Living For The City”, “Sir Duke” and “Isn't She Lovely,” it is arguably the pinnacle of popular music artistry and only celebrated more as the years go by. Featuring the vocalists Eboni Fondren, Paula Saunders, and SEYKO, KCJO reimagines Stevie's magnum opus, on its 50th anniversary, through the lens of the big band celebrating this great work for a jazz audience. Helzberg Hall, 7pm.

MILESTONES:

SINGIN' THE BLUES

April 17, 2027, at 7 p.m. | Stephen Metzler Hall, Folly Theater

70 years ago, blues legend B.B. King released his first album: Singin' The Blues, and American music changed forever. Kansas City has always been a blues hot spot, and KCJO is going to blend our swinging big band sound with blues artistry for a night you'll never forget. Join us as we feature guest artist, guitarist Brandon Hudspeth and friends for a one-of-a-kind collaboration. The blues is a vaccine to take the blues away, and you're going to leave this concert fully healed. Folly Theater, 7pm.

TICKET INFORMATION

Season subscription renewals are on sale NOW! Tickets will be available at kcjo.org and over the phone at (816) 225-4949. On sale dates are as follows:

• Renewals and New subscriptions: June 8
• Single tickets: June 29

IN MY JAZZ ERA

Outside of the mainstage Signature Series: Milestones concerts listed above, the In My Jazz Era, in partnership with Tom's Town, presents a series of smaller-format concerts designed to bring jazz into fresh, unexpected spaces and connect with new audiences. Presented throughout the 2026-27 KCJO season, these are creative, single-ticketed events that showcase the flexibility, creativity and relevance of Kansas City jazz. From reimagining artists like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars through a jazz lens, to creating intimate live music experiences in venues like Tom's Town, In My Jazz Era serves as both an artistic outlet and an audience-expanding attraction, expanding KCJO's reach while reinforcing the organization's larger mission to maintain a thriving and evolving Kansas City jazz tradition.

• June 26, 2026, KC JAZZ LEGENDS: From the swing of Bennie Moten to the soul of Bobby Watson, come experience the lineage of OUR TOWN. Over 100 years of artistry, and the Kansas City sound is still the engine of the jazz universe.
• July 18, 2026, KC JAZZ LEGENDS: From the swing of Bennie Moten to the soul of Bobby Watson, come experience the lineage of OUR TOWN. Over 100 years of artistry, and the Kansas City sound is still the engine of the jazz universe.
• September 2026, UPTOWN FUNK: Deconstructing the hits of Bruno Mars and fitting his endearing pop spectacle perfectly inside a jazz club. Come hear 'Uptown Funk' stripped down and re-imagined by the quintet.
• October 31, 2026, HALLOWEEN SILENT FILM: “NOSFERATU (1922)”, Tom's Town Experience the original cinematic nightmare: Nosferatu (1922), the film that invented the visual language of vampire horror. KCJO Artistic Director Clint Ashlock scores the shadows, providing a jazz twist to Count Orlok's silent menace.
• December 2026, HOLIDAY SPECIAL, Tom's Town: Celebrate the season with an evening of swinging holiday cheer as KCJO 5 brings your favorite festive tunes to life. Enjoy the sound of Kansas City jazz in the beautifully transformed Tinsel Town space at Tom's Town Distilling Co.
• March 2027, Taylor Swift MEETS KC: Let KCJO 5 guide you through a jazz-driven celebration of Taylor Swift's catalog, featuring fully original arrangements that recast songs like August and Anti-Hero with new textures, phrasing, and Kansas City swing.
• April 2027, AND ALL THAT JAZZ, Tom's Town: Enjoy an evening of Broadway favorites as KCJO 5 brings tunes from shows like Hamilton, Fiddler on the Roof, and more to life inside the beautiful setting of Tom's Town Distilling Co.

Stay tuned to our socials and email blasts for updates!

ABOUT KANSAS CITY JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Mission: The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is dedicated to promoting the rich culture of Kansas City through performance and education. We strive to be a leading voice, ensuring that Kansas City's influential jazz tradition continues to thrive and evolve.

Vision: To be recognized worldwide as a premiere jazz ensemble, honoring Kansas City's iconic musical heritage while shepherding it into the future. Founded in 2003, the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra is one of the nation's preeminent big bands, performing classic and original repertoire in a variety of settings. With the beautiful Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts as a home base, KCJO's concert season puts forth engaging themed shows ranging from Duke Ellington's early works to brand-new reimaginations of pop music, “celebrating the past, and embracing the future.” In addition to the season, the orchestra plays a variety of concerts, dances, and festivals, engaging audiences from Kansas City, Missouri to Hannover, Germany, and beyond.