A recent trip to Kansas City, MO created a new affinity and appreciation for all things jazz and all things Kansas City. Residing in the historic 18th and Vine district, The American Jazz Museum is the quintessence of African-American social life in a segregated city between the 1920’s and 1940’s. The Jazz District earned its reputation by creating space for the evolution of jazz to flourish into what would become the epicenter for the distinct sound of Kansas Jazz. The exhibits house curious treasures, such as the American Express card once held by the great Ella Fitzgerald during her 1980’s ad campaign with the credit card company and a sketch of her by Pablo Picasso. Additionally, on display, vintage television video of Billie Holiday crooning out God Bless the Child. If you are just not into all that jazz and maybe thinking of passing on the visit, think again. This is a small museum with a big heart filled with some known and unknown facts about the city and its penchant for attracting jazz greats.