It's often a challenge for even the most hard-core jazz buffs to remember Missouri's pre-ragtime composer known as Blind Boone.
By Alex Smith
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-981985.mp3
KANSAS CITY, MO – The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced a pledge of $200,000 to help restore the long-abandoned Boone Theater in the 18th and Vine District. While it's a welcome boost for the neighborhood, even many Missourians are hard-pressed to remember the 19th century composer and pianist for whom the theater was named.
KCUR's Alex Smith talked to John Davis, a Juilliard-trained musician in New York City who has become the premier revivalist for this master of African-American music. In Davis' album Marshfield Tornado, he re-interprets many of Blind Boone's compositions.
To find out more about Blind Boone, check out the State Historical Society of Missouri.
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