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The Legacy Of The 'Otherworldly' Everette DeVan

Courtesy Everette DeVan
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Courtesy Everette DeVan
Everette DeVan passed away last month at the age of 71.

Last month, legendary Kansas City jazz organist Everette DeVan passed away at the age of 71.

He was one of the mainstays of Kansas City's storied jazz community, known for his playing of the Hammond B-3 organ. One of his mentees, vocalist Eboni Fondren, says the way he played his organ was "otherworldly."

"He made sounds come out of that organ that were just... I think it had its own spirit. It was its own person, that organ."

Fondren joined Up To Date to take a look back on what DeVan meant to jazz in Kansas City, and the musical influence he had on her.

  • Eboni Fondren, vocalist with Eboni & The Ivories, former vocalist for Everette DeVan
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When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.
As Up To Date’s senior producer, I want to pique the curiosity of Kansas Citians and help them understand the world around them. Each day, I construct conversations with our city’s most innovative visionaries and creatives, while striving to hold elected officials accountable and amplifying the voices of everyday Kansas Citians. Email me at zach@kcur.org.
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