Up To Date

The Legacy Of The 'Otherworldly' Everette DeVan

By Steve Kraske,

Published August 18, 2021 at 4:48 PM CDT

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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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Up To Date Podcast Music jazz Kansas City Missouri (KCMO)

Steve Kraske

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.

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Chris Young

Chris Young is an Assistant Producer for KCUR’s Up To Date. Contact him at chrisy@kcur.org.

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Zach Wilson

As Up To Date’s senior producer, I construct daily conversations that give our listeners context to the issues of our time. I strive to provide a platform that holds those in power accountable, while also spotlighting the voices of Kansas City’s creatives and visionaries that may otherwise go unheard. Email me at zach@kcur.org.

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