There's no doubt Kansas City is a music town. But how much of its history do you really know?
There's a lot more than jazz in the city's musical past. Folk, rock and hip-hop have also enjoyed flourishing and innovative scenes in town over the years.
Yet Kansas City's impact on the national stage doesn't get the credit it deserves, according to Dustin Phillips, creator of the new documentary "Sounds of the City."
The film covers all the influential eras of Kansas City's music scene: the rise of jazz, blues and rock 'n' roll in the first half of the 20th century; the folk scene that flourished at Vanguard Coffeehouse in the 1960s and 70s; the "KC sound" that bands such as Season to Risk pioneered in the 90s; and the hip-hop scene that created artists like Tech N9ne and Rich the Factor in the 2000s.
"Major cities like Chicago, New York, LA, Austin, and Nashville, they overshadow Kansas City," Phillips told KCUR's Up To Date. "So it doesn't get the notoriety that it rightfully deserves."
The film will premiere Friday, April 11 at the Uptown Theatre, with performances to follow by Flare Tha Rebel, UBI and The Greeting Committee.
- Dustin Phillips, filmmaker
