Award-winning Diverse at "Jazz by the Lake" at KCKCC in February

Led by famed trumpeter Herman Mehari, the award-winning “Diverse” will kick off the 2013 “Jazz by the Lake” series Thursday, Feb. 7.

Free and open to the public, “Diverse” will perform from noon-1 p.m. in the Conference Center adjacent to the Campus Lake at the south end of the KCKCC campus at 7250 State Avenue.

With Brad Williams on drums and Ben Leifer on bass, the group won the Gene Harris Jazz Festival in Boise, Idaho,, and a recording contract with Origin Records.

The director of the Kansas City High School All-Star Jazz Ensemble which rehearses Wednesday nights at the College, Mehari took first place in the International Trumpet Guild Jazz Trumpet competition in the U.S. and was second in same competition in Australia.

Standing ovation for KCKCC trio in 'Jazz by the Lake' concert

By ALAN HOSKINS

A full house stood and applauded the Bram Wijnands Trio long and loud at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday.

The second in a “Jazz by the Lake” noon concert jazz series held the first Thursday of the month, the performance drew a standing room only crowd in the College’s Conference Center adjacent to the campus lake. 

“The thing that’s amazing is that all three of these musicians teach right here on our campus,” said Ray Daniels, a member of the KCKCC Board of Trustees.

An outstanding pianist and accordionist, Bram Wijnands is an adjunct instructor in bass and piano at KCKCC; Rod Fleeman, a three-time Grammy nominee; teaches guitar; and percussionist Jurgen Welge directs the College’s Latin Band.

“This was something of a reunion,” said Jim Mair, KCKCC Director of Jazz Music who founded the ‘Jazz by the Lake’ series. “Bram is originally from Holland and Jurgen is from Germany and they moved to Kansas City as part of the Bram Wijnands Trio in the early 1990’s.”

The Joe Cartwright Trio will be featured in the third concert of the series from noon-1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6. The 2013 schedule will feature Diverse Feb. 5, Chris Hazelton and Friends March 7 and Tim Whitmer April 4.

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PHOTO: The Director of Jazz Music at KCKCC and founder of the “Jazz by the Lake” series, Jim Mair (right) joined the Bram Wijnands Trio of (from left) drummer Jurgen Welge, guitarist Rod Fleeman and pianist Bram Wijnands in a concert that drew a standing room only crowd on Thursday. All three members of the trio are also adjunct instructors at the College. (KCKCC Photo by Alan Hoskins)