There’s a saying, “Jazz was born in New Orleans, but it grew up in Kansas City.” This new documentary by filmmaker Diallo Javonne French celebrates Kansas City’s African American music culture and its importance to American music from jazz to hip hop, rock-n-roll and soul music genres. The film spotlights area artists such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Bobby Watson, Oleta Adams, Janelle Monae and Tech N9ne who have had global influence throughout music history.

7:00pm Pre-show music by Chalis O’Neal
7:30pm Film screening
8:30pm Filmmaker Q&A with Diallo Javonne French moderated by KU School of Music’s Eddie Moore

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER
A Kansas City native, Diallo Javonne French started as a musician. His love for music eventually evolved into music photography and filmmaking. Diallo Attended Clark Atlanta University majoring in Mass Communications, Radio/T.V./Film. While in school, he worked as a production assistant on music videos that included such artist as TLC, Outkast, Goodie Mob, Xscape, and with director Hype Williams. He is an award winning filmmaker and music photographer with a BET (Black Entertainment Television) film to his credit. His photographs have been used on Hallmark Cards and exhibited in the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, American Jazz Museum, Box Gallery, Vine Street Studio, Buttonwood Art Space, and Keyhole Gallery.

ABOUT THE MUSICIAN
Chalis O’Neal picked up the trumpet at the age of eleven and began studying music at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts. Chalis majored in Jazz Studies with a minor in Classical Trumpet under the direction of Jazz legend Bobby Watson at the University of Missouri Kansas City. His playing style creates a soulful and creative approach to improvisation. O’Neal released his debut album “Flirting” in 2021 which the Jazz Ambassador Magazine called “innovative, bright and unified as a collective.” O’Neal has had the opportunity to perform with artists like Bobby Watson, Jeff ‘“Tain” Watts, Harold O’Neal, Tivon Pennicott, Marcus Strickland, Stephen Scott, Ben Williams, Lewis Nash, Curtis Lundy, Lonnie McFadden, Dan Thomas, Sullivan Fortner, Lisa Henry, and David Basse.

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