Posted on Fri, May. 07, 2004
Excerpted from
"It's time to clone yourself"

By JOE KLOPUS

The Kansas City Star


A jam to remember

Add one to the list of fabled Kansas City jam sessions. At the Blue Room last Monday, for the session led by drummer Arny Young, in walked Prince and his entourage.

He was carrying a single red rose, says pianist Wayne Hawkins.

Several members of his band sat in, including sax funk giant Maceo Parker, drummer John Blackwell, saxists Mike Phillips and Candy Dulfer and trombonist Greg Boyer.

Prince didn't take the stage — but he dug the proceedings from the club's upper level.

“I just got the vibe that he wanted not to be the celebrity for a night,” Young says.

The musicians from Prince's entourage displayed impressive jazz chops.

“They played for real” on standard tunes, Young reports. “They were not holding back.”

They grooved with Bill McKemy on bass and traded fours with Young. The music reportedly continued well after closing time. It stopped only when McKemy's bass amplifier gave out, Young says.

Darn it, I wasn't there. But people will be lying about this one, saying they were there when they weren't, for years to come.