Kansas City Jazz Orchestra: A Charlie Brown Christmas

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra: A Charlie Brown Christmas at Helzberg Hall - Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

December in Kansas City calls for hot chocolate, twinkling lights, and music that wraps around you like a favorite blanket. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra brings that feeling to Helzberg Hall with A Charlie Brown Christmas, a concert that pairs seasonal nostalgia with the personality of jazz. Its holiday theme gives the evening an instantly familiar starting point, while the orchestra's improvisation leaves room for fresh musical ideas.

A big band can bring plenty of color to a familiar holiday mood, and improvisation gives these musicians room to make it their own. The Kansas City Kansas Community College Standard Vocal Jazz Ensemble joins the orchestra, adding voices that layer harmony and personality into familiar themes. This award-winning group has earned multiple DownBeat honors, making vocal jazz another distinct part of the evening alongside the orchestra's seasonal music.

At Helzberg Hall in Kansas City, the combination of the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and the featured vocal ensemble makes this more than a single take on holiday nostalgia. You can come for the Charlie Brown association and stay for the contrast between big-band character, voices and improvisation. It's a seasonal concert with several musical angles to enjoy.

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra brings fresh improvisation to holiday nostalgia; get tickets for A Charlie Brown Christmas.