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Kansas City Jazz Quartet Performs in China as Part of Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation Symposium
A group of celebrated Kansas City jazz musicians recently traveled to China for a series of performances, community visits, and a masterclass highlighting the global reach of our city’s jazz legacy. Saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist Charles Williams, bassist James Ward, and drummer Jaylan Ward were invited by the Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation (ESMF) to participate in their bi-annual symposium in October.
During the trip, the quartet performed in multiple cities and led a jazz masterclass for local musicians. “They love jazz, and we were over there to share our knowledge and have fun,” Williams said. “It was just fantastic.”
The musicians also joined staff from Children’s Mercy Hospital for visits to Chinese hospitals, where they performed for patients and met with families and clinicians.
The symposium honors the legacy of Kansas City–born journalist Edgar Snow, whose reporting in the 1930s and 1940s helped shape early Western understanding of modern China. ESMF board member Allan Gray helped organize and fundraise for the musicians’ visit.
