Meet the 5 artists of this year's MO Jazz Music Festival coming to Columbia

A bridge between summer and fall, the annual one-day MO Jazz Music Festival also exists to connect a variety of jazz and jazz-informed sounds.

This year's affair, upcoming on Sept. 7 in the green space at Rose Park, showcases artists from around Missouri and the greater globe. Here's a look at this year's lineup, in reverse chronological order:

6:30 p.m.: Paa Kow and His Afro-Fusion Orchestra

Well-versed in jazz and highlife sounds, Ghana-born, Denver-based drummer Paa Kow quite literally brings a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience wherever he goes. Kow performs on "a custom, hand-carved, traditionally inspired Ghanaian drum set that is the only one of its kind in the world," according to his website . The music he and his band, which can reach up to nine pieces, play rolls forward rhythmically and achieves crisp yet dense textures.

5 p.m.: Bob DeBoo Quintet

Bassist Bob DeBoo is a St. Louis-area fixture with a wider reach, having played with a seriously diverse cast of musicians: David Sanborn, Alarm Will Sound, Matt Wilson, the St. Louis Symphony and more. DeBoo and his band will bring these finely-tuned ears and wide-open hearts to their set.

3:40 p.m.: KC Latin Jazz Orchestra

Grads from Kansas City's Latin Jazz Institute pool their talent alongside jazz lifers in this dynamic ensemble. Audiences will hear a real-time working-out of real-world traditions, as an array of rhythms and folk melodies hit the atmosphere.

2:20 p.m. James Ward Band

Bassist Ward — who has played with the likes of Bobby Watson and Oleta Adams — has led this fixture on the Kansas City scene for nearly 20 years. The band's work goes down smooth, bending toward funk and gospel rhythms, and cool-as-the-other-side-of-the-pillow melodicism.

1 p.m. Mizzou Concert Jazz Band

Hear the future of jazz in the present tense, as these talented students perform under the direction of Sam Griffith.

As usual, the festival is free; the music begins at 1 p.m. Sept. 7. Learn more at https://rosemusichall.com/event/2024-mo-jazz-music-festival/ .

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Meet the 5 artists of this year's MO Jazz Music Festival coming to Columbia