Blue Room
The Blue Room is the American Jazz Museum's working jazz club — a living exhibit in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District with live performances every Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Regular hours
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 7 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Friday | 5 PM – 11 PM |
| Saturday | 7 PM – 11 PM |
Performances & cover
Friday
- Indigo Hour, 5 PM — $5 (AJM members free)
- Sets at 8:30 & 10 PM — $10 per set
Saturday
- Sets at 8:30 & 10 PM — $10 per set
Monday
- Jam Sessions, 7 PM — $10 (members, musicians & students free)
Jazz @ Noon — first & second Thursdays
- Noon — Free
Some special shows are priced separately. See the full schedule and reserve tickets.
Upcoming events
This week at the Blue Room
| Day | Date | Event | Time | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Oct 12 | Monday Night Jam Session – Tetsuya NishiyamaGuitarist Tetsuya Nishiyama's trio won Outstanding Jazz at the 2026 Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards. | 7 pm | Tickets for Monday Night Jam Session – Tetsuya Nishiyama (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 16 | Indigo Hour – The Musicology BandKansas City Parks billed The Musicology Band's April show as a "masterclass" in funk, R&B, pop, rock, Motown, and blues. | 5:30 pm | Tickets for Indigo Hour – The Musicology Band (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 16 | Sound on Sound KCSound on Sound KC, the Kansas City jazz ensemble Chris Lewis leads from the piano, recorded the CD Spirits High. | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Sound on Sound KC (opens in a new tab) |
| Sat | Oct 17 | Josué Estrada BandWichita trumpeter Josué Estrada toured with Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy before forming his own band in 2022. | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Josué Estrada Band (opens in a new tab) |
| Mon | Oct 19 | Monday Night Jam Session – Levi BirksThe Truman Foundation named drummer Levi Birks a 2026 scholarship recipient in UMKC's jazz program. | 7 pm | Tickets for Monday Night Jam Session – Levi Birks (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 23 | Indigo Hour – Big Luke & The Soul DisciplesBig Luke & The Soul Disciples won the Kansas City Blues Society's 2023 Road to Memphis band contest. | 5:30 pm | Tickets for Indigo Hour – Big Luke & The Soul Disciples (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 23 | Adam Larson QuartetSaxophonist Adam Larson's With Love, From Chicago drew 4.5 stars from DownBeat. | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Adam Larson Quartet (opens in a new tab) |
| Sat | Oct 24 | Sonderluss SoulBassist Charlie Harris founded Sonderluss Soul, a band that calls its sound "genre-less." | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Sonderluss Soul (opens in a new tab) |
| Mon | Oct 26 | Monday Night Jam Session – Loren BroaddusPlastic Sax says French horn player Loren Broaddus "proves he's a top-tier talent" on his June album, Blackout!! | 7 pm | Tickets for Monday Night Jam Session – Loren Broaddus (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 30 | Indigo Hour – TJ Hooker-TaylorTJ Hooker-Taylor, the son of soul-blues singer Johnnie Taylor, sings at Indigo Hour. | 5:30 pm | Tickets for Indigo Hour – TJ Hooker-Taylor (opens in a new tab) |
| Fri | Oct 30 | Stan KesslerTrumpeter Stan Kessler, inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame in 2021, plays the Blue Room on Friday. | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Stan Kessler (opens in a new tab) |
| Sat | Oct 31 | Mo BettaMo Betta closes out October with two sets at the Blue Room on Halloween night. | 8:30 pm & 10 pm | Tickets for Mo Betta (opens in a new tab) |
History
In the 1930s, the Street Hotel located at 18th & The Paseo was known as a safe place for African American travelers. Included in The Negro Motorist Green Book, it’s where Jackie Robinson lived when he was in town. The hotel’s famous night club was called “The Blue Room.” Named after the famous lounge, our jazz club is both an exhibit and a venue that provides an intimate setting for performances from the best local and national jazz talent.
