JAY MCSHANN (pianist, composer, bandleader, vocalist ) was born January 12, 1909 in Muskogee, Oklahoma and passed away December 7, 2006 in Kansas City Missouri. Also known as “Hootie”, McShann along with bandleader Count Basie had a major role in the swinging jazz scene of 1930’s Kansas City. McShann’s band showcased a young Charlie Parker and Ben Webster among others. At the height of the band’s performing and recording career, McShann was drafted for service in WWII. Post-war McShann led a number of small groups, which featured Ben Webster and Jimmy Witherspoon. Absent from the limelight for a number of years, McShann had a career resurgence in 1969, resuming touring and recording into the 1990s, most notably with Duke Robillard on Edmonton’s Stony Plain label.