Where Ragtime Learned to Swing

"Where Ragtime Learned to Swing" celebrates Missouri's extraordinary contribution to American music by tracing the evolution from Sedalia's ragtime tradition, made famous by Scott Joplin, to the vibrant Kansas City Jazz scene that transformed swing music. Jesse Owens and Lila Hartwell take listeners on a musical journey across the state, where syncopated piano rhythms gradually give way to walking bass lines, soaring saxophones, warm trumpets, and joyful brass. July 18, 2026