Danny Cox: Press

After 33 years of working in Kansas City’s urban neighborhoods, Roger Coleman – community activist and director of Pilgrim Center - was frustrated. Despite all the ballyhoo about downtown development and urban revitalization, there was a growing incidence of violence, suffering and helplessness among the residents he served.

Coleman wasn’t the only one who noticed. As a result of his musical interest, he met several local musicians who shared his concern. Together they began to focus on Kansas City’s Troost Avenue as a metaphor for the problems plaguing urban communities.

"Troost has always been a dividing line," says Joe Miquelon, a well-known Kansas City piano and sax player who has worked nationally with a variety of artists, including Bonnie Raitt. He currently plays with Ida McBeth. "The perception is that everything east of Troost is the epicenter of Kansas City's social and economic problems."

Area singer Danny Cox, who has earned a national reputation for both his folk and rhythm & blues vocals, recalls the early 1960s, when Troost Avenue around 31st Street was a bustling economic district for the African-American community. "Today, the area is characterized by vacant lots, second-hand stores and crumbling infrastructure."

The issue, according to Cox, Miquelon and Coleman: Although the media carried stories about the disintegration of the urban core, few west of Troost – especially elected officials and community leaders - seemed to care. So the three artists/activists decided to use the universal language of music to bring the problems of urban Kansas City to life in a way that people could relate to on an emotional level. "Folks who don't respond to sermons, speeches or even news stories will relate to the power of good music," Coleman says.

The three men joined forces to create Troost Avenue Blues, a vibrant blues song that portrays life in Kansas City's urban core...and the rest of urban America. "There's a major street in every city that separates the poor from the rest of the community in an effort to contain social problems," explains Coleman, who wrote the lyrics for Troost Avenue Blues. "The lyrics convey the real truth of living in the urban neighborhoods; they include characters and incidents that I have witnessed.”

Miquelon wrote the score for the 30-minute piece. He utilized three different blues styles - Delta blues, Kansas City-style blues and gospel blues - to convey the range of emotions among the vivid characters who populate Troost Avenue Blues.

Coleman and Miquelon produced the CD, with Danny Cox as vocalist backed by Miquelon and other top area musicians. Because Cox's vocal rendition added so much depth and humanity to the lyrics, his name was added to the title: Danny Cox's Troost Avenue Blues.

"I'm so proud of this release," Miquelon says. "I know the music business