March for Mott-Ly

Tomorrow, the friends, acquaintances and admirers of the late, beloved artist Mott-Ly are sending the golden fellow off in Crossroads KC style. A jazz funeral march is scheduled for this Friday around 5:30 p.m., beginning in front of YJs Snack Bar at 18th and Wyandotte and moving east to the Late Show Gallery at 1600 Cherry.

Here’s the official dispatch, from Bob Asher:

As many of you may have heard, our friend, artist, and long-time local provocateur, Mott-ly passed away unexpectedly earlier this week. There will be a memorial procession for him next Friday as folks from our community turn out to support each other. In order to pay our respects to friends and family, and to keep a longtime (and long lost) Kansas City tradition, the Dirty Force Brass Knuckle Street Band and Soul Revue will turn out a huge krewe to walk with everyone. If you can make it, we’d sure appreciate it. It’s how we roll during times like these that demonstrates our concern and commitment to all the good folks we live with.

We will meet up at YJs Snack Bar starting around 5:30pm next Friday, June 9. Probably around 6:00pm there will be a procession that forms up and will walk down 18th to Walnut, and turn north to Tom Dethridge;s Late Show gallery at (I think) 16th and Walnut. That’s about all I know at this point, I can fill in details later. We will not have time for practice this week and I doubt that it’s necessary. We will be playing our standards, dirges like Blue Monk and the Kansas City Blues and then cutting up with songs like Lil Tiger Jane, Saints, etc.

If you have white gloves, please bring them and wear. Any kind of special dress/costume would be good, but don’t sweat it if time is tight. We’d just like you there. If you know others coming down, have ’em bring a pan and a spoon or something to make noise with and everyone can join in with the band.

In conclusion, I feel deeply honored that Mott-ly’s closest friends and family turned to the Dirty Force for help and support and I intend to do everything I can to honor him. I hope you will, too.

If you have any questions or anything, please give me a call at (816) 405-4217. Otherwise, we’ll see you next Friday!