Baker Proud Summer 2018 - 13

You'll be missed!

Mahogany also published the magazine The Jazz Singer,
taught at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the
University of Miami, and received an honorary degree
from Baker in 2001. More recently, he was honored with
the 2016 Jazz San Javier Award at the 19th San Javier
International Jazz Festival in Spain. This award was established to recognize influential and exceptional music
figures and their contribution to the history of jazz.
Dr. J.D. Parr, instructor of woodwinds and former
director of the Baker Jazz Ensemble,
has a favorite memory of Mahogany
from the 2015 Baker University Jazz
Festival. Mahogany often came back to
his roots to teach students and perform
on campus, but this experience was a
bit different. Parr had booked another
performer for the event, Ken Peplowski, a world-renowned jazz clarinetist.
Upon arriving at Parr's office and
seeing a signed photo of Mahogany behind the desk, Peplowski called up his
old friend, who happened to be in the
area, and convinced him to join him in Baldwin City.
"Kevin came dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, and
performed with my guest artist," Parr said. "It was just
a real treat for everyone in the audience. Totally off the
cuff, the performance was all improv and unannounced.
My students were just giddy with euphoria watching him
perform."
Diana Gish, '82, has fond memories of performing
alongside Mahogany in musicals and in jazz band as an
integral part of her Baker experience. She remembers him

as kind, funny, and thoughtful, but most important, he
was dedicated to his art.
In October, Gish had the opportunity to watch Mahogany perform for a final time at the Blue Room at 18th and
Vine in Kansas City. While waiting for the sold-out show to
begin, she struck up a conversation with Wayne Bates, '82,
another fellow classmate and jazz band member. The two
enjoyed the "thrilling" performance and caught up with
Mahogany afterward.
"It was amazing," Gish said. "The
crowd was so happy and lively, just enjoying him as a musician. I was bursting
with pride that he was my friend."
Gish believes that Mahogany's success came from two things: his personality and his deep respect for the jazz community and his role in the jazz tradition.
She called him an "ambassador of KC
jazz" and is proud to have known him.
"I feel really honored to have been
friends with Kevin," Gish said. "I feel
really, really sad that he's gone too
soon. He's a person of whom Baker should be tremendously proud.
Parr agrees, and believes Mahogany leaves behind a
rich legacy that helped establish Baker as a strong jazz
institution.
"It's a real source of pride that one of the world's greatest male jazz singers went to Baker," Parr said. "He's considered one of the most elite jazz vocalists in the world,
and it's just something we should all be proud of. He was a
world ambassador for Baker University."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baker Proud Summer 2018