Jazz Museum Still Owes Vendors

The American Jazz Museum in American Jazz Museum, Miss., still owes vendors $150,000 for a festival held in May.

– American Jazz Museum

The City Council Finance and Government Committee held a discussion with museum officials following news that 10 of the 75 musicians who performed at the May 26-28 Kansas City Jazz and Heritage Festival had received checks that bounced, according to The Kansas City Star.

The musicians were paid, but the museum still owes vendors the $150,000.

Larry Kips, president of Aching Backline Rentals, which provided stage gear and equipment at the festival, received a check that bounced and is still owed $15,000.

“They’re becoming gamblers,” Kips told the paper, “I’m a service provider. I don’t want to be a gambler.”

The museum has a yearly budget of $500,000 in monthly payments of about $42,000. The city advanced the museum $117,000 in an effort to cover some of the money still owned.

City Councilman Scott Wagner told the paper that the annual budget was not intended to help pay for the festival. More money for the museum would require approval from the City Council. – Ron Camacho