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Jim Mair

Multi Instrumentalist -saxes,flute,piano,vocals, drums and college jazz professor

About Me

Jim Mair Jim Mair is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in saxophone, flute, percussion, jazz piano and voice. As a High School Student in 1984, he played lead tenor saxophone in the Canadian High School All Star Big Band and that same year his Quintet was selected top combo in Canada. At age 19, Down Beat magazine recognized Jim as a young musician deserving wider recognition.

He has been a full time college professor for 25 years. In 2017, he was the recipient of the University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance Alumni Achievement Award. In 2015, the University of West London, College of Music in England awarded Jim an Honorary degree. In 2014, he received the League for Innovation Excellence in Education Award and in 2013 was the recipient of the Henry Louis Outstanding KCKCC Faculty member award. In 1996, he received the University of Mary Alumni Recognition Award.

As a director/performer, his ensembles have appeared at the Havana Jazz Festival in Cuba (actually in Cuba when the President Obama lifted the sanctions), the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the IAJE and JEN Conferences, Birdland in New York City along with the JVC Jazz Festival and at Carnegie Hall. He has conducted multiple All State Jazz Ensembles.

He has served as a clinician/adjudicator across North America for the Conn- Selmer Instrument company for over 25 years. He has been a CD reviewer for the Saxophone Journal and a jazz radio host across the northwestern United States on National Public Radio. Jim has been a featured cover story on four periodicals and voted Best Saxophonist by the readers of JAM magazine in Kansas City.

Jim and his wife Mary founded the non-profit Kansas City Jazz Orchestra and the Kansas City Jazz Alliance, two of Kansas City’s most active jazz organizations presenting a subscription series, monthly concerts, annual festivals, camps and frequent master classes. Jim co-founded of the Idaho All-State Jazz component and the Prairie Village Jazz Festival. In 2017, the Kansas City Jazz Alliance was recognized by the Johnny Pacheco Latin Jazz Festival at Lehman College in NYC as an organization of Jazz Distinction. Jim holds music degrees from the University of Mary and the UMKC Conservatory of Music, and has done additional study at the Banff Jazz Workshop and the Aspen Music Festival.

Fun Facts: 1. Sparred with Muhammad Ali 2. Gave clinic to a high school band from North Pole, Alaska 3. Asked by and served a cup of coffee to Andre the Giant. 4. Was the only passenger on a commercial airline flight from Kansas City to Salt Lake City. The pilot welcomed me by name and the flight attendants said, “help yourself to anything you like, we need to get some sleep.” 5. Rode with the band Jethro Tull in a shuttle to the airport. 6. Performed the Star Spangled Banner on saxophone at a Kansas City Chiefs game.