The Green Lady Lounge (1809 Grand Blvd Kansas City, Missouri 64108) has live jazz 365 days a year. The place definitely isn’t green, the walls are all blood red. When Pam Schwartz and I entered,we had to wait for our eyes to adjust to the dark before finding a table. We got there just before the musicians arrived and set up their instruments. The Tim Whitmer Quartet was on the bill for the night. They epitomize Kansas City’s Swing Jazz legacy. The drummer was the first to set up. But unfortunately when the other players pressed into the small staging area, I lost sight of him. At the Green Lady there is never a cover charge and seating is open.
Each table had an artificial LED candle, Pam secured me a second candle so I could see the sketch page. Even with the flickering light it was impossible to see colors or values for that matter. The first brush stroke of red looked like pure black in the low light. In some ways painting under such conditions is thrilling since I only get to see what I did once the event is over.