In K.C., the Vine's 2nd Act

Her husband baby-sits while she fits in night rehearsals across the street at the Gem Theater. The 1912 silent-movie house is a restored art nouveau performance venue; Hancock and Wynton Marsalis are among the big names who'll perform there this winter.

I chat with another jazz entrepreneur the following night. Sebrina McCrainey, 37, is tucking into a steak and a second career as owner of the Red Vine, cater-corner from the Gem.

McCrainey's vision for her upscale club was the Funky Buddha, her Chicago favorite. Eight months ago, the former telecommunications executive opened this club on The Vine with Creole recipes from her husband's family and lots of personality from hers.

The Red Vine is young and relaxed, like its owner, and the handsome crowd feels like family -- for a reason. On hand are McCrainey's husband, Emanuel; mom Louise Johnson; and sisters Sheila and Roxanne, each of whom gives me a hug and a suggestion on dessert. Between sets I meet Turrell, who circumnavigated the room during his Grover Washington tribute.

As he pauses by the bar, a grandmotherly fan pulls a five-dollar bill from a well-built purse. "You were real good," she says heartily.

In a black Kangol cap, gold tooth glittering, Turrell accepts the tip with nonchalance. Women like to tuck bills under his cap, he tells me; he made $100 that way the other night. But the gigs are paying pretty well, too. Like Henry and McCrainey, the 34-year-old is making a jazz living -- with tonight's band, Finesse, and another dubbed Jabon (shorthand for just a bunch of noise). And the Mutual Musicians Foundation wants him to host a Friday jam session.

With that invitation, Turrell will revisit history. The Foundation was immortalized in the "627 Stomp," Joe Turner's boogie-woogie salute to the black musicians' union local.

The 627, around the corner on Highland Avenue, was a combination rehearsal hall, booking office and training ground for jazz musicians. When canceled gigs stranded Count Basie in Kansas City, the union kept his band afloat. Eighty years after its founding, its late-night celebrations still attract a crowd.

Like all last sets, Turrell's midnight finale at the Red Vine is his mellowest and best. He effortlessly retraces three-quarters of a century in one smooth fusion number, using tools made on Vine: syncopated swing, boogie woogie and be-bop. As he arches back for one last note, the crowd reaches back with him, relaxing on the axis on the wheel of life.

Christine H. O'Toole is a freelance writer in Pittsburgh.

Details: K.C.'s Vine District

GETTING THERE: US Airways, Midwest, American and United are among the airlines offering service from Washington to Kansas City, Mo., with round-trip fares starting at about $225, with restrictions. The easiest way to get to "The Vine" district at 18th and Vine is by cab, less than 10 minutes from downtown and the convention center.

WHERE TO STAY: No hotels are in the 18th and Vine area, but major chains are a short cab ride away, including the Marriott Downtown (200 W. 12th St., 800-228-9290, www.marriott.com), the Hyatt Regency at Crown Center (2345 McGee St., 800-233-1234, www.crowncenter.hyatt.com) and the Westin Crown Center Hotel (1 Pershing Rd., 800-228-3000, www.starwoodhotels.com).