Vinx

A Kansas City native, Vinx always seems to make room for a local date, though that probably comes with misgivings. According to his bio, he was severely burned when his family's house in the KC suburbs was burned down by racists. But that didn't keep him down for long. Inducted into the Kansas State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996, Vinx had the second-best triple jump in the world in 1980. In the world, for Pete's sake. His résumé as a musician is even more amazing. He's played with the Bus Boys, Sting and, recently, in a drums-and-bass-heavy combo called Jungle Funk, with Doug Wimbish and Will Calhoun, best known as the rhythm section for Living Colour. His twelve-year solo career as a percussionist/singer/solo performer began with world-music slow jams, progressed through international performances and now features his funky, percussive takes on Hoagy Carmichael classics. Catch him quick -- who knows what he'll be doing next time through town.