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Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame faces $12K legal bill

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Financial problems have plagued the museum for years.

This spring, the organization's nearly $4,000 check to cover a half-year's insurance on the building bounced.

Between Oct. 1, 2009, and Sept. 30, 2010, the organization reported revenue of $354,429 and expenses of $449,714 — a deficit topping $95,000. The next fiscal year, the center made around $31,000.

Part of the problem for the hall's executives is letting people know that the museum, which has free admission, exists and why Oklahoma needs it.

Dozens of musicians have been inducted, even if they don't hail from Oklahoma. They include greats such as Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as Okie-born guitarist Tommy Crook.

Jazz in Oklahoma evolved as blacks migrated from the South to the Midwest.

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