‘Kansas City’

Robert Altman calls his 1996 film a “jazz memory,” and no one could hope to improve upon his description of his rich evocation of his hometown in 1934, the year he turned 9. With the effortlessness of the master that he is, Altman spins a tale of a cockamamie kidnapping that keys a meditation upon race, class and corruption set against a gorgeous period tapestry and a glorious celebration of jazz. With Jennifer Jason Leigh (pictured) as a kidnaper over her head (Showtime Tuesday at 9:45 p.m.).