Giving Kansas City Jazz Fans The Bird

Our community of skeptics always like to remember that this jazz legend HATED Kansas City and didn't remember his hometown as fondly as music aficionados recall his legacy . . . Checkit:

KC Celebrates Charlie 'Bird' Parker on the Centennial of His Birth

Kansas City PBS presents a film looking back at the 21 years Charlie Parker spent in Kansas City and his long-lasting impression on jazz. "Bird: Not Out of Nowhere" premieres Saturday, Aug. 29, at 7 p.m. on Kansas City PBS.

Comments

  1. Jazz is coming back baby!

    Black folks are loving it again!

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  2. ^^^ not really.

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  3. Heritage. One the many great things about KC. Add in BBQ, museums, sports, rail and highway hub, decent commute, higher ed, great suburbs, decent housing costs. There is still much to love even if the haters would have you believe otherwise.

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    1. You're right. The suburbs are great.

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    2. Because the record-setting murder rate and gross incompetence and corruption in local government is just hating you guys!

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    3. The burbs of KC are great.

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  4. ^^^ that’s funny right there! Sarcasm is perfect for this situation!

    But why do they waste so much tax payer dollars on a guy who hated kc so much he begged everybody that before he died said don’t bury me in kc!

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  5. My jazz teacher Greg Mize said there's only two bad weeks in a musician's year. Christmas week and a week in Kansas City.

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    1. Cue up the dirge. Here come the haters ...

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  6. All one needs to start is a rhythm section - drummer, bass player and piano. Before doing so, take a look in the mirror and if you're a white person forget about it.

    I'm white and one lesson I wish I would of had explained better or been more informed about was that jazz was a black mans music. Probably still is. One should know/learn about pain and suffering these black guys had to endure. WW II didn't help out the music scene either - more or less ruined it.

    But if you're still inclined to make a go of it jazz music making wise and you're a white person you'll simply have to do it better to gain any respect.

    If you're black, one could gain access to all of Parkers work via the internet, learn it, and pattern yourselves after what was done by him/they. Note - you will need to be a fluent transcription reader - these guys could fly.

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  7. He hated Kansas City.

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  8. The problem with your theory @8:37 is that you limit the definition of "Jazz" to the 1930s!

    Jazz started declining immediately after WWII, and was moribund by 1955, then suddenly made a comeback thanks to Mancini (White) and Getz (also White). the revival slowed down, but then picked up again in the 70s, when Mangione (White) and Adair (White) revived it once more. And now, thanks to YouTube and groups like PMJ (Mixed, mostly white) it is healthy and thriving.

    You are correct only if you limit yourself to the narrow, repetitive and tightly-closed circle that thinks Jazz ended with Be-bop.

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  9. ^^and only lonely geriatrics seem to care, and nobody listens to them anyway. Weird.

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  10. Maybe I was around before 9:01 - my teachers started teaching in the 1950's. They teach how it was - did I have a teacher who'd show up at secret weekend jam sessions when davis came to town? Possibly, but I was one with the you didn't need to know delegation.
    I'll add race differences were not brought up mostly in school I'd think because of desegregation and students - forget the history, make these kids get along.

    I've always thought of Mangione as a contemporary smooth listening horn blower, not jazz - I learned with the big band stuff and to a lessor extent, basin street ensemble type situation{s} during school.

    If there were to be a Billie Holiday type of girl back then who just happened to not show any gun shyness attempting to be a frontman/person while on stage I'd think safe to venture that route too, even today.

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  11. Charlie Parker hated Kansas City as much as Martin Luther King.

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  12. @9:45, you must not be familiar with the PMJ phenomenon if you think there aren't any Holiday types around.

    Do yourself a favor and watch some "Post Modern Jukebox" videos on YouTube, then search out some of the names headlining there for the small concert performances and tours.

    Oh, and welcome back to the 20s!

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  13. Q Ball is a world class boneaphonist. He also plays the skin-flute. 9:38 plays a mean meat whistle.

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