Join us as we celebrate the life,
the music, and the iconic legacy
of Kansas City’s own:
Charlie “Yardbird” Parker!
Please keep checking back for More Events for 2024! *Artists and Venues subject to change at any time. Please confirm with Venue directly.
A musical salute to Charlie Parker, following Bird Boot Camp at his memorial.
MOVED INSIDE DUE TO EXCESSIVE HEAT
EVENT HISTORY
BIRD BOOT CAMP began in 2014 as part of the original Charlie Parker celebration that was initiated (Spotlight: Charlie Parker) by the Jazz catalyst nonprofit organization, Kansas City Jazz A.L.I.V.E. The originator of the Boot Camp program idea was Greg Carroll, who partnered with Clarence Smith and they successfully modeled their one-day educational (Charlie Parker Student Music Boot Camp) event after some of the premier jazz camps and other music education programming they’d developed or initiated at various points in their respective professional careers over the years.
Spotlighting the life and musical contributions of Charlie Parker, Jr. (b. August 29, 1920, Kansas City, Kansas – d. March 12, 1955, New York, New York) by the entire greater Kansas City metropolitan area community was also considered to be long overdue among this initial consortium of noted artists, educators, Jazz venue owners, and arts institutions in the region.
In 2019, Burnett Music Foundation, a relatively new Jazz nonprofit organization, was asked to take over the program and has since assumed the primary role of artistic director and administrator, handling every detail of Bird Boot Camp – from the itinerary schedule for the day, booking artists and clinicians, organizing a coherent program, to funding the entire event through sponsorships, donations, and grants to preclude possible financial barriers to participation.
BMF added the Musical Salute element as well. In 2020 Burnett Music Foundation earned a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for Bird Boot Camp + Musical Salute. In 2021 the event was again very successful, was professionally produced, and held in downtown Kansas City at The Folly Theater. (URL: BirdBootCamp.org)
+MUSICAL SALUTE
The late Eddie Baker conceived a “21 Sax Salute” at Charlie Parker’s gravesite in Lincoln Cemetery where all of the area saxophonists would congregate to pay musical tribute to “Bird.” The tradition was resumed by Ahmad Alaadeen in 2002 up until his passing. The salute was conducted sporadically until the cemetery owner restricted public access to the historic site. Bird Boot Camp took up the “Musical Salute” as part of our programming in 2019 when Burnett Music Foundation took over administration.
PHOTOGRAPH: 2007 Charlie Parker Lincoln Cemetery Gravesite Tribute – Participating musicians shown (L-R) are: Horace Washington, David Basse, Stanton Kessler, Dan Jaffe, Bobby Watson, Kevin Gregg, Loren Pickford, Christopher Burnett, Ahmed Alaadeen, and Mike Corrigan.
Gerald Spaits: “An Evening with Sax and Violins”
Sax and Violins is a jazz combo and string ensemble that performs original music and arrangements of jazz classics.
Aug 20, 7:00 PM
Logan Richardson’s playing is beyond lyrical—his alto sax often functioning more as a lead vocalist than a virtuoso solo instrument.
Known for his adventurous, genre-bending jazz, Logan Richardson is an American-born, Paris-based alto saxophonist. He has been a professional musician since he was 16, and came to wider recognition after moving to New York and issuing his 2007 debut, the post-bop-influenced Cerebral Flow. He has performed with a variety of jazz musicians including Joe Chambers, Billy Hart, Butch Morris, Greg Osby, Stefon Harris, the World Saxophone Quartet, Arthur Blythe, and Jason Moran. He is also a member of the Next Collective.
While he is well versed in the jazz tradition, he has proven to be an eclectic, forward-thinking artist whose albums like 2015’s Shift (which featured guitarist Pat Metheny) and 2018’s Blues People showcase his love of mixing jazz with searing rock fusion, hip-hop, electronic rhythms, and Americana.
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From his beginnings as one of Chicago’s most thrilling young trumpeters, to his current status as an internationally renowned musician, composer and bandleader, Marquis Hill has worked tirelessly to break down the barriers that divide musical genres. Contemporary and classic jazz, hip-hop, R&B, Chicago house, neo-soul—to Hill, they’re all essential elements of the profound African-American creative heritage he’s a part of. “It all comes from the same tree,” he says. “They simply blossomed from different branches.”
Friday, 8/25 – Logan Richardson & Blues People featuring Marquis Hill
PHOTOS – 2023 Spotlight: Charlie Parker Artist In Residence, Tia Fuller was invited to sit in by Logan Richardson & Marquis Hill. Photos by Greg Carroll.
Named after the famed 1930s Street Hotel club in the Historic 18th & Vine Jazz District, The Blue Room simultaneously honors the past and showcases the present names in jazz. A multifaceted exhibit highlighting the countless musicians who crafted “Kansas City jazz,” a sound known all over the world, The Blue Room also provides a distinctive platform to present dynamic performances from the best local and national jazz talent in an intimate setting. At the Blue Room, upcoming bands, seasoned veterans of the local jazz scene, national talent and internationally renowned jazz artists share the spotlight.
In The Yard: Annual Outdoor Music Celebration
Celebrate Charlie Parker’s Birthday weekend during our annual outdoor concert event in our backyard!
Opening Brunch at the Phoenix, featuring Millie Edwards
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Join us for a night of live jazz from Kansas City’s finest musicians and special guests to celebrate the 104th birthday of the legendary Charlie Parker!
Charlie Parker was a pioneering saxophonist and composer who called Kansas City home, and his legacy lives on in the thriving jazz community today.
Musicians include: Bram Wijnands, Lucy Wijnands + Kadesh Flow!
This event is FREE and open to all ages. Seating is communal and limited.
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
* Sunday, August 18, 3pm, AJM Atrium – “INTERSECTIONS OF BIRD & MILES.” With Chuck Haddix, Director of the Marr Sound Archives, and performances by JAZZ Spoken Here with Charles Williams, Brad Gregory, Jason Goudeau, Mike Parkinson, Forest Stewart & Sam Platt. More information forthcoming.
Kansas City Jazz ALIVE is proud to present 2024 Spotlight: Charlie Parker – shining a bright light on the musical genius of Kansas City’s own Charlie “Yardbird” Parker! Please join us for a discussion of Bird’s musical legacy and his everlasting influence on modern music.
For this session we will have the following panelists: (Panelists subject to change)
- Carl Allen – Drummer, Educator and Director of Jazz Studies at UMKC
- Carolyn Glenn Brewer – Author, Historian and Educator
- Houston Smith – KC-Based Alto Saxophonist
- Steve Kraske – Moderator and Host of KCUR’s Up-To-Date
Join us at 5:30pm (Doors: 5pm) at the Kansas City Public Library: Central Library for this exciting panel discussion. Bring your thoughts and questions with you! We are planning for an interactive and engaging discussion. Parking is available in the library garage.
Thank you for taking the time to fill out your registration. This demographic data is very valuable to us as a nonprofit organization for grants.
Thank you to our sponsors: Kansas City’s Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Performing Arts, Commerce Bank, Trustee
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
About this event
Kansas City Jazz Alive’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2024, celebrates the jazz icon’s 104th birthday with jam sessions and musical tributes, tours, lectures, exhibits, panel discussions, workshops, and concerts. The annual program was developed to honor Parker (also known as “Bird”), his legacy, and impact on jazz in Kansas City and worldwide. Highlighting this year’s Spotlight: Charlie Parker will be this Capstone Celebration with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra.
More on the Evening’s Program:
Charlie Parker’s influence imbues every facet of jazz today, and this year’s spotlight will brightly shine on his musical legacy through a vibrant evening with The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Emceeing this big band celebration of Parker’s artistry is historian, author, and radio personality Chuck Haddix – who literally wrote the book on “Bird.” Throughout the evening, Chuck will provide the listener with a rich perspective of Parker stories in his inimitable voice. KC’s preeminent big band, The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra has curated an evening of purely Parker tunes, arranged specifically for this concert. Songs like Anthropology, Parker’s Mood, Now’s The Time, and more will ring through the historic Folly Theater and into the hearts of everyone filling the seats. While there is no shortage of Bird represented in the big band idiom, each arrangement on this night will be tailored to showcase Kansas City’s phenomenal talent, in our infectiously swinging regional style. If you’re a fan of the saxophone, get ready for some burning solos by five of our city’s finest! This is truly a contemporary celebration of one of the most legendary artists of all time. Bird Lives, indeed!
Kansas City Jazz Alive would like to thank the following Sponsors for making this event possible: Neighborhood Tourism Development Fund (NTDF), Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Martha Lee Cain Tranby Music Enrichment Fund, Buttonwood Financial Group, Gill Studios and the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra. Support for this project is provided by the Metzler Initiative at the Folly Theater.
EVENT SPONSORS
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Millie Edwards is known in Kansas City for her big voice and wide vocal range. She has been a regular on the Kansas City jazz and blues circuit, performing at the best clubs and in radio and television spots. Music critics have praised her as revealing “a confident, full-range voice that has no doubt been heard in church on many a Sunday.”
Details soon!