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.
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!