Curator, Marr Sound Archives Director and Charlie Parker Biographer Chuck Haddix Discusses Charlie Parker's "Bird in Kansas City"

Maggie discusses in depth, the release of Charlie Parker's "Bird in Kansas City" with Chuck Haddix, curator, Director of the Marr Sound Archives in Kansas City and Charlie Parker Biographer.
Charlie Parker had a complicated relationship with his hometown of Kansas City, MO owing both to its history of racial segregation and to his strong ties to his family and friends there. This new set of rare recordings dating from between 1941-1951—most of them never having been heard before and some never even having been known to exist—chronicle Bird’s evolution from a blossoming soloist with the Jay McShann Band into a brilliant improviser who dominated the jazz landscape for decades to come. In addition to two unreleased 78s with the McShann band, this set offers two sets of private recordings (at the home of Bird’s friend Phil Baxter and at Vic Damon’s studio) made with local musicians and a very relaxed-sounding Parker who has the room to really stretch out and show us the shape of jazz that was to come in his wake. This recording provides a fascinating look into Parker's development.

Sources: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/charlie-parker-bird-in-kansas-city/

Sources: https://www.kansascitypbs.org/local-shows/bird-not-out-of-nowhere/chuck-haddix/

Sources: https://library.umkc.edu/bird/

Host Maggie LePique, a radio veteran since the 1980's at NPR in Kansas City Mo. She began her radio career in Los Angeles in the early 1990's and has worked for Pacifica station KPFK Radio in Los Angeles since 1994.