Happy Birthday Charlie Parker

[barrysloate]

Today is Charlie Parker's 98th birthday. Okay, he only lived to 34, but it's worth remembering this great American original.

The story of Parker's last day on earth is part of jazz legend. On the evening of March 12, 1955, on a rainy night in New York, he knocked on the door of his dear friend and supporter, the Baroness de Koeningswater, telling her he felt ill. She saw how bad he looked, and said she would make him some tea and call a doctor. She emerged from the kitchen five minutes later with a pot of tea to find him dead on her couch.

He was a great genius and soaring talent who changed the face of modern music, but frittered away his life searching for dope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJYO6_t4d08

[Peter_Spaeth]

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[barrysloate]

Nice card Peter...either it's out of focus or I need new glasses.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

Nice card Peter...either it's out of focus or I need new glasses.

There is some print around the letters and elsewhere hat gives it that appearance, it looks better in hand. As this is the only one I have ever seen outside of David Halpen's website, it will have to do. 1958 Swedish Jazzbilder. No cards of him while he was alive as far as I know.

[jerseygary]

I didn't know there was any jazz fans on here - I marked Bird's B'day by playing a bunch of his 1940's sides with Dizzy Gillespie.

Barry, who else is in that Swedish set? I don't think I've ever seen those

[barrysloate]

Gary,
If you're referring to the youtube clip I included, that's Dick Hyman on piano, Sandy Block on bass, and Charlie Smith on drums. While Hyman was quite famous, the latter two were less so and may have played with Parker and Gillespie for that TV appearance only. And it's Earl Wilson giving them their Downbeat awards.

There are very few known film clips of Parker playing live. This one was discovered in the 1970's, and there is another one of Parker but without sound. And maybe one more. Footage of him is rare indeed.

Come to think of it, you meant to ask Peter about the Swedish set of cards? Not sure.

[Paul S]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

There is some print around the letters and elsewhere hat gives it that appearance, it looks better in hand. As this is the only one I have ever seen outside of David Halpen's website, it will have to do. 1958 Swedish Jazzbilder. No cards of him while he was alive as far as I know.

Would have been great if there were a Exhibit.


@Gary - Yes, many of us - anyway, a few handfuls - of cloistered jazz fans here. We hardly ever make an appearance in the "Been To Any Concerts Lately" thread. I try to get into NYC when I can to the jazz clubs...maybe those smaller venues aren't considered a "concert". I dunno.

BTW - I got a "thing" for Sonny Fortune, another alto sax player (alto flute too). First time I got to see him live was in mid Seventies San Francisco, at the long since defunct Keystone Korner.

[barrysloate]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Would have been great if there were a Exhibit.


@Gary - Yes, many of us - anyway, a few handfuls - of cloistered jazz fans here. We hardly ever make an appearance in the "Been To Any Concerts Lately" thread. I try to get into NYC when I can to the jazz clubs...maybe those smaller venues aren't considered a "concert". I dunno.

BTW - I got a "thing" for Sonny Fortune, another alto sax player (alto flute too). First time I got to see him live was in mid Seventies San Francisco, at the long since defunct Keystone Korner.

I have the Sonny Fortune album "Awakening." Haven't played it in a long time, maybe I should give it a listen.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Paul S

Would have been great if there were a Exhibit.


@Gary - Yes, many of us - anyway, a few handfuls - of cloistered jazz fans here. We hardly ever make an appearance in the "Been To Any Concerts Lately" thread. I try to get into NYC when I can to the jazz clubs...maybe those smaller venues aren't considered a "concert". I dunno.

BTW - I got a "thing" for Sonny Fortune, another alto sax player (alto flute too). First time I got to see him live was in mid Seventies San Francisco, at the long since defunct Keystone Korner.

I am almost positive there are no cards of Coltrane either. Basie and Miller have 40s mutoscopes and of course Louis has tons of cards and Ella has quite a few.