Bird and Prez Live

Sunday August 29 will be (I believe) the 90th Birthday of one Charlie Parker, a musical trail brazer, who life and music has been recounted, celebrated and mythologized. The Jazz Blog, jazzwax.com has been running an interview with Phil Schaap who has been doing a show devoted to Parker’s music for over thirty years and well worth reading. http://tinyurl.com/schaaponbird5
Also this weekend WKCR in New York is broadcasting its annual Lester Young and Charlie Parker Birthday celebrations. All Lester Young Friday and all Charlie Parker on Saturday.  http://www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/wkcr/

Max Roach 1924-2007

The headline in the New York Times website the afternoon of August 16 said it all. As Peter Keepnews' wrote," Max Roach, a founder of modern jazz who rewrote the rules of drumming in the 1940’s and spent the rest of his career breaking musical barriers and defying listeners’ expectations, died early today in Manhattan. He was 83."
Anyone playing drums stands in his musical shadow. An innovator who never stood musically still. As I write this Columbia University's WKCR is doing a Max Roach marathon in his memory thorugh next Wednesday August 22 where you can experience a musical legacy that few in American musical history can equal. You can listen on the internet by visiting WKCR's website is www.wkcr.org. The link for Peter Keepnews obituary is Max Roach.

Happy Birthday Louis Armstrong

WKCR-FM, from Columbia University, is celebrating the music of Louis Armstrong until 6:00 AM on August 5. The link is http://www.columbia.edu/cu/wkcr/. You can access the internet broadcast on that page.

Without Louis Armstrong, the music of the the United States, even the whole world, would not be the same. Happy Birthday to the great Satchmo.