1 O'Clock in the Afternoon, the Last Sunday in August, at Lincoln Cemetery
Mark that on your calendar. That is, has been, and will always be the day that those who know and remember Charlie "Bird" Parker will gather at his grave for a simple, musical tribute.
Last year was my first time. I took my daughter, young Galadriel Tanqueray Onassis with me. I wrote about it here.
The turn out was bigger last year. In previous years it was bigger still. In 2007 the BBC came over to cover it and jazz luminaries from all over were in attendance.
Many of the "fans" who turned out that year only had a vague notion of who Charlie Parker was (many probably had him confused with Louis Armstrong or Dizzy Gillespie) and only sallied forth from their Johnson County Gated Community to show up and show off.
This year, well, it was smaller.
But size doesn't matter. What matters is that the tribute and commemoration continue.
The man carrying the torch for this event is Dennis Winslett. This sacred charge was laid upon Mr. Winslett by his mentor, Ahmad Alaadeen with his dying breath.
There are still people who care about Charlie Parker and his legacy. The Jazz Ambassadors sent flowers.
I believe this wreath was provided by one of the attendees.
And this tribute came all the way from Jazz Tokyo Magazine.
Seems that people in Japan have more reverence for Charlie Parker than Kansas City jazz musicians do. Flowers showed up.
After the tribute, in an informal graveside chat, Dennis Winslett gave a great analogy. He said jazz musicians like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane are like the fashion designers of the music industry.
Nobody actually wears the clothes that Versace sends down the runway. But his design ideas reverberate through the fashion industry and echoes of them find their way into the style elements that real people do wear.
You might not listen to cutting edge jazz, but it will find its way to you whether or not you recognize from whence it came. Here are some more images from the day.
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