The Lost Jazz Shrines series is dedicated to bringing legendary NYC jazz clubs back into the consciousness of the world with a thorough remembrance and celebration. In celebration of the resonant history of Birdland, we will examine the musical and stylistic legacy of Charlie Parker through three completely different lenses and cultural perspectives. This will be achieved through the efforts of three exceptional alto saxophonists.
Rudresh Mahanthappa will present recontextualizations of Charlie Parker’s work as well as new material based on extractions of Bird’s vocabulary as both composer and improviser. Mahanthappa's celebrated groundbreaking approach of synthesizing the traditions of jazz with modern musical concepts exemplifies the spirit of Bird. With some of NYC’s finest instrumentalists as a rhythm section, this evening will highlight the relevancy of Parker as a contemporary and timeless icon of modern music. Film screening: Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker at 7PM, FREE - A revealing look at an enigmatic yet endlessly appealing man. It includes a TV appearance with Dizzy Gillespie and rare footage with jazz greats including Thelonious Monk and Louis Armstrong among others.
"Charlie Parker Place. That's my corner, just down from Bird's house, now a historic landmark in the East Village. At times I imagine hearing him practice as I go by, infusing each rhythmic step and melodic turn with his characteristic sense of exaltation. "Bluing a new cartography of flight" is how poet Arthur Brown put it. The May 31st concert will celebrate that Bird's music points us forward, combining music with the images and syntax that he and his compatriots inspired in poets, then and now." - Marty Ehrlich.
