Jazz legend and creator of the jazz form known as Bebop, Charlie 'Yardbird' Parker who was thought to have died in 1955 has reportedly been discovered working in a Newcastle jazz delicatessen selling "Bop Licks".
Parker looked well for a 95 year old.
Asked why he wasn't recording or doing gigs he replied that he was sick of giving his licks away for free and he'd decided that Now's The Time. You could, he told BSH, buy the whole Yardbird Suite for a fiver, Salt Peanuts for a quid and the store was open till 'Round Midnight.
We enquired as to who was buried in his grave? Parker said that it could be anybody - Sonny Stitt, Sonny Criss, folks couldn't tell the difference between us.
A local jazz organisation plans to buy Parker a new reed and to present him in concert at the Jazz Café or maybe a Splinter @ The Bridge session.
We are at present awaiting Confirmation of this.
However, BSH's Jazz Historian Russell described the story as BUNK!
Leonard Featherbrain.
5 comments :
I have to say this story is obviously untrue, since the coroner who saw Parker after his death at 34 thought he was at least 60, then Bird couldn't possibly be looking well for a 95 year old. He must look at least 180!
Nice one lance!
Was Elvis working there too?
For a brief moment I thought that read Burl Ives.
Yeah - I thought that was the place that Elvis was working - or used to do part time. Before he went on that crazy diet plan .... Excellent post, Lance! xx
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