Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Theo Croker’s Dream … Manifested!
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
Late jazz legends often become the subject of memorial concerts and albums years after their passing, but an annual tribute to Charlie Parker gives that formula a fresh twist—a “21-Sax Salute” will take place at the saxophonist’s grave site next month.
Held yearly on a weekend close to Bird’s birthday (Aug. 29), the event features a collective performance and will be conducted Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. Saxophonists and other musicians from Kansas City and nearby areas will be on hand to celebrate the life of one of the most influential jazz figures of all time. The “21-Sax Salute” was initially started by the late Eddie Baker, president of the Charlie Parker Memorial Foundation, and is now lead by saxophonist Ahmed Alaadeen and Dean Hampton. The tribute is open to all instrumentalists, regardless of musical ability, as well as the general public.
Parker’s grave site is located in Blue Summit, Mo., just outside Kansas City. The address is 8604 E. Truman Road. Musicians are asked to report at 12:30 pm. Go here for a map with directions.
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
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Chuck Mangione on the cover of the May 8, 1975, edition of DownBeat.
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