Yardbird In Lotus Land - Charlie Parker's West Coast Jazz 1945-47 - Jazz Explorations with Ken Poston

Since Monday is Charlie Parker’s birthday I’m doing a special program called “Yardbird in Lotus Land”.    It will tell the story of Charlie Parker’s time on the West Coast 1945-1947.    I will be including lots of very rare music and interview segments.  The interview segments include Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Porter, Ross Russell, Jack McVea Stan Levey and more.    Charlie Parker came to Los Angeles with Dizzy in 1945 for an engagement at Billy Berg’s on Vine St. in Hollywood.   When the engagement was over he decided to stay and signed with Dial Records.   Ross Russell started Dial after hearing the group at Berg’s.    The second Dial session was the infamous Lover Man session after which Bird suffered a nervous breakdown and was sent to Camarillo State Hospital.   The interviews with Ross Russell and Roy Porter, who was the drummer on the date, tell what happened in great detail.   Other music will include rare radio broadcasts.

 

There is a San Diego connection with Jack McVea who was in town playing at a club when he got the call from Slim Gaillard to play on a record date with Dizzy and Bird.   Slim flew him to L.A. for the date then back.  Jack tells the whole story of the “Slim’s Jam” session from December 1945.