anybody here actually hear Charlie Parker back in the day?

[Rooster_Ties]

Question came up over on the Hoffman board, and I thought I'd check here.

[Don Brown]

Yep, I was in Toronto's Massey Hall on May 15, 1953 and saw Bird with Dizzy, Bud Powell, Mingus and Max Roach.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Don Brown

[Larry Kart]

Didn't have a chance because I didn't get introduced to jazz (at age 13) until about three months after his death in March 1955. Of the giants I did just manage to hear in performance before that wasn't possible anymore, the one who sticks out in my mind is Lester Young.

[Rooster_Ties]

Yep, I was in Toronto's Massey Hall on May 15, 1953 and saw Bird with Dizzy, Bud Powell, Mingus and Max Roach.

Thanks Don. Had a request for you to share more of the details of your experience over on the Hoffman board (or with us here, if you'd rather).

Can you ask that poster for more information? Would love to read about his entire experience. The Massey Hall concert is probably the most legendary jazz concert ever.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Rooster_Ties

[AllenLowe]

Hoffman Board? Where's my wooden cross with the big sharp point at the end?

[fasstrack]

Hoffman Board? Where's my wooden cross with the big sharp point at the end?

'The prettiest girl I ever saw.....

Was drinking Hoffman's through a straw.....'

If you're old enough to have seen Bird live you probably remember that one.

[Don Brown]

Rooster Ties asked me to share my memories of the now famous 1953 Massey Hall concert that featured Bird, Diz, Bud Powell, Mingus and Roach. The simplest thing to do is to click on to JazzWax and type in Massey Hall concert. Back in January of 2009 I sent Marc Myers a piece about the concert which he printed on his JazzWax site.

[BillF]

Rooster Ties asked me to share my memories of the now famous 1953 Massey Hall concert that featured Bird, Diz, Bud Powell, Mingus and Roach. The simplest thing to do is to click on to JazzWax and type in Massey Hall concert. Back in January of 2009 I sent Marc Myers a piece about the concert which he printed on his JazzWax site.

Here's the link:

http://www.jazzwax.com/2009/01/jazz-at-massey-hall.html

[Rooster_Ties]

Thanks, Don! I've updated the other thread (on the other board) with the link.

[mjzee]

Excellent reminiscence! Thanks.

[Denis]

About that Massey Hall Concert. More information can be obtained in that wonderful book by Mark Miller

"Cool Blues Charlie Parker in Canada 1953". All about Parker's performances on CBC TV and at the Chez Paree in Montreal and the Massey Hall Concert in Toronto.

[Christiern]

Yes, in Copenhagen, but that's all I have to say about it.

[Dave James]

Yes, in Copenhagen, but that's all I have to say about it.

Chris. No fair. I'd love to hear your recollections, but I guess you have your reasons. I respect that. Weren't you involved in some way with the Xanadu Parker recording that captured Bird in a live setting while he was touring Scandinavia?

[bertrand]

I was at the gig where Jo Jones threw a cymbal at Bird. I was in the front row and that thing almost hit me. I never spoke to Papa Jo again.

Bertrand.

Edited May 1, 2011 by bertrand

[AllenLowe]

I woulda gone to that basement jam session Bird played on that was released on Zim - but as Al Haig said, "I'd never go in any basement with Charlie Parker."

[AndrewHill]

I was at the gig where Jo Jones threw a cymbal at Bird. I was in the front row and that thing almost hit me. I never spoke to Papa Jo again.

Bertrand.

Woah

[Christiern]

Thread's getting silly—guess that was inevitable.

[bertrand]

I'm a silly guy.

Bertrand.

[BruceH]

Saw him in a dream once, but I'm guessing that doesn't count.