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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.

Artistic Director: Willard Jenkins.

“Latin Bird” – Friday, May 3
Concert at 8:30PM; $25 / students, seniors $15
T.K.Blue (Musical Director) – flute, soprano and alto sax
James Weidman – piano
Essiet Essiet – bass
Winard Harper – drums
Steve Turre – shells and trombone

Saxophonist/flutist-composer-educator TK Blue, who’s family heritage is from the Caribbean (Jamaica & Trinidad), explores the Latin influenced rhythms and melodies of the great Charlie “Yardbird” Parker. In the 40s & 50s Charlie Parker had a number of fruitful interactions with such Latin music legends as Machito, Mario Bauza, & Chano Pozo.

Birdland: Reminiscing In Tempo – Panel Discussion with NEA Jazz Masters Randy Weston and Dan Morgenstern. Moderated by Willard Jenkins at 7PM, FREE.

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“Charlie Parker:Timeless Innovation” – Friday, May 17

Concert at 8:30PM; $25 / students, seniors $15

Rudresh Mahanthappa (Musical Director) – alto saxophone
Matt Mitchell – Piano
François Moutin – Acoustic Bass
Rudy Royston – Drums

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.
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“The Cartographies of Flight” – Friday, May 31
Concert at 8:30PM; $25 / students, seniors $15

THE MARTY EHRLICH ENSEMBLE
Marty Ehrlich – (Musical Director) woodwinds
James Zollar – trumpet
Marc Ribot – guitar
Michael Formanek – bass
Nasheet Waits – drums
Erica Hunt – poet and reader
Charles Bernstein – poet and reader

“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.

The Impact of Charlie Parker – Panel Discussion with TK Blue and Marty Ehrlich. Moderated by Willard Jenkins at 7PM, FREE.

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Call (212) 220 – 1460 or visit Ticketing Services (12PM – 6PM, Tue. – Sat.). Order single tickets online at www.tribecapac.org

BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center is located on the campus of the Borough of Manhattan Community College. A valid photo ID is required when attending an event.Performers Subject to change.