JAM Magazine: April/May 1999 Issue: Correspondence

Jazz For the Troops
Hello. My name is Craig Gunter and I am writing to you from Tuzla, Bosnia. The reason that I am writing is that I am in the United States Army and am over here as a peace-keeper. Being away from the States sometimes can get very stressful. We are in an environment where we can't go anywhere and have limited outside contacts. When I am back home in the States, whenever I am having a stressful day, I listen to some nice sounds of jazz. I have asked everyone I know over here and have had no luck in finding any jazz. Me and my buddy are pretty stressed out to the max, so we came up with the idea to e-mail out and see if you guys could help a stressed-out soldier. If you have any old jazz CDs or tapes that you don't need, could you send us some tunes to listen to? We have very limited e-mail time so we can only listen to a station on the laptop, maybe twice a month. But those times are the most relaxing.

Thanks for your time and cooperation.

Thank you,
SPC Craig Gunter
Operation Joint Forge
14 Transportation BN (MC)
Eagle Base Tuzla,
Bosnia
APO AE 09789

Greetings from Vegas
You have a great site and a comprehensive list of links to jazz societies.

The Las Vegas Jazz Society site is at: http://www.vegasjazz.org. We have a link to you on our site; I'm sure you'll want to add us to your list.

Thanks,
Patrick Gaffey
Las Vegas, NV

A Research Request
Dear Jazz Ambassadors,
I am working on a book about jazz and racial integration during the 1960s and hoped you might print this or put it on-line for the information of your readers.

I'm looking for people to interview or correspond with regarding their experiences as jazz listeners during the 1960s. I have a web page with more information about the book at: http://home.earthlink.net/~mcmikey/book.html

Thank you very much.

Sincerely,
Robert McMichael
Berkeley, CA
mcmikey@stanford.edu

Bird's Grave
To Mike Metheny,
As an accomplished jazz musician yourself, I would have thought you would be one of the last people to support moving Charlie Parker's gravesite (JAM, December '98/January '99). To me, it's just an attempt to generate revenue off of a dead jazz great. I can't comprehend why you'd support this.

I've read just about all I can find on the internet about the proposed move, and I just can't understand it. It seems that the primary reasons people cite in justifying the move are: 1) the headstone bears a tenor, not an alto sax, 2) Lincoln Cemetery is run down, and 3) the legacy of Charlie Parker should rest in the 18th and Vine District, not an out-of-the-way cemetery.

Well, here are my responses to these arguments. 1) Yes, the tenor on his headstone is a joke. So change the headstone. Again. 2) Yes, Lincoln isn't the most sightly cemetery, but I actually prefer that it's somewhat run down. It gives the grave a certain historical perspective. Also, that hasn't stopped tons of jazz fans from flocking there. If people will come to Kansas City to see the Jazz Museum, why wouldn't they also go to Lincoln Cemetery to see Bird's grave if they were Charlie Parker fans? Like someone on the internet said, if a picture of, and directions to Bird's grave were present in the museum, the diehards would definitely go see it. 3) I just flat out don't get this one. The guy is buried somewhere else. And we shouldn't feel like we can exhume his body and replace it wherever we want. This appears to me to be a money-making scheme if I've ever seen one. The thinking must be "If Bird is at 18th and Vine, that will lure people who may otherwise not travel to see the museum into coming because they will get two historic jazz sites for the price of one." This is where I can't understand why you would support this.

The headstone argument is somewhat valid. The Lincoln Cemetery argument is weak. Bird has been there for 44 years now -- and of course it's not going to be as nice as it once was. But this doesn't justify in my mind moving him for apparently greedy reasons.

The guy didn't want to be buried in Kansas City as it was. Why disgrace him by attempting to play his exhumation off as the "right" thing to do? Let Bird rest in peace!

Thanks for your time, Mike.

Michael McCormack
San Mateo, CA

p.s. Just for the record, I'm originally from Kansas City and am now living in California. I've been to Bird's grave about three times now, and the Jazz Museum once.

Mike Metheny replies:
Dear Michael,
Thanks for your e-mail. Like I said in the piece, "It's easy to understand why some people would be squeamish about digging up a grave. Moving the dead is serious stuff." And in your message, you made several good points to support the opposing point of view.

Just so you'll know, several members of Charlie Parker's remaining family were flown in to meet with Mayor Cleaver in February. They nixed of the idea of moving the grave, so that's not going to happen now. The family was, however, very happy about the new memorial that will be dedicated on March 27 as well as the other festivities planned for that week.

To be honest, I have no problem with this result. There will be a fitting monument to Bird in a part of town associated with jazz, and those opposed to the move can breathe a sigh of relief. It's win-win for everybody. Had the move taken place, there probably would have been protests and other ugly things -- the last thing the KC jazz community needs. So, it all worked out. About the only thing left to do now is fix the stone at Lincoln. I don't know what will happen with that, but I'm optimistic.

Again, thanks for writing. Your feedback was appreciated.

RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 1999 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		Jazz For the Troops Hello. My name is Craig Gunter and I am writing to you from Tuzla, Bosnia. The reason that I am writing is that I am in the United States Army and am over here as a peace-keeper. Being away from the States sometimes can get very stressful. We are in an environment where we can't go anywhere and have limited outside contacts. When I am back home in the States, whenever I am having a stressful day, I listen to some nice sounds of jazz. I have asked everyone I know over here and have had no luck in finding any jazz. Me and my buddy are pretty stressed out to the max, so we came up with the idea to e-mail out and see if you guys could help a stressed-out soldier. If you have any old jazz CDs or tapes that you don't need, could you send us some tunes to listen to? We have very limited e-mail time so we can only listen to a station on the laptop, maybe twice a month. But those times are the most relaxing. Thanks for your time and cooperation. Thank you, SPC Craig Gunter Operation Joint Forge 14 Transportation BN (MC) Eagle Base Tuzla, Bosnia APO AE 09789 Greetings from Vegas You have a great site and a comprehensive list of links to jazz societies. The Las Vegas Jazz Society site is at: http://www.vegasjazz.org. We have a link to you on our site; I'm sure you'll want to add us to your list. Thanks, Patrick Gaffey Las Vegas, NV A Research Request Dear Jazz Ambassadors, I am working on a book about jazz and racial integration during the 1960s and hoped you might print this or put it on-line for the information of your readers. I'm looking for people to interview or correspond with regarding their experiences as jazz listeners during the 1960s. I have a web page with more information about the book at: http://home.earthlink.net/~mcmikey/book.html Thank you very much. Sincerely, Robert McMichael Berkeley, CA mcmikey@stanford.edu Bird's Grave To Mike Metheny, As an accomplished jazz musician yourself, I would have thought you would be one of the last people to support moving Charlie Parker's gravesite (JAM, December '98/January '99). To me, it's just an attempt to generate revenue off of a dead jazz great. I can't comprehend why you'd support this. I've read just about all I can find on the internet about the proposed move, and I just can't understand it. It seems that the primary reasons people cite in justifying the move are: 1) the headstone bears a tenor, not an alto sax, 2) Lincoln Cemetery is run down, and 3) the legacy of Charlie Parker should rest in the 18th and Vine District, not an out-of-the-way cemetery. Well, here are my responses to these arguments. 1) Yes, the tenor on his headstone is a joke. So change the headstone. Again. 2) Yes, Lincoln isn't the most sightly cemetery, but I actually prefer that it's somewhat run down. It gives the grave a certain historical perspective. Also, that hasn't stopped tons of jazz fans from flocking there. If people will come to Kansas City to see the Jazz Museum, why wouldn't they also go to Lincoln Cemetery to see Bird's grave if they were Charlie Parker fans? Like someone on the internet said, if a picture of, and directions to Bird's grave were present in the museum, the diehards would definitely go see it. 3) I just flat out don't get this one. The guy is buried somewhere else. And we shouldn't feel like we can exhume his body and replace it wherever we want. This appears to me to be a money-making scheme if I've ever seen one. The thinking must be "If Bird is at 18th and Vine, that will lure people who may otherwise not travel to see the museum into coming because they will get two historic jazz sites for the price of one." This is where I can't understand why you would support this. The headstone argument is somewhat valid. The Lincoln Cemetery argument is weak. Bird has been there for 44 years now -- and of course it's not going to be as nice as it once was. But this doesn't justify in my mind moving him for apparently greedy reasons. The guy didn't want to be buried in Kansas City as it was. Why disgrace him by attempting to play his exhumation off as the "right" thing to do? Let Bird rest in peace! Thanks for your time, Mike. Michael McCormack San Mateo, CA p.s. Just for the record, I'm originally from Kansas City and am now living in California. I've been to Bird's grave about three times now, and the Jazz Museum once. Mike Metheny replies: Dear Michael, Thanks for your e-mail. Like I said in the piece, "It's easy to understand why some people would be squeamish about digging up a grave. Moving the dead is serious stuff." And in your message, you made several good points to support the opposing point of view. Just so you'll know, several members of Charlie Parker's remaining family were flown in to meet with Mayor Cleaver in February. They nixed of the idea of moving the grave, so that's not going to happen now. The family was, however, very happy about the new memorial that will be dedicated on March 27 as well as the other festivities planned for that week. To be honest, I have no problem with this result. There will be a fitting monument to Bird in a part of town associated with jazz, and those opposed to the move can breathe a sigh of relief. It's win-win for everybody. Had the move taken place, there probably would have been protests and other ugly things -- the last thing the KC jazz community needs. So, it all worked out. About the only thing left to do now is fix the stone at Lincoln. I don't know what will happen with that, but I'm optimistic. Again, thanks for writing. Your feedback was appreciated. RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 1999 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.