KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Kansas City kicked off ‘Spotlight: Charlie Parker 2026′ on Saturday, a summer-long celebration honoring jazz icon Charlie “Bird” Parker on what would have been his 106th birthday. The celebration started at 18th and Vine, the historic district where Parker’s story began.
Dozens joined the Charlie Parker Historic Walking Tour on Saturday morning. Tour guides led the group through the birthplace of Kansas City jazz and into the life of Parker, who became a global sound.
“And that’s where Charlie Parker got his first gig in 1935 with a group called the Deans of Swang,” a tour guide said during the walk.
Geri Sanders, a historic consultant, said the annual celebration is critical to preserving the district’s legacy…