A partnership between the American Jazz Museum and UMKC Libraries, the exhibit Saxophone Supreme celebrates the Centennial of Charlie “Bird” Parker, one of the most influential musicians and composers of all time. Born and raised in the Kansas City area, alto saxophonist Parker pioneered Bebop, a revolution in jazz. Throughout his career Parker continued to innovate and explore new musical vistas. He influenced ensuing generations of musicians across a broad range of styles. His genius also inspired writers, artists, dancers and filmmakers.
This centennial exhibition features groundbreaking research, album covers, sheet music, photos, memorabilia and rare audio clips drawn from the collections of the American Jazz Museum, LaBudde Special Collections and the Marr Sound Archives at UMKC Libraries, the Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers University–Newark, Norman Saks and Brian Johnston. Chuck Haddix, the Curator of the Sound Archives and Geri Sanders, Director of Collections for the American Jazz Museum, co-curated the exhibit. Haddix is the author of Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker. Sean McCue, Graphic Designer for UMKC Libraries, designed the panels for the exhibit. Saxophone Supreme is free and open to the public on the first floor of the Miller Nichols Library during the library’s open hours.
