Kansas City Lightning (42 page)

Churchill, Winston, 78

Civil War, 41, 73, 76, 125, 127, 128, 133, 140

Claxton, Rozelle, 307–10

Clayton, Buck, 205, 241

Coleman, Earl, 113

Coleman, Ermir, 193

Colman, Ronald, 244

Considering Genius
(Crouch), 123, 124

Cooper, Al, 23

Coronado, Francisco Vásquez de, 38–40

Cotton Club, 98–99

Crouch, Emma Bea, 63

Cullen, Countee, 78

Culliver, Freddie, 83–84

D

Daley, Joe, 327–28

Dameron, Tadd, 323–24

Daniels, Ernest, 164, 165

Dan Wall's Chili House, 294, 297, 301, 304

Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR), 283–84

Davis, Alonzo, 83, 84, 86

Davis, Clarence, 106, 148, 163–65, 180–81, 184, 209, 226–27, 268, 310

Davis, Miles, 322

Davis, Walter, Jr., 286

Deans of Swing, 89–90, 93–94, 147, 221, 323

Dee, Jesse, 189, 191

DeFranco, Buddy, 313

Depression, Great, 6, 48–49, 55, 63, 64, 66–68, 70, 130, 142, 200–202, 239, 270

Desmond, Paul, 87

Dewey, Thomas E., 293

Dexter, Dave, 280

Diamond, John, 126, 131

Dillinger, John, 42, 63, 68, 271

Dirty Legs, 34

Dodds, Baby, 117, 119

Dodds, Johnny, 119, 138

Dooley, Fred, 89–90

Dorsey, Bob, 6–7

Dorsey, Jimmy, 156, 211, 224

Douglas, Aaron, 173

Douglas, Tommy, 62, 226–29, 243, 252, 255

Down Beat, 145, 280

Doyle, Arthur Conan, 214–16

Durant, Will, 278

Durham, Eddie, 15, 62, 141–43, 193, 197–98, 200

E

Eckstine, Billy, 100–101, 222, 278–79, 322

Edison, Harry “Sweets,” 131–32 802 Girls, 34

Eldridge, Roy, 30, 181–85, 198, 209, 224, 245, 255, 268, 291, 313

Ellington, Duke, 20, 35, 72–73, 76, 98–102, 104–5, 118, 119, 139, 279, 305–6, 323

        Parker passes up audition with, 305–7

Ellison, Ralph, 24, 80–81, 151, 194–95, 199, 210

Enois, Leonard “Lucky,” 7, 25

Estevan (slave scout), 38–39

Evans, Herschel, 27, 62, 205, 245–46, 310

F

Fields, Ernie, 307, 308

Fleet, Biddy, 297–307, 311, 314, 323, 324

Fletcher, Tom, 120–21

Floyd, Pretty Boy, 63, 66–68

Floyd, Troy, 190

Foster, Stephen, 222

Foxx, Redd, 34

Francis, Panama, 20–21, 26, 28

G

Gale, Charles, 13

Gale, Moses “Moe,” 13, 35

Gardner, Goon, 280, 291, 329

Gazzaway, Don, 187

Geraldine (paramour of Parker), 170–72, 229–30, 233, 257

Geronimo, 262

Gershwin, George, 323

Gibson, Andy, 26

Gibson, Hoot, 72

Gibson, Oswald, 315–17

Gillespie, Dizzy, 29, 34, 101, 227

Golden, Jimmy, 315

Goldin, Marie, 106, 164

Gone with the Wind
, 73, 284

Goodman, Benny, 205, 225–26

Gould, Chester, 67

Gray, Harry, 274

Great Migration, 275–77

Great Plains, The
(Webb), 40

Green, Freddie, 144

Greer, Sonny, 99, 101

Griffith, D. W., 72–75, 100, 284

H

Hamilton, Julian, 83–84

Hammond, John, 145–46, 159, 186, 204, 205, 250

Hampton, Lionel, 35, 99

Handy, W. C., 310

Hardwick, Otto, 305–6

Harlem, 12–13, 20, 28, 252, 287, 290–92, 295–96

        Cotton Club, 98–99

        Dan Wall's Chili House, 294, 297, 301, 304

        
Monroe's Uptown House, 18, 293–95, 301–2, 304

        Savoy Ballroom, 8–9, 13–14, 16–17, 20–35, 292

        Turf Club, 292–93

        Woodside Hotel, 12, 14–16, 18–20, 250–51, 290, 291, 307–8, 310

Harris, Benny, 308

Hawkins, Coleman, 19, 23, 24, 30, 62, 155, 159, 182–85, 198, 245, 291, 311–13, 317

Hawkins, Erskine, 35

Henderson, Fletcher, 20, 24, 159, 182, 184, 185, 198, 245, 273

Hibbler, Al, 27, 29

Hines, Earl, 273, 311

Hite, Les, 21

Hitler, Adolf, 283

Hodges, Johnny, 19, 62, 89, 224, 253, 296, 305–6

Holiday, Billie, 16, 291

Holstein, Casper, 292–93

“Hometown Blues,” 35–36

“Honeysuckle Rose,” 330–34

Hoover, J. Edgar, 66, 67

Hopkins, Elmer, 223

Horowitz, Vladimir, 184 horses, 39–40

Hughes, Langston, 78–79, 104

I

Ickes, Harold, 284

Indians, 38–41, 263

In Search of Buddy Bolden
(Marquis), 133, 134, 136

Intolerance
, 74

“I, Too” (Hughes), 78–79

J

Jackson, Andrew, 43

Jackson, Chubby, 31–32

Jackson, John, 89, 90, 155

James Boys, 63, 262

Janis, Harriet, 130, 131

jazz, 61–62, 116–17, 123, 127, 139, 156, 177, 195, 303, 325–26

        bebop, 100, 140, 227, 315

        Chicago, 117, 118, 122

        Kansas City, 69–62, 116–17, 122–23, 125, 137–46

        natural vs. trained musicians in, 241–42

        New Orleans, 117, 118, 122, 132–35, 144–45, 196

        rhythm section in, 144

Jazz from the Beginning
(Bushell), 119, 138

Jazz Style in Kansas City and the Southwest
(Russell), 85, 139, 193–94

Johnson, Bud, 62

Johnson, Frank, 123, 125, 128

Johnson, Gus, 7, 25, 242

Johnson, Jack, 76, 96–98, 102–4, 121

Johnson, James P., 185, 309, 311

Johnson, Margaret “Countess,” 152–54

Johnson, Pete, 15, 16, 60

Jones, Buddy, 214

Jones, Jo, 141, 144, 149–50, 153, 154, 205, 306

Joplin, Scott, 130–32, 135–36

Jordan, Louis, 158

Juba, Master, 126–27, 131

Julius (neighbor), 55–56, 232

K

Kansas, 39

Kansas City, 6, 42, 52, 59–60, 67, 161, 317

        jazz style of, 69–62, 116–17, 122–23, 125, 137–46

        lawlessness in, 63–68

        as music town, 137

Kansas City Massacre, 65–67

Keith, Jimmy, 86, 94, 333

Keyes, Joe, 149

Keyes, Lawrence, 82, 84, 88, 89, 93–94, 147, 323

Kirk, Andy, 12–13, 15–16, 60, 146, 152, 159

Kolax, King, 279

Kynard, Ben, 89

L

LaGuardia, Fiorello, 287, 293

Lansky, Meyer, 293

“Laughin' Louie,” 331

Laughton, Charles, 244

Lazia, 64, 66–68

Lee, George E., 220–23

Lee, Julia, 223

Leonard, Harlan, 16, 60, 85–86, 241–43, 252, 310, 324, 328

Lewis, Ed, 241

Lindy Hoppers, 34

Lloyd, Jerry, 308

Logan, Eli, 242

Louis, Joe, 76, 95–96, 100–104, 283

Luciano, Lucky, 293

Lunceford, Jimmie, 20, 310

M

Madden, Owney, 99

Maher, Jim, 87

Marquis, Donald, 133, 134, 136

Mayfield, Edward, Jr., 83

McDaniel, Hattie, 284

McGhee, Howard, 32

McKay, Claude, 78

McNeil, Crackshot, 192

McShann, Jay “Hootie,” 7, 17, 19, 23–31, 35, 43, 203–4, 219–21, 223–26, 228, 237–43, 248, 252, 280, 292, 329

        Bales and, 237–40

        Orchestra of, 1, 8–17, 20–36, 60, 118, 248

        Parker hired by, 246–47

        Parker's meeting of, 241–43

Miley, Bubber, 145, 182

Millinder, Lucky, 9, 20–21, 26, 28, 118, 229

        Orchestra of, 9, 20, 26, 28, 32, 33, 35

Minor, Orville “Piggy,” 11, 12, 18, 27, 29, 118, 203–6, 209–11 minstrelsy, 67, 73–75, 84, 98–101, 120–21, 126–27, 130, 244

Mitchell, Razz, 23–24

Monk, Thelonious, 34

Monroe, Clark, 18, 293–94

Monroe's Uptown House, 18, 293–95, 301–2, 304

Morton, Jelly Roll, 140, 141, 283

Mosley, Snub, 242

Moten, Bennie, 62, 85, 138–40, 142–43, 149, 186, 199, 200, 202–3, 221, 241, 250

        death of, 145, 202–4

Moten, Bus, 203

Murray, Albert, 142

Music of Black Americans, The
(Southern), 123

Murray, Albert, 311

Musser, Clarence, 163–64, 167, 180, 185, 206

N

Nash, Frank “Jelly,” 65–66

Nelson, Baby Face, 63, 68

New Orleans, 271

        Black Codes in, 134–35

        jazz style of, 117, 118, 122, 132–35, 144–45, 196

New York City, 10–12, 14, 16, 139–40, 161, 287–89

        Parker's arrival in, 285–87, 289

        Smith in, 286–87, 289–91, 295–96, 301, 307

        Smith's move to, 250–52, 270

        
see also
Harlem

New York World's Fair, 285–86

Niza, Marcos de, 38–39

No Way Out
, 75

O

Oliver, Joe “King,” 98, 117–19, 138, 139–40, 145, 158, 272–73, 278

Oliver, Paul, 62
100 Years of the Negro in Show Business
(Fletcher), 120–21

“One O'Clock Jump,” 26, 249

Original Amateur Hour, The
, 152

Owens, Jesse, 283

P

Page, Oran “Hot Lips,” 15, 60, 62, 141–43, 145, 149, 150, 193, 200

Page, Walter, 15, 62, 85, 138, 140–41, 144, 149, 152, 192, 193, 196, 200, 202, 226

        Blue Devils of,
see
Blue Devils

Parker, Addie (mother), 43–45, 47–49, 51, 53–55, 68, 70, 76–78, 82, 83, 86–88, 92, 105–7, 148, 155, 164, 165, 167–72, 212, 214, 230–36, 247, 249, 264, 317, 318–20, 322–23

        and Charlie's leaving Kansas, 254, 318, 320

        Leon and, 318

Parker, Charlie:

        arrival in New York, 285–87, 289

        in automobile accident, 164, 212

        birth of, 42, 44

        in Chicago, 270–81

        childhood of, 43–49

        drug use of, 17–18, 30, 164, 169–71, 212–17, 227, 229–33, 235, 242, 246–48, 256, 257, 285, 304, 321–23, 328

        family background of, 42–43

        first club gigs of, 27

        moves to Chicago, 253–57, 265, 267–70

        practice schedules of, 87–88, 315

        saxophone chosen as instrument of, 82

        saxophone mouthpieces and, 228–29

        saxophone screw lost by, 146–47

        Sherlock Holmes mysteries enjoyed by, 214–16

        technological innovation as interest of, 286, 300, 304, 324–25

        westerns enjoyed by, 70–72

Parker, Charles, Sr. (father), 42–45, 48, 106, 264, 308, 318, 328

        death of, 317–18, 321

Parker, Doris (third wife), 212, 269, 270

Parker, Francis Leon (son), 232–33, 236, 244, 249, 253, 254, 256, 285, 318–22

        birth of, 231–32

Parker, John “Ikey” (half-brother), 43–46, 48, 55, 106

Parker, Peter Christopher (grandfather), 42–43, 311

Parker, Rebecca Ruffin (first wife), 50–57, 59, 63, 68–71, 76–78, 81–83, 88, 91–95, 104–9, 116, 147–48, 164–72, 185, 229–36, 244, 249, 256–57, 264, 285, 311, 318–20, 322

        Charlie divorced by, 319–20

        Charlie's leaving of, 253–56

        Charlie's marriage to, 104–5

        Charlie's visit to, 320–22

        Francis's birth and, 231–32

        Geraldine letter and, 170–72, 229–30, 233

        loss of second child, 233–36, 257, 321

        
move back with family, 320-22

        pregnancies of, 167, 230, 231, 233–35

Pasler, Bus, 205–6, 218

Payne, Felix, 64

Pearl Harbor, 7

Pendergast, Tom, 6, 16, 42, 59, 64, 65, 68, 161, 163, 164, 267, 293, 317

Poitier, Sidney, 75

Porter, Cole, 213, 323

Pretty Boy
(Wallis), 63

Q

Queen City Concert Band, 131

R

ragtime, 61, 123, 128–32, 135, 137 railroads,
see
trains

Ramey, Eugene Glasco, 7, 11, 21, 22, 24, 25, 30, 31, 33, 121–22, 152–55, 186, 223, 242, 246–49, 280–81, 328

Redcross, Bob, 119–20, 277–79, 329–30

Reeves, Edward, 44–46, 48, 50, 64–65, 87

Reisner, Robert, 47, 82, 83, 214, 227, 249, 308

Reno Club, 148–55, 161, 186, 204–6, 239, 249, 332

Renoir, Jean, 113, 303

Roach, Max, 325

Rodney, Red, 313

Rogers, T. D., 309

Roosevelt, Eleanor, 16, 283–84

Roosevelt, Franklin D., 8, 16, 284

Ross, James, 86, 94

Rowland, Beryl, ix

Ruffin, Daddy, 49–52, 55

Ruffin, Dorothy, 50, 53

Ruffin, Fanny “Birdy,” 49–54, 57, 59, 69–70, 76–77, 89, 91–94, 105, 230, 234, 319, 320, 322

Ruffin, Octavia, 50, 53, 77, 93–94

Ruffin, Ophelia, 50, 52, 54, 77, 91–92, 256, 322

Ruffin, Rebecca,
see
Parker, Rebecca Ruffin

Ruffin, Winfrey, 50, 53, 77, 92, 320

Rushing, Jimmy, 62, 141–43, 149, 179, 200

Russell, Ross, 85, 139, 140, 193–94, 241

S

sampling, 286

Savoy Ballroom, 8–9, 13–14, 16–17, 20–35, 292

Savoy Sultans, 23–24, 35, 301

Sax, Adolphe, 61