It’s not every day that new recordings by Charlie Parker are unearthed. It’s even rarer when they’re private recordings and not well-traveled bootlegs. Rarer still when they’re recorded in Bird’s hometown of Kansas City and not NYC where he became a legend. Thanks to the folks at Verve Records, this live broadcast will preview the entire forthcoming recording,“Bird in Kansas City,” two days before its release. Recorded between 1941 and 1951 in studios and private sessions, It features revealing solos that show Parker sorting out the harmonic and melodic concepts he used to help invent bebop. “Overlooked” host Rob Saffer will play all 13 tracks, with the remainder of the show focused on newly issued jazz recordings from artists such as Thumbscrew, Patricia Brennan, Matt Mitchell, Miguel Zenon and more.

Playlist: 

Ives Sonata #3 - Jeremy Denk

Vitus Labrusca (“Overlooked” theme) - Ben LaMar Gay

Margie - Charlie Parker

I’m Getting Sentimental Over You - Charlie Parker

Cherokee (Vic Damon version) - Charlie Parker

My Heart Tells Me - Charlie Parker

I Found a New Baby - Charlie Parker

Body and Soul (Vic Damon version) - Charlie Parker

Bird Song 1 - Charlie Parker 

Bird Song 2 - Charlie Parker

Bird Song 3 - Charlie Parker

Cherokee (Phil Baxter version) - Charlie Parker

Body and Soul (Baxter version) - Charlie Parker

Honeysuckle Rose - Charlie Parker

Perdido - Charlie Parker

Wingbeats - Thumbscrew

The dots are the connections - Jessica Ackerly

sponger - Matt Mitchell

Little Footsteps - Kris Davis

Manufacturers Trust Company Building - Patricia Brennan

A Parcel for You - Satoko Fujii

Give Way - Emily Mikesell & Kate Campbell

Rush - Miguel Zenon

Enos - Jason Robinson

Quartet Variations on Tune 8 - Ohad Talmor

Grid/Ocean - The Bad Plus

21 in the Fullness of Time - Miles Okazaki

After the local news at noon, “Overlooked” is a show focusing on overlooked and under-heard jazz, improvisational, and other fringe music, from early roots to contemporary experiments, a mix of familiar to rare, classic to weird. Live from Overlook Mountain in Ulster County.

Host Rob Saffer is the former Executive Director and Producer of the Creative Music Foundation. While living in Brooklyn for 25 years, he served on advisory boards for Celebrate Brooklyn and Symphony Space. He also curated the Brooklyn Museum’s summer jazz series and helped found The Mingus Big Band.