President Neil Barnett, called the meeting to order and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Sarah Beyer provided us with the following invocation / blessing which was thoughtful and perfectively tied into our Program presentation/speaker today:
We thank You for gathering us together today in fellowship and purpose. As we welcome our speaker, Chuck Haddix, we give thanks for the gift of music – its history, its preservation, and its power to shape the soul of our community. You have used Chuck’s work at KCUR and the Marr Sound Archives to keep alive the melodies, rhythms, and stories that have defined Kansas City’s cultural heartbeat.
As Rotarians, teach us to serve with the same devotion that musicians bring to their craft. May Your Spirit compose in us a life that is melodious and merciful, syncopated with joy, rich with compassion, and beautifully tuned to the needs of others. Let Your grace be the music that plays through us – mellifluous, uplifting, and inspiring – as we seek to serve others above ourselves.
Bless our speaker, bless our gathering, and bless the work we are called to do. AMEN
Guests: President Neil Barnett welcomed his brother-in-law Greg Hoffer (sp?). David Schmidt came as a guest and was announced as a returning Club 13 member !! Welcome back.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Tom Woolwine, the Commodore, updated the
Regatta (now in its 5
th year – wow!) coming up the weekend of
August 28to 30th, 2026 at Lake Jacomo and our Rotary Youth Camp. Our goals are raising $50,000 and racing 50 boats of all shapes & sizes. On Saturday August 29
th, 2026 (5 to 7 pm) the Service Above Self Award Dinner at the Camp (22310 NE Colbern Road, Lee’s Summit, Mo 64086; $50 per guest) will honor Mike & Beth Gehring, Founders of Midwest Brachial Plexus Network. On site the following will be provided: BBQ Dinner, Beer & Wine; S’Mores over the Campfire; Live music by Cade Cosgrove; Silent Auction; and Camp Tours. For Reservations:
KANDI.KOS@ROTARY13.ORG Celebrate Service – Support the Camp !
(The Camp is the longest continuous service project across Rotary International !!)
Ask the Exec is scheduled for August 27th (4th Thursday) from 5:30 to 7 pm at Penny’s in Prairie Village with the Penny Mufuka, CEO and head chef.
PROGRAM: Lee Brumitt introduced our speaker, Chuck Haddix, with his program entitled, Bird: Charlie Parker in Kansas City. As curator of the Marr Sound Archives, Chuck has helped amass a collection of over 450,000 records. A new set of Charlie Parker rarities, recorded between 1941 and 1951, revealed his transformation from blossoming soloist with the Jay McShann Band (in KC) into a brilliant improviser who dominated after-hours jam sessions. Chuck shared with us the early record recording process with disc cutting machines which etched a grove on the surface of lacquer discs made of cellulose acetate on a metal base. We were treated to several Charlie Parker recordings from the era. One of the featured songs, “I’m Getting Sentimental” showed the Charlie Parker’s formidable technique and maturity as a soloist. The disc, physically created and retained by John Tumino, had been played enough time that upon arrival to Marr it was pretty groove worn. On behalf of Marr S. A., Seth Winner, a leading audio engineer for historic reissues, was able to reduce the surface noise and bring out the audio. In April 1941, the McShann Band through Decca Records recorded several selections. One song, “Confessin”, backed by Hootie Blues was a hit nationally, creating a strong demand for the band. After a summer engagement at Fairyland Park (KCMO – roughly just south of 75th & Prospect), the McShann band with Charlie Parker relocated New Your City. Charlie loved the excitement of New York and except for an ill-fated jaunt to California, lived there the rest of his life. While traveling across the country, Charlie often stopped off in Kansas City to spend time with his mother Addie. During one of Charlie’s visits to KC in the mid-1940’s, a friend, Charlie White, arranged for a recording session at Vic Damon’s Transcription Studios at 1221 Baltimore.
In July 1951, Charlie returned to Kansas City for an extended stay. Earlier that year, Charlie had been busted for possession of heroin. The judge gave him a stern warning and a three-month suspended sentence. As a result of his bust, Charlie lost his cabaret card which had allowed him to work in New York City’s nightclubs and cabarets. Unable to work in New York City, Charlie retired to Addie’s home in KC where he could make money gigging around town. Charlie could always depend on hustling up a gig on short notice at Tootie’s Mayfair, a nightclub located just outside of the city limits, in an area known as “out in the county”. Operating outside the city’s southern boundary (75th Street) allowed the Tootie’s Mayfair (7952 Wornall Road) and other clubs in the area to evade KC liquor laws and stay open all night. In early 1951, as the city’s southern boundary moved further south to 85th Street, Tootie’s Mayfair moved to 7420 E. US Highway 40.
In response to question, how did Charlie Parker get the nickname of the “Bird”. Chickens were commonly referred to as “yard birds”. On one occasion the Band was travelling north from KC to Nebraska to play a college gig. As a black band, they would stay at a resident’s home or other friendly location. In route the bus ran over a chicken (a/k/a yard bird). Charlie had the bus driver stop to retrieve the now dead yard bird, taking it to Nebraska, and requesting the lady of the house to cook it for dinner. With that event, Charlie acquired the nickname of Yard Bird which later developed into just “Bird”.
There was much more about the recordings in KC and the eventual deliverance of same to the Marr Sounds Archives.
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS: Bring a Prospective Member
Aug 20th Cameron Black with Alphapointe
Aug 22 Camp Work Day
Aug 27th 4th Thursday Social (5:30 – 7 pm) Ask the Exec – Penny Mufuka
Aug 28 -30th 5th Annual Regatta
Sept 3 Jason Camis with Sertoma Hearing Aid Project
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