Kansas City's Charlie Parker Cutting Contest

A brand new saxophone competition and tribute to Charlie Parker is being put on by the NPR radio show 12th Jump Street appropriately broadcast from Kansas City, Bird's hometown. This is the first year they'll be hosting the competition, but it should be continuing annually.

The contest is open to saxophonists only and very easy to enter. Submit a video (at least one minute long) online at the competition's facebook page of a Charlie Parker related standard like “Cherokee,” “Scrapple from the Apple,” “Donna Lee,” or “Now Is the Time” or just improvising on some standard. Listeners and fans of the show will vote on the videos, and the music director Joe Cartwright will pick the winner from the 5 most popular videos. You can submit your video any time starting today, June 25th until August 1st 2012.  The winner will be announced Monday, August 6th.

The winner and a guest will be flown down to Kansas City and put up at the Phillips Hotel on 12th Street for four nights, August 22-26. The winner will play on the 12th Jump Street's annual Charlie Parker Tribute show, which is then rebroadcast throughout the US and the world. They will also get to enjoy a few different events during their stay. Further details can be found on the facebook page.