Talking the Coda: Charlie “Bird” Parker with Alexandria DeWalt

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Welcome to the third episode of Talking the Coda, a podcast that examines musical artists whose careers were cut short, either by a death, break-up, retirement, or any other circumstance. When a prominent musician stops making music suddenly, their fan base often experiences a mix of heightened joy over the music they did create, yet dejection that the artist could not do more, and perhaps even a need for some closure.

Each month, Luke Martin (co-host of last year’s Pod on the Rooftops mini-series on the band Genesis) will dive into the work of one musician or band with such an ending to their career. For this episode, Luke discusses a pioneer of bebop and one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, Charlie “Bird” Parker

Luke is joined by Alexandria DeWalt, an up-and-coming jazz vocalist, flautist, and educator from Houston, Texas. Luke and Alex’s discussion centers on the state of jazz education and how it’s been impacted by economics, social media, and more in the modern world.

The theme song that bookends the episode is entitled “MIA in Beantown,” and was composed and performed by Luke and Alex as well.

You can follow Luke Martin on Youtube and Instagram. His debut single, “Stuck In My Room”, is available on all streaming platforms, and his band, Socially Distanced, can also be found on Facebook, YouTube, and their website.

Be sure to check back next month for a discussion of a new musical artist with a new guest!