[Dixielandjazz] Bird

[Don Kirkman]

On Tue, 12 Nov 2002 19:10:47 -0500, Jerry Gordon wrote:

>On Tue, 12 Nov 2002 17:54:41 EST JimDBB@aol.com writes:
>In a message dated 11/12/02 4:01:14 PM Central Standard Time,
>cellblk7@attbi.com writes:

>Hi All...
>This is interesting!! Read on...
>Bob Romans
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nicholas Drozdoff <ndrozdoff@hotmail.com>
>To: tpin@parnassus.dana.edu <tpin@parnassus.dana.edu>
>Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2002 3:19 PM
>Subject: [TPIN] Re: Kenny G Interview

>...snip...

>>Also, what do you think of his account of how Charlie Parker got his
>>nick-name of Bird (which, if memory serves, is short for Yard Bird, an
>old
>>expression for a chicken)?  Interesting, isn't it?

>An interesting interview with Mr. G.  Thanks for the point. The Charlie
>Parker-Yardbird story could very be be true.  that's the way that jazz
>guys come up with nicknames

>For some reason which I can't put my finger (or any brain cells) on, I
>always thought the "Yardbird" nickname came from the fact that he spent
>some time in jail. I use the term "fact" very loosely, because a quick
>search doesn't reveal any confirmation of that, either.

Me, too.  My old 1987 slang dictionary (Robert Chapman, "American
Slang") says it's a convict, a raw recruit, or a service man who
continually messes up and needs discipline.  Sounds like Parker to me.
:-)  But then one never knows, do one?
-- 
Don
donkirk@covad.net