DESTINATION K.C. by ©Tony Scott
(about Charlie Parker )

One night I went down to catch him, at the Open Door and he didn't show.
I heard he made it later, but I had to cut so's I could get up in time for my gig… man, can't you just feature me comin' in late to this gig?
Sheeit, Mr. Railway Express himself would swoop down on me… this gig is dragging my butt. I'd like to take up a horn and learn to blow, man, all them fine chicks be chasin' me, all the cats be wantin' to buy me drinks, I'd stay high, hot damn, what life… sleep everyday till you feel like gettin' up, finish the gig at Birdland and go on up to an after hour spot till squares like us is takin' off to make our daily bread with the daily news planted under our arms… no wonder musicians call us squares. "
If I could hit the numbers one time, just one time, I'd take off from this slave an' cop me a tenor sax an' take a few lessons an' learn one note real good an' make record dates with some funky rhythm an' blues oufit just to get some experience an' after that I'd get me a gig in Brooklyn so's no one would recognize me, 'cause when I hit the jazz scene ev'rybody be sayin' you heard that new cat wailin', he's crowdin' Bird.
Sheeit…another time I went down to Birdland to catch him with strings an' he doesn't show up so Diz played with Bird's group and sounded the end…I waited till next set an' still no Bird, so I cut out. Man, was I drug. "If I could blow me a horn I'd show up on the gig all the time, man, that's be kicks, just blowin' all the time… no worries, no boss watchin' over you… sheeit, record companies after you all the time, get your name in the Downbeat, playin' with JATP all over the world, man, how could you ever get drug. Them cats ballin' all the time an' I'm hung up down here workin' for Railway Express, pushin' around ev'rything from a live snake to this coffin with some cat shouldna' waiting till he died before he went to Kansas City.
What a jump town, I don't mean now, 'bout twenty years ago when Basie was at the Reno an' the cats used to blow all night an' day. Sheeit… That's were Bird came from, an' Pres, man, what a ball that musta' been; that musta been sumpin' else, blowin', ballin', an' booze, the three B's-" "Hey, Spody, give me a hand with this coffin." "Yeah, Joe, gotcha covered… you got to watch you mouth when you goin' south." "Whadja say, Spody?" "Nothin' man, just a little sayin' rhyme I picked up when I was young… real young… as I was sayin' that made two times I went to catch Bird an' he didn't show, so I'm pretty drug now 'cause I'm spendin' my hard-earned gets an' ain't catchin' my man in action, so three weeks ago I dug Bird comin' out'a Birdland an' I see the sign says Bird, Max, Mingus, Bud an' Blakey are cookin' together, so I follow Bird into the bar, next door and told him how I was drug 'cause he didn't show two times I was down to catch him and he apologized an' said for me to wait and he'd take me in with him.
I wouldn't have said nothin' did I know he was goin' to die. Man, that drug me. "Watch the end, lift it up a little higher… straight up, baby." "So Bird says "What kinda gig you got? "…so I told him…I'm down the Railway Express, an' he says, I'll be down to see you one day, 'so I told him, man, what would you be doin' down at the Railway Express an' he says, 'I got friends ev'rywhere, 'so I told him, Bird, anytime you come by, I'll take care of you." "Easy does it, my man, lift up on you end real easy… that's it, my man, now slide it in, easy, easy that's got it." "But he never did show…you know, I had a feelin' he meant it… I was waitin' for him… he'll never show no more, he died a week after I saw him, worn out and tired at thirty-four… but the way he said it, I believed him. I don't know, I can't believe he's gone, nobody knew he was that tired, but man, a cat can only fight so long…he laid down a strong message…you know, I bet Bird woulda made it down to see me if he didn't die…" "Let's go, Spody, you're treatin' this crate like a new-born baby. This guy is dead as a doornail. "
I know, Joe, but this cat is goin' back home to Kansas City and he deserves some special treatment, 'cause them Kansas City cats are liable to find out that we don't treat 'em right up here in New York and not send nobody up here no more; so take your time while I fix my man up here real comfortable like… solid.
Ride easy, my man, you'll be home soon." "Finished, Spody?" "Yeah, Joe. Here comes red with the check sheet… I'll see you later. " Hey, Red, I'm checkin' in this coffin." "O.K., Joe, How's Spody doin'?" "He's O.K., but all he talks about his friend, Bert he calls him, since this coffin came in: He died a couple weeks ago." "Was he a close friend?" "Naw, but he was very famous, one of those hotjive musicians." "My kids musta heard him, they're crazy about that stuff. Give me a check on this loading clip." "O.K….Destination: Brown's Funeral Home, 107 Van Dorn Street, Kansas City, Missouri…" "Check." "Contents…Charlie Parker." "Check."