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Without debate, and by all accounts, jazz has always known Kim Parker, and Kim Parker has always known jazz.  Raised by two fathers who are considered the most influential men in jazz history, Charlie Parker and Phil Woods, Kim Parker's life has always been surrounded and filled by music. Born in New York City on August 22, 1946, Kim Parker was steeped in jazz from day one, having spent her first seven years on 52nd Street.
 

Yet it was her mother, Chan Parker, who initially introduced Kim to jazz.  Chan Parker was a dancer at the time, and always had a passion for jazz.  Kim's grandmother, a former Ziegfeld Girl, hat-checked at the 21 Club and the Cotton Club. As a result, Kim Parker's earliest friends were musicians, strippers, and doormen.  The glamour of 52nd Street, jazz, clubs, and the music as a whole unfortunately, often only remained in the ear of the jazz listener. Having been raised at a time of Bird's most emotionally difficult period, Kim witnessed it all.

Kim was almost age eight when her infant sister, Pree, died of pneumonia.  This event, more than any other single factor, accelerated Bird's decline and caused considerable stress and grief to the family.  In an attempt to survive this loss, the Parker's moved to New Hope, Pennsylvania, when only one year later, Bird himself died.  Five months later, the Parker home suffered a flood, and lost everything.

Life took a turn for the better, however,  when Kim reached eleven; by this time her mother Chan had been involved with Phil Woods, and soon married him.

When she was thirteen, Kim Parker was living in Europe, spending time in a Swiss boarding school, learning to ski, and learning to "keep my elbows off the table,"  while her new step-father toured with the Quincy Jones Orchestra.

The Parker-Woods family returned to the United States where Kim completed her high school education.  Here and now was also Kim's first "jazz" debut when she sang a program for her high school.  Her band was composed of her step-father Phil Woods, Gary Burton, Steve Swallow and Chris Swanson.
 

After graduating, Kim spent her first year at Hofstra University on a full scholarship in drama and was named "Best Jazz Vocalist" at the Villanova Intercollegiate Jazz Festival.

In the intervening years, Kim would be married, travel often back and forth to France ("to work on the family house") become a farmer, housepainter, and, a dropout.  "We homesteaded in Maine for two years, living without electricity or plumbing!"

In 1976, Kim Parker became a mother, giving birth to her son, Alekzander.

"Since then, I wanted to, I needed to, sing."

The rest is history, she's been busy ever since....

Over the years Kim has worked with Richie Cole, John Coates, Jr., Kenny Clarke, Joe Cohn, Bob Dorough, Eric Doney, Bill Dobbins, Kenny Drew, Tommy Flanagan, Sonny Fortune, Michael Fomanek, Bruce Forman, Mitchel Forman, William Galison, Hal Galper, Steve Gilmore, Bill Goodwin, Simon Goubert, Michel Graillier, Al Grey, Tom Harrell, Daniel Humair, Per Husby, Ratso Harris, Dennis Irwin, Alain Jean-Marie,  Vic Juris, Eric Kloss, Don Lanphere, Steve LaSpina, Jesper Lundgaard, Turk Mauro, Ron McClure, Nexus, Adam Nussbaum, Dick Oats, Tiger Okoshi, Emily Remler, Joe Roccisano, Hakan Rydin Trio (for many years), Steve Swallow, Chris Swansen, Billy Taylor, Jacky Terrasson, Ed Thigpen, Jean-Philippe Viret, Mal Waldron, Benny Waters, Mads Winding, the Phil Woods Quintet, George Young, and Eliot Zigmund to mention a few.

 
 

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS _____________________________ Celebration of the Arts (COTA), USA - 1979-89, 1993-1997 North Sea, Holland - 1981 Barcelona Jazz Festival,Spain - 1981 Kool Jazz Festival, USA - 1983 Women in Jazz, USA 1984 Bethlehem Musikfest, USA - 1987 International Festival of Jazz, Montreal - 1989 & 1999 Calvi Festival, Corsica - 1990 Besancon Jazz Festival , France - 1991 Uzeste Festival, France - 1992 Mostre Jazz, Spain - 1992 TBB festival, France - 1992 Perpignon Jazz Festival, France - 1992 Cork Festival, Ireland - 1993

 

MAJOR EUROPEAN TOURS ___________________________________ France- 1982, '84, 1987-94 Norway - 1982-83, '90 Italy - 1981-81, '90,'92 England - 1985 Belgium - 1987, '90, '92 Sweden - 1988-93 USSR - 1990 Spain - 1992 Ireland - 1993