Charlie Parker

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Bird's sax NMAAHC-2019

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Charlie Parker, Tommy Potter, Miles Davis, Duke Jordan, Max Roach (Gottlieb 06851)

Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker Lincoln Cemetery

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XBird Lives by Robert Graham

Charlie Parker (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), also known as "Bird," was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique, and advanced harmonies. Parker's innovative approaches to melody, rhythm, and harmony exercised enormous influence on his contemporaries and later generations of jazz musicians, making him one of the icons of jazz history.

Early Life

Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, an area with a vibrant jazz scene that would heavily influence his musical style. He began playing the saxophone at a young age and quickly developed a passion for jazz. Despite a lack of formal music education, Parker's natural talent and dedication to practice helped him rapidly advance his skills.

Career

Parker's career began in the early 1940s, playing with local bands in Kansas City before moving to New York City, the epicenter of the jazz world. It was in New York that Parker, along with other musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Bud Powell, would forge the complex rhythms and harmonies of bebop. Parker's performances at venues like Minton's Playhouse and the Three Deuces on 52nd Street introduced audiences to his revolutionary approach to jazz.

Parker's recording sessions from this period, including his work with the Savoy and Dial labels, produced many of his most famous compositions, such as "Ko-Ko," "Ornithology," "Yardbird Suite," and "Scrapple from the Apple." These recordings remain milestones in the history of jazz.

Personal Life and Legacy

Charlie Parker's life was marked by his genius as well as his struggles with addiction, which ultimately contributed to his early death at the age of 34. Despite his personal challenges, Parker's influence on jazz is immeasurable. He was a mentor to many younger musicians and his ideas laid the groundwork for many of the developments in jazz that followed, including cool jazz, hard bop, and free jazz.

Parker's contribution to jazz and music as a whole has been recognized by numerous awards and honors, including induction into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Death

Charlie Parker died on March 12, 1955, in New York City. His death was attributed to a combination of pneumonia, a bleeding ulcer, and cirrhosis of the liver, conditions exacerbated by his long-standing substance abuse. Parker's passing was a great loss to the music world, but his legacy continues to inspire musicians and music lovers around the globe.

Discography

While a comprehensive list of Parker's recordings is beyond the scope of this article, notable albums include:

• Charlie Parker with Strings (1950)
• Bird and Diz (1950, with Dizzy Gillespie)
• The Genius of Charlie Parker series (Savoy and Dial recordings from the 1940s)

Influence

Charlie Parker's influence extends beyond jazz and into other musical genres, including classical, rock, and hip-hop. His work has been studied by musicians and composers worldwide, and his life has been the subject of numerous books, films, and musical tributes.