WIKIPEDIA

Charlie Parker
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Charles Parker, see Charles Parker (disambiguation).

Charlie Parker

Parker with Tommy Potter, Max Roach and Miles Davis at Three
Deuces, New York

Background information

Birth name

Charles Parker, Jr.

Also known as

Bird, Yardbird

Born

August 29, 1920

Kansas City, Kansas, US

Died

March 12, 1955 (aged 34)

New York City, New York, US

Genres

Jazz, bebop

Occupation(s)

Musician, composer

Instruments

Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

Years active

19371955

Labels

Savoy, Dial, Verve

Associated acts

Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Miles Davis

Website

www.cmgww.com/music/parker/

Notable instruments

Buescher, Conn, King and Grafton alto saxophones

Charles Parker, Jr. (August 29, 1920 March 12, 1955), also known as "Yardbird" and "Bird", was
an American jazz saxophonist and composer.[1]
Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop,[2] a form
of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and improvisation. Parker introduced
revolutionary harmonic ideas including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and
chord substitutions. His tone ranged from clean and penetrating to sweet and somber. Many Parker
recordings demonstrate his virtuoso playing style and complex melodic lines, sometimes combining
jazz with other musical genres, including blues, Latin, andclassical.[citation needed]
Parker acquired the nickname "Yardbird" early in his career;[3] this and its shortened form, "Bird",
which continued to be used for the rest of his life, inspired the titles of a number of Parker
compositions, such as "Yardbird Suite", "Ornithology", "Bird Gets the Worm", and "Bird of Paradise".
Parker was an icon for the hipster subculture and later the Beat Generation, personifying the jazz
musician as an uncompromising artist and intellectual rather than just an entertainer.[4]

WIKIPEDIA