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Charlie Parker

American jazz saxophonist (1920–1955)

Charles Parker Jr., nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, 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.

He was a virtuoso and introduced revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic ideas into jazz, including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. Parker primarily played the alto saxophone.

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Charlie Parker

what: one person
from: Kansas City
born: 1920
until: 1955
on the air here: 0 songs
still after: 1 song

File card: Charlie Parker

real name: Charles Christopher Parker Jr.

labels: Verve Records, Savoy Records, Mercury Records, Dial Records

genres: jazz, bebop

influenced by: Buster Smith

awards: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Grammy Hall of Fame, Grammy Hall of Fame, Kansas Music Hall of Fame

plays: alto saxophone, saxophone

member of: Howard McGhee Quintet

Facts from Wikidata and Discogs, free to use.

jazzbebopamericanbluescool jazzinstrumental

The Dial Tone DailyExtra

Early life

Charles Parker Jr. was born on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Charles Parker Sr. and Adelaide "Addie" Bailey, who was of mixed Choctaw and African-American background. He was raised in Kansas City, Missouri, near Westport Road. His father, a Pullman waiter and chef on the railways, was often required to travel for work, but provided some musical influence because he was a pianist, dancer, and singer on the Theatre Owners Booking Association circuit. Parker's mother worked nights at the local Western Union office during the 1920s.

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1945–1953: Solo career

Only in 1945, after the AFM's recording ban was lifted, did Parker's collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and others have a substantial effect on the jazz world. One of their first small-group performances together, a concert in New York's Town Hall on June 22, 1945, was rediscovered in 2004 and released in 2005. Bebop soon gained wider appeal among musicians and fans.

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Charlie Chan was an alias for Charlie Parker he used for the Massey hall concert in 1953 for contractual reasons. Also known as: "Charlie Chan", "The Yardbird ... Charlie Chan ... The Sparrow ... Call Him What You May" From Discogs (free to use). Their entry