Charlie Parker

Bebop, Musical Artist

1920 – 1955

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Who was Charlie Parker?

Charles "Charlie" Parker, Jr., also known as "Yardbird" and "Bird", was an American jazz saxophonist and composer.

Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop, 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, and classical.

Parker acquired the nickname "Yardbird" early in his career and the 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.

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Born
Aug 29, 1920
Kansas City
Also known as
  • Bird
  • Charles Parker
  • Charlie Parker And The Jazz All-Stars
  • Charlie Parker Jam Session
  • Parker, Charlie
  • Yardbird
  • Charlie Parker and Strings
  • Charlier Parker with Strings
  • Charlie 'Bird' Parker
  • Charlie Chan
Parents
Spouses
Children
Ethnicity
  • African American
Nationality
  • United States of America
Profession
Education
  • Lincoln High School
Died
Mar 12, 1955
New York City

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

Citation

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"Charlie Parker." Biographies.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.biographies.net/people/en/charlie_parker>.

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