Charlie Parker – alto saxophonist (b. August 29, 1920 – d. March 12, 1955)
was one of the central figures in the development of modern jazz and one of the principal architects of bebop. His career lasted less than two decades, yet his approach to melody, harmony, rhythm, and improvisation had a lasting effect on jazz musicians and on the way the music itself was conceived. Parker primarily played alto saxophone, and his recordings from the 1940s and early 1950s became important reference points for subsequent generations of musicians.
Charles Parker Jr. was born on August 29, 1920, in Kansas City, Kansas, and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. His father, Charles Parker Sr., worked as a railroad waiter and chef and had also performed as a pianist, dancer, and singer. Parker's mother, Adelaide “Addie” Bailey, was an important presence during his childhood. He developed an interest in music at an early age and began playing the saxophone as a teenager. By the age of 15, he had left school to pursue music as a profession.
Kansas City in the 1930s was an important environment for the development of jazz, with a substantial network of clubs, dance halls, and working bands. Parker learned through listening, playing, and participating in this musical...
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