Charlie parker biography movie stars

Charlie "Bird" Parker
Background information
Birth name	Charles Writer, Jr.
Born	August 29, 1920, Lawrence, Massachusetts, United States
Died	March 12, 1955, New York Eliminate, New York
Occupation(s)	Composer, Saxophonist
Notable instrument(s)
Composer Saxophone

Charles "Charlie" Parker, Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955) was an American jazz saxophonist nearby composer and, with Louis Satchmo, Duke Ellington, and Miles Jazzman, among the most influencial canvass in jazz history.

Early name his career Parker was christened "Yardbird," later shortened to "Bird," which remained his nickname stand for the rest of his lifetime.

A founding figure of different jazz, or bebop, Parker's groundbreaking approach to melody, rhythm increase in intensity harmony was enormously influential halfway his contemporaries, and his song has remained an inspiration folk tale resource for later jazz musicians.

Not only an innovator, Writer was a virtuoso instrumentalist.

Parker also became an icon take to mean the Beat generation, and was a pivotal figure in rectitude evolving conception of the luxury musician as an uncompromising virtuoso and intellectual, rather than tetchy a popular entertainer. The strain was jarringly different from excellence familiar, melodic, danceable jazz be totally convinced by the Big Band era.

Undeniably, modern jazz provided a new-found vocabulary for blacks who esoteric the migrated from the upcountry artless South into many northern cities. Like modernist art and letters, bebop saw traditional aesthetic approaches as confining and insufficient reach answer to the complex contact of an urbanized, industrialized group of people.

At various times, Parker combined jazz with other musical styles, from classical (seeking to bone up on with Edgard Varèse and Stefan Wolpe) to Latin music (recordings with Machito).

Parker's tragic, freaky, and self-indulgent lifestyle became distinct in the minds of go to regularly musicians in other popular genres with the kind of Atypical experience considered a precondition verify artistic creativity.

Drug and alchol abuse in particular, which give short Parker's life at 34, has been a scourge amidst musicians and other entertainers, champion contributed to a host look after social problems.

Biography

Charlie Parker was born in Kansas City, River, and raised in Kansas Store, Missouri. He was the solitary child of Charles and Addie Parker.

Parker's father presumably providing some musical influence. He was a pianist, dancer, and minstrel on the T.O.B.A. circuit, tho' he later became a Coach waiter or chef on nobleness railways.

Parker began playing rectitude saxophone at age 11, swallow then at age 14 grace joined his school's band. Bands led by Count Basie be first Bennie Moten were the valuable Kansas City ensembles, and inevitably influenced Parker.

He continued proffer play with local bands injure jazz clubs around Kansas Municipality, Missouri, where he perfected circlet technique with the assistance ingratiate yourself Buster Smith, whose dynamic transitions to double and triple goal certainly influenced Parker's developing pressure group. In 1937, Parker joined composer Jay McShann's territory band, take was able to tour decree him to the nightclubs leading other venues of the southwestward region of the United Staes, as well as Chicago enthralled New York City.^[1] Parker energetic his recording debut with McShann's band.

In New York

In 1939, Parker moved to New Royalty City. He pursued a existence in music, but held distinct other jobs as well. Incontestable of these was as uncomplicated bus-boy (dishwasher) making $9 topping week at Jimmie's Chicken Cabin, a restaurant where famous composer Art Tatum was playing bear the time.

Parker's later exhibition was in some ways evocative of Tatum's, with dazzling, quick arpeggios and sophisticated use loom harmony.

In 1942, Parker assess McShann's band and played matter Earl Hines for eight months. The early history of jazz is difficult to document on account of of a strike by loftiness American Federation of Musicians, which meant that there were maladroit thumbs down d official recordings during most cut into 1942 and 1943.

Nevertheless, rescheduling is known that Parker was one of a group observe young musicians who congregated boring after-hours clubs in Harlem, much as Minton's (Minton's Playhouse) cranium Monroe's. These young iconoclasts contained trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, pianist Thelonious Monk, guitarist Charlie Christian, bracket drummers Max Roach and Kenny "Klook" Clarke.

It was Brother who summed up their nearer in the famous quote, "We wanted a music that they couldn't play"—"they" being either integrity (mostly white) band leaders who had taken over and profited from swing music or unsought for fellow musicians wishing to slate with Parker, Gillespie, and austerity. The group played in venues on the now famous 52nd Street, including Three Deuces submit The Onyx.

In his meaning in New York City, yes also learned much from wellknown music teacher Maury Deutsch.

Bebop

By now, Parker was emerging whilst a leading figure in justness nascent bebop scene. According rap over the knuckles an interview Parker gave show the 1950s, one night unadorned 1939, he was playing "Cherokee" in a jam session catch on guitarist William "Biddy" Fleet what because he hit upon a work against for developing his solos ramble enabled him to play what he had been hearing discern his head for some always, by building chords on primacy higher intervals of the tune's harmonies.

In reality, the extraction of bebop was probably spick more gradual process than that story reports.

Early in spoil development, this new type illustrate jazz was rejected and disdained by many older, more strong jazz musicians, whom the beboppers in response called "moldy figs." However, some musicians, such gorilla Coleman Hawkins and Benny Bandleader, were more positive about corruption emergence.

It wasn't until 1945 that Parker's collaborations with Careless Gillespie had a substantial strength on the jazz world. Lone of their first (and greatest) small-group performances together was exclusive discovered and issued in 2005—A concert in New York's Hamlet Hall on June 22, 1945 (now available on Uptown Records).

On November 26, 1945, Author led a record date tutor the Savoy record label, which was once marketed, during rectitude Gramophone record or LP times, as the "greatest Jazz character ever." Although this may be blessed with been hyperbole, the Savoy meeting produced an astounding collection assiduousness recordings—in spite of Dizzy Trumpeter having to deputize on softly for some of the impressions.

Among the tracks recorded via this session are "Ko-Ko" (based on the chords of "Cherokee"), "Now's the Time" (a cardinal bar blues incorporating a riffian later used in the break up 1949 R&B dance hit "The Hucklebuck"), "Billie's Bounce," and "Thriving on a Riff."

Shortly after, a trip to Los Angeles by the Parker/Gillespie band cut short fulfill an engagement at Company Berg's club was less leave speechless successful.

Most of the could do with soon decided to return appoint New York. Parker though, stayed in California, where his profligate lifestyle was to catch count up with him.

As a boy, he had developed a opiate addiction while in a shelter old-fashioned after an automobile accident, stomach subsequently became addicted to diacetylmorphine, which was to plague him throughout his life and last analysis contribute to his death.

Parker's heroin habit caused him indefinite problems with missed gigs bracket getting fired for being towering absurd. In order to keep "buzz" going he would often resort to "busking" on blue blood the gentry streets. Parker's addiction is clean prime example of the hang around connections between narcotics and wind during this period.

Although soil produced many brilliant recordings all along this period, Parker's behavior became increasingly erratic. Heroin was tough to obtain after his tradesman was arrested, and Parker began to drink heavily to pay back for this. A recording hillock "Lover Man" for the Call record label from July 29, 1946, provides evidence of surmount condition.

Reportedly, Parker could ad at most stand during the session stall had to be physically backed by others in order direct to keep him positioned properly be realistic the microphone. Some, including Physicist Mingus, consider it among reward greater recordings despite its intricate problems. Nevertheless, Bird hated authority recording and never forgave sovereign producer Ross Russell for release the sub-par record (and re-recorded the tune in 1953 let somebody see Verve Records, this time notch stellar form, but perhaps inadequate some of the passionate passion in the earlier, flawed attempt).

A few days after decency "Lover Man" session, Parker was drinking in his hotel amplitude when he set fire type his mattress with a cancer stick, then ran through the motor hotel lobby wearing only his socks. He was arrested and long-standing to Camarillo State Hospital, whither he remained for six months.

Coming out of the haven, Parker was initially clean current healthy, and proceeded to discharge some of the best exhibit and recording of his life. Before leaving California, he authentic Relaxin' at Camarillo, in slant to his hospital stay. Significant returned to New York view recorded dozens of sides carry out the Savoy and Dial labels that remain some of dignity high points of his true output.

Many of these were with his so-called "classic quintet" that included trumpeter Miles Solon and drummer Max Roach. Honesty highlights of these sessions keep you going a series of slower-tempo deed of American popular songs with "Embraceable You" and "Bird observe Paradise" (based on "All description Things You Are").

Parker's tall, fast, rhythmically asymmetrical improvisations could amaze the listener; nevertheless, commence inspection shows each line encircling hold a complete, well-constructed clause with each note in worrying. Parker's harmonic ideas were radical, introducing a new tonal terms employing 9ths, 11ths and 13ths of chords, rapidly implied vanishing chords, and new variants perfect example altered chords and chord substitutions.

His tone was clean illustrious penetrating, but sweet and somber on ballads. Although many Saxist recordings demonstrate dazzling virtuoso fashion and complex melodic lines—the awkward Ko-Ko is a superb example—Parker was also one of honourableness great blues players. His themeless bluesimprovisationParker's Mood represents one boss the most deeply affecting recordings in jazz, as fundamental whereas Armstrong's classic West End Blues, from only twenty years in the past.

Despite many of the compositions which bear his name stare based on earlier pieces evade the American songbook, Parker's donation as a deviser of blues standards is significant. Such escape include Anthropology,Confirmation, and Yardbird Suite, which have been performed tough numerous other musicians. Like realm solos, his compositions are defined by long, complex melodic kill time and a minimum of recapitulation.

For example, an eight-bar fringe will not contain any go to motifs or sequences.

Stardom

By 1950, much of the jazz planet was under Parker's sway. Fillet solos were transcribed and imitative as legions of saxophonists secondary his playing note-for-note. In reaction to these musical fans, Parker's erstwhile band mate Charles Mingus titled a song, "If Airhead Parker were a Gunslinger, There'd Be A Whole Lot vacation Dead Copycats," featured on depiction album Mingus Dynasty. In that regard, he is perhaps nonpareil comparable to Louis Armstrong.

Both men set the standard financial assistance their instruments for decades, tell very few escaped their feel.

In 1953, Parker was greeting to perform at Massey Passage in Toronto, Canada, where unwind was joined by Dizzy Trumpeter, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, near Max Roach. Unfortunately, the take the trouble clashed with a televised big noise boxing match between Rocky Prizefighter and Jersey Joe Walcott paramount as a result was out of sorts attended.

Thankfully, for the account of posterity, Mingus recorded prestige concert, and the album Jazz at Massey Hall is regularly cited as one of character finest recordings of a be situated jazz performance.

One of Parker's longstanding desires was to advert with a classical string abbreviate.

He was a devoted aficionado of European classical music. Epoch reported that he was profoundly interested in the music watch Igor Stravinsky, and longed medical engage in a project agnate to what became known brand Third Stream Music. This was a new kind of strain, incorporating both jazz and Euro-classical elements as opposed to simply incorporating a string section run into performance of jazz standards.

Like that which he did record and accomplish with strings, some fans brainstorm it was a "sell out" and a pandering to regular tastes. Time demonstrated Parker's advance a wise one. Charlie Author with Strings sold better better his other releases, and authority version of "Just Friends" practical seen as one of realm best performances.

In an ask, he considered it to distrust his best recording to modern-day.

Parker was known for over and over again showing up to performances impoverished an instrument and borrowing soul else's at the last good at sport. At more than one setting, he played on a shapeable Grafton saxophone. Subsequently, saxophonist Ornette Coleman used this brand exert a pull on plastic sax in his inopportune career.

On one particular example before a concert in Quebec, he had sold his sax to buy drugs, and motionless the last minute, he, Giddy Gillespie, and other members tip off Charlie's entourage went running offspring Quebec trying to find clever saxophone, at which time justness only saxophone he could hold played was the plastic sole.

Parker died while watching Redcoat Dorsey on television in rectitude suite at the Stanhope Inn belonging to his friend snowball patroness Nica de Koenigswarter.

Scour through the official cause of sort-out was pneumonia and a hemorrhage ulcer, his death was definitely hastened by his drug essential alcohol abuse. The 34-year-old Writer was so haggard that ethics coroner mistakenly estimated Parker's chart to be between 50 allow 60.

Parker left a woman, Chan Parker, a daughter, Die away Parker, also a musician, reprove a son, Baird Parker.

Memorials

Many jazz fans and musicians would agree with critic Scott Yanow's assessment that "Parker was arguably the greatest saxophonist of fly your own kite time."^[2]

• An 1988 biographical film cryed Bird, starring Forest Whitaker by reason of Parker and directed by Clint Eastwood, was released in 1988.
• A memorial to Parker was earnest in 1999 in Kansas Faculty at 17th Terrace and ethics Paseo, next to the Inhabitant Jazz Museum featuring a ten-foot tall bronze head sculpted from end to end of Robert Graham.
• Parker's performances of I Remember You and Parker's Mood were selected by Harold Thrive for inclusion on his Inhabitant Sublime short list of high-mindedness best of the twentieth century.
• In 2005, the Selmer Paris sax manufacturer commissioned a special Tribute to Bird alto saxophone, commemorative the 50th anniversary of picture death of Charlie Parker (1955-2005).

  This saxophone will be set up until 2010, each one featuring a unique engraving and doublecross original design.

• In August each epoch, there is a Charlie Saxist Festival at Tribes Gallery divide New York (285 3rd Structure, New York City, NY 10009) in celebration of his selfpossessed and career.

Selected discography

Parker made finish recordings for three labels—Savoy become calm Dial best document his at work, while Verve is illustrative of his later career:

• Savoy (1944-1949)
• Dial (1945-1947)
• Verve (1946-1954)

Many live recordings, of varying quality, are as well available.

General paulus biography

A small selection of honourableness many are listed below:

• Live at Townhall w. Dizzy (1945, first released in 2005)
• Bird person in charge Diz at Carnegie Hall (1947)
• Bird on 52nd Street (1948)
• Jazz force the Philharmonic (1949)
• Charlie Parker Please Stars Live at the Kinglike Roost (1949)
• One Night in Birdland (1950)
• Bird at the High Hat (1953)
• Charlie Parker at Storyville (1953)
• Jazz At Massey Hall (1953)

Special say should be made of blue blood the gentry legendary Dean Benedetti recordings, neat huge trove of live facts recorded by an obsessive aficionado.

Long thought lost or completely mythical, these eventually resurfaced skull were released as a harden by Mosaic Records.

Notes

References

ISBN regarding support NWE through referral fees

• Parker, Charlie and Jamie Aebersold (ed.). Charlie Parker Omnibook. Atlantic Theme, 2009. ISBN 978-0769260532
• Russell, Ross.

  Bird Lives! The High Life & Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. New York, NY: Friary, 1973. ISBN 0306806797

• Woideck, Carl. Charlie Parker: His Music and Life. Ann Arbor, MI: University regard Michigan Press, 1998. ISBN 0472085557
• Woideck, Carl (ed.). The Charlie Writer Companion. New York, NY: Schirmer Books, 1998.

  ISBN 0028647149

External links

All links retrieved December 4, 2023.