Charlie Parker

Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), also known as Yardbird and Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and the leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonies. Parker was a blazingly fast virtuoso, and he 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. Parker acquired the nickname "Yardbird" early in his career on the road with Jay McShann. This, and the shortened form "Bird", continued to be used for the rest of his life, inspiring 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.

Birth and Death Data: Born August 29, 1920 (Kansas City), Died March 12, 1955 (New York City)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1941 - 1942

Roles Represented in DAHR: alto saxophone

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Decca 70993 10-in. 7/2/1942 Lonely boy blues Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 70994 10-in. 7/2/1942 Get me on your mind Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 70995 10-in. 7/2/1942 The jumpin' blues Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 70996 10-in. 7/2/1942 Sepian bounce-1 Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 93730 10-in. 4/30/1941 Swingmatism Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 93731 10-in. 4/30/1941 Hootie blues Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  
Decca 93732 10-in. 4/30/1941 Dexter blues Jay McShann Orchestra instrumentalist, alto saxophone  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Parker, Charlie," accessed March 26, 2023, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336464.

Parker, Charlie. (2023). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336464.

"Parker, Charlie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2023. Web. 26 March 2023.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/336464

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