Charlie Parker

Biography

Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), 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. 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.

Known For

Take Your Pills

as Self (archive footage)

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool

as Self - Musician (archive footage)

Improvisation

as Self

Charlie Parker: Bird Songs

as Self - Subject (archive footage)

Bird: Not Out Of Nowhere

as Self - Archival Footage

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker

as Charlie Parker

The Harlem Renaissance

as Self (archive footage)

Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music

as Self

Cool

as Self

Bird 100