Charlie Parker: His Music and Life (Michigan American Music Series)

Saxophonist Charlie Parker (1920-1955) was one of the most innovative and influential jazz musicians of any era. The implications of Parker's contributions to jazz were so compelling that jazz artists on all instruments were moved to reevaluate every aspect of their art with regard to melody, rhythm, and harmony. As one of the architects of modern jazz (often called "bebop"), Parker had a profound effect on American music that continues to this day. This book opens by considering current research on Parker's biography, laying out some of the contradictory accounts of his life, and setting the chronology straight where possible. It then progresses to four chapters that focus on Parker's music, tracing his artistic evolution and major achievements as a jazz improviser. Much like a guided tour through an artist's retrospective, the book introduces readers to a sampling of Charlie Parker's most illustrative works. The musical discussions and transcribed musical examples are keyed to compact disc timings for easy location - a feature unique to this book.