ENDEIT
Charlie Parker
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Saxophonists · 1920–1955

Charlie Parker

American jazz saxophonist (1920–1955)

Born
29 August 1920
Kansas City
Died
12 March 1955
New York City
Country
United States
Active
1937–1955
Record labels
Verve Records, Savoy Records, Mercury Records, Dial Records
Discography
40 albums

Biography

Charlie Parker was a jazz musician who played saxophone and alto saxophone. Charlie Parker was born on 29 August 1920 in Kansas City and died on 12 March 1955 in New York City. The music is usually filed under jazz and bebop. Record labels: Verve Records, Savoy Records, Mercury Records and Dial Records. The discography here lists 40 albums, from “Bird & Pres at JAPT” (1946) to “The Fire and the Flight” (2025). Honours include Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance (1974), Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1983) and Grammy Hall of Fame (1987).

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.

Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Discography

Studio and live albums

Bird & Pres at JAPT 1946 · Live
Charlie Parker With Strings 1949 · Mercury Records Charlie Parker Sextet 1950 · Dial Records Bird and Diz 1952 · Mercury Records South of the Border 1952 · Mercury Records Bird - Diz - Bud - Max 1953 · Savoy Records Charlie Parker 1954 · Clef Records Charlie Parker Memorial Vol. 1 1955 · Savoy Records The Charlie Parker Story 1956 · Savoy Records Plays Cole Porter - The Genius of Charlie Parker #5 1957 · Verve An Historical Meeting At The Summit 1961 · Charlie Parker Records The Happy "Bird" 1961 · Charlie Parker Records Once There Was Bird 1962 · Charlie Parker Records Fragments 1982 · Charlie Parker Records
Royal Roost Bop 1982
Jazz at the Philharmonic - Carnegie Hall 1949 1984 · Live
Charlie Parker in Sweden 1950 1986
Jam Session 1990
Bird’s Night 1991
An Evening at Home With the Bird 1992
Bird on the Wing 1993
Super Session 2002
Bird's Nest 2005
Night in Tunisia 2006
At Café Society 2020
Bird And Diz 2020
Charlie Parker With Strings 2020
Complete Live At Birdland 2020 · Live
Complete Recordings 2020
Now's The Time 2020
Plays Cole Porter 2020
Hot House: The Complete Jazz at Massey Hall Recordings 2023 · Live
Radio Bird 2023
The Fire and the Flight 2025
'Round Midnight
Bird Takes Off
Charlie Parker [Direct Source]
Dial Masters & Roost Sessions
Gold Collection [Deja Vu]
Small Group Sessions 2

Also plays on

Albums where Charlie Parker is credited as a sideman

1956 Collectors’ Items — Miles Davis tenor saxophone

Standards written by Charlie Parker

TitleKeyFormGroove
Anthropology B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Ko Ko B♭ major AAB · 48 Up-tempo swing
Billie's Bounce F major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Scrapple From The Apple F major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Confirmation F major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Yardbird Suite C major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Donna Lee A♭ major AB · 32 Up-tempo swing
Ornithology G major ABAC · 32 Up-tempo swing
Blues For Alice F major A · 12 Medium-up swing
Segment B♭ minor ABA · 26 Up-tempo swing
Dexterity B♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Parker's Mood B♭ major A · 12 Medium swing
Au Privave F major A · 12 Up-tempo swing
Moose The Mooche B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
My Little Suede Shoes E♭ major AABA · 32 Latin
Shaw 'Nuff B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Now's The Time F major A · 12 Medium swing
Ballade F major AABA · 32 Ballad
Barbados F major A · 12 Latin
Dewey Square E♭ major AABA · 32 Medium-up swing
Bloomdido B♭ major A · 12 Up-tempo swing
Cheryl C major A · 12 Medium swing
Little Willie Leaps F major AA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Passport B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing
Perhaps C major AB · 14 Up-tempo swing
Relaxin' At Camarillo C major A · 12 Up-tempo swing
Quasimodo E♭ major AB · 32 Medium swing
Si Si F major A · 12 Medium swing
Diverse B♭ minor ABA · 26 Up-tempo swing
Thriving From A Riff B♭ major AABA · 32 Up-tempo swing

Analysed solos by Charlie Parker

Awards

Historic 78 rpm records

  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic Charlie Ventura · John Birks · Billy Hadnott · Lee Young · Myer ·… archive.org ↗
  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic - Vol. 2 John Birks · Lee Young · Billy Hadnott · Charlie Parker · Shoeless… archive.org ↗
  • Klactoveedsedstene Charlie Parker Quintet · Charlie Parker · Miles Davis · Duke Jordan… archive.org ↗
  • Charlie's Wig Charlie Parker Quintet · Miles Davis · J. J. Johnson · Duke Jordan ·… archive.org ↗
  • Norman Granz' JAZZ at the Philharmonic - Vol. 3 Howard McGhee · Arnold Ross · Lee Young · Charlie Parker · NORMAN… archive.org ↗
  • BIRD'S NEST CHARLIE PARKER QUARTET · Charlie Parker · Errol Harner · Red… archive.org ↗
  • WHAT THE MATTER NOW DIZZY GILLESPIE'S ALL STARS · Dizzy Gillespie · Charlie Parker ·… archive.org ↗
  • I WANT EVERY BIT OF IT RUBBERLEGS WILLIAMS · CLYDE HART'S ALL STARS · Trummie Young · Don… · 1945 archive.org ↗

Books about Charlie Parker

Listen on Spotify

Frequently asked questions

What instrument did Charlie Parker play?

Charlie Parker is known for playing saxophone and alto saxophone.

When and where was Charlie Parker born?

Charlie Parker was born 29 August 1920 in Kansas City.

What are Charlie Parker's best-known albums?

Albums in our database include Charlie Parker With Strings (1949), Charlie Parker Sextet (1950), Bird and Diz (1952), South of the Border (1952) and Bird - Diz - Bud - Max (1953).

External links

Data compiled from open sources; see the source links below. Spotted an error? Let us know.