Charlie "Yardbird" Parker

Charlie “Yardbird” Parker was one of the most influential jazz saxophonists of the 1940s, and one of the most famous sons of Kansas City. He played genius solos, and was one of the most brilliant jazz musicians in the history of the genre. He was born on August 29, 1920. When he was a child, his family moved to Kansas City, Missouri. Parker first came in contact with jazz while in school there, and played the baritone in his school’s band. When he was 15, he learned how to play the alto sax.
Until 1935, he played with local bands in the Kansas City jazz scene. Then, he left school to pursue music full-time with several local jazz bands. In 1938, Charlie Parker became a member of Jay McShann’s band, and toured with them between Chicago and New York City. After that, Parker became a regular performer at a club in Chicago, but then left for New York City in 1939.
When Parker went to New York City for a visit that year, he wound up staying there for a year working as a professional musician. These years were highly influential on Parker’s musical style, because he was able to develop his repertoire by playing in many improvisational jazz sessions. While working as a dish-washer at a local restaurant, he met guitarist Biddy Fleet; he taught Parker about instrumental harmony, helping him perfect the technique. When he came back to Kansas City, he joined Harlan Leonard’s Rockets, and played with them for 5 months.
Later that year, Parker rejoined McShann’s band, and played with the reed section. In 1940, Parker recorded his first single with them, as well as performed solo with the band in many songs like “Hootie Blues”, “Sepial Bounce”, and “Confessing the Blues”. With the group, he also performed in many jazz sessions at clubs in Harlem. In late 1942, he split from McShann’s band to play with Earl Hines for a few months.
In 1945, Charlie Parker led his own musical group and took them on a 6-week nightclub tour of Hollywood. They performed in Los Angeles until 1946, when Parker had to be hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown. When he got out of the hospital, Parker returned to New York City, where he started a quintet. From 1947 to 1951, they played together in a variety of nightclubs and bars, as well as traveled to Europe to play before throngs of fans.
On March 5, 1955, Parker played his last public performance at Birdland in New York City. A week after playing in the bar named in his honor, he passed away at the age of 35.