RIP, Charlie Parker (1920-1955)

Charlie Parker, arguably the most influential jazz musician of all time, died on March 12, 1955, in New York City. The official causes of death were listed as lobar pneumonia and a bleeding ulcer. The coroner who performed his autopsy mistakenly estimated Parker's 34-year-old body to be between 50 or 60 years of age.

Parker was buried in Kansas City's segregated Lincoln Cemetery over the objections of his partner, Chan Parker, who knew that Parker never wanted to return to the city of his birth. Dizzy Gillespie paid for the funeral arrangements.

Len Lyons put it best when he said, "If you have never heard Charlie Parker, the experience could permanently change the way you think about music." Parker led the development of bebop, which differed from the straightforward, dance-able tunes of the swing era, replacing these with rapid tempos, fragmented asymmetrical phrasing, intricate melodies, and rhythm sections that did more than just keep time.

In his 101 Best Jazz Albums, Lyons recommends two of Parker's albums:

• The Very Best of Bird (Warner Brothers 2WB 3198, 2 LPs)
  
• Bird/The Savoy Recordings (Master Takes) (Savoy SJL 2201, 2 LPs)
  

Unfortunately, both are available only on vinyl. Instead, Jim Determan (who has updated the Lyons list for CD) recommends the following:

• The Legendary Dial Masters, Vols. 1 and 2 (Jazz Classics) (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• Best of The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
  
• The Complete Savoy & Dial Studio Recordings 1944-1948 (Purchase the CD at Barnes & Noble.)
  

About the latter three, Determan says, "Three reissues let you choose the depth to which you want to delve into this material. These recordings are the basis of bop, so I would recommend the 3 CD Complete Master Takes set, which covers most of what was on the two double albums [Len Lyons] recommended. If you’re not sure and want to try out just a cross-section, then pick up the first disk. If you already know you are a serious fan, then you may be inclined to go for the Complete Recordings."

Parker plays "Summertime" here:

Robert
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