Charlie Parker: Jazz Improvisers And Innovators Of The 20th Century

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The great trumpeter Miles Davis once said that the history of jazz can be summarized in four words: “Louis Armstrong. Charlie Parker.” There is no doubt that the former is held in the highest regard with respect to jazz and its origins in the 20th century. Parker was a much different figure, yet he is still known to be one of the greatest jazz improvisers and innovators of our time. Charlie Parker was a jazz alto saxophonist who, through his work in bebop and his immense talent as a musician, inspired many performers and composers throughout the years.
On August 29, 1920, Parker was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He got his start on the alto saxophone in 1933, and in 1935 he moved on to become a full-time musician. At the time, Kansas City thrived with African-American music, so Parker took advantage of this. For a few years he played in various semi-professional groups, developing his skill through experience. In 1939, he moved to …show more content…

Unlike the usual alto saxophone tone, Parker’s tone was more harsh with a more narrow vibrato, which he never really employed due to his rapid playing. His style of improvisation was his real claim to fame. Parker and his bop colleagues were known for playing pieces at really fast tempos, sometimes exceeding 300 beats per minute. Improvising over such quick tunes was already seemingly impossible, but Parker did it and he did it very well. At the first listen, it may appear as if he is just playing notes all over the place, but in an artistic manner. That is partially true. A look at his transcribed solos reveals that he used formulas in his improvisations, causing all the notes and rhythms and their articulation to have some sort of special relationship with one another. This is what makes Parker’s work so ingenious -- at the quickest tempos, he could effortlessly play long, thought out passages at the drop of a

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