Charlie Parker
(
29. srpna
1920
Kansas City
,
Kansas
,
USA
?
12. b?ezna
1955
New York
, USA), znamy te? jako ?Bird“ ?i ?Yardbird“, byl americky
jazzovy
saxofonista
a
skladatel
, ktery stal u zrodu
bebopu
. Je pova?ovan za jednoho z nejvyznamn?j?ich jazzovych hudebnik? a skladatel? v?ech dob. Jeho neot?ely p?istup k
melodii
, rytmu a
harmonii
m?l obrovsky vliv na jeho sou?asniky. N?ktere z jeho skladeb jako nap?iklad
Billie’s Bounce
,
Antropology
,
Ornitology
nebo
Confirmation
pat?i mezi
jazzove standardy
.
?lo o um?lce, ktery p?edstavoval ikonu subkultury
hipster?
a pozd?ji i
beatnicke generace
, zosob?oval pojeti jazzoveho muzikanta jako nesmlouvaveho
um?lce
a
intelektuala
.
P?ezdivku ?Yardbird“ ziskal na za?atku sve
kariery
a jeji zkracena podoba ?Bird“ mu pak z?stala a? do konce ?ivota. Ob? varianty se staly inspiraci pro nazvy r?znych jeho skladeb nebo
alb
jako nap?iklad
Yardbird Suite
,
Ornitology
?i
Bird of Paradise
. Ohledn? p?vodu jeho
p?ezdivky
koluji dv?
historky
: Prvni tvrdi, ?e prost? ?il ?voln? jako ptak“ (?free as a bird“ v originale). Druha popisuje p?ihodu, ktera se stala na
turne
s Jayem McShannem, kdy p?i jizd? autem ne??astnou nahodou srazili
ku?e
(?yardbird“ je americky
slangovy
vyraz pro ku?e). Pry tehdy donutil ?idi?e zastavit a mrtve ku?e si vzal s sebou dom?, aby mu ho jeho domaci uva?ila k ve?e?i.
[1]
Narodil se 29. srpna 1920 jako jedine
dit?
Charlese a Addie Parkerovych v Kansas City ve stat? Kansas, vyr?stal ov?em v Kansas City v Missouri. Od za?i 1934 zde nav?t?voval Lincoln High School.
[2]
V prosinci 1935 v?ak st?edni ?kolu opustil, aby se v?noval vyhradn? hudebni karie?e.
Jako dit? nevykazoval ?adne znamky zvla?tniho hudebniho talentu. Jeho otec Charles byl
alkoholik
a doma se p?ili? nezdr?oval, p?esto jej z?ejm? po hudebni strance ovlivnil, jeliko? n?jaky ?as p?sobil jako
pianista
,
tane?nik
a
zp?vak
znameho
kabaretu
T.O.B.A. Jeho matka Addie pracovala po nocich na mistni pobo?ce Western Union. Na jeho budouci hudebni karieru m?l v?ak nejv?t?i vliv jeden mlady
trombonista
, ktery ho nau?il zaklad?m
improvizace
.
Na
saxofon
za?al hrat v jedenacti letech, ve ?trnacti se pak p?idal ke ?kolni
kapele
.
Na za?atku roku
1936
se udajn? zu?astnil improviza?ni sout??e, kde po n?m bubenik Jo Jones hodil
?inel
, proto?e nemohl jeho hrani vystat.
[3]
Jones v?ak v po?etnych rozhovorech tento incident za cely sv?j ?ivot nikdy nezminil.
V te dob? za?al cvi?it s ohromnou pili a odhodlanim, nau?il se
blues
, standard ?Cherokee“ a ?Rhythm Changes“ ve v?ech dvanacti
toninach
. Tak ovladl um?ni improvizace a za?al rozvijet n?ktere prvky pozd?j?iho
bebopu
. V jednom rozhovoru s
Paulem Desmondem
uvedl, ?e tehdy cvi?il a? patnact hodin denn?.
[4]
V Kansas City p?sobila seskupeni
Counta Basieho
a Bennieho Motena, ktera Parkera nepochybn? ovlivnila. Hral s mistnimi jazzovymi kapelami po lokalnich klubech, v sedmnacti letech se pak p?idal ke Kansas City Bandu Bustera Smithe.
Jeho v?bec prvni nahravka vznikla v roce
1940
a stalo se tak s kapelou pianisty Jay McShanna, v ni? s kratkou p?estavkou p?sobil od roku
1938
.
[5]
Koncertovali v Chicagu, na jihozapad? Spojenych stat? i v New Yorku. U? na t?chto prvnich nahravkach je patrne Parkerovo vyjime?ne improviza?ni nadani.
[6]
V roce
1939
poprve nav?tivil New York, meku v?ech jazzman?, a z?stal zde tem?? rok. Pracoval mimo jine i jako umyva?
nadobi
v Jimmie's Chicken Shack, kde hraval na piano
Art Tatum
. Jako profesionalni muzikant si vyd?laval jen sporadicky, hojn? se v?ak u?astnil mistnich
jam sessions
. Jak pozd?ji uvedl, brzy mu za?al vadit ur?ity
stereotyp
zm?n v improvizacich a cht?l hrat n?co jineho, i kdy? se mu to zpo?atku neda?ilo: ?Nep?estaval jsem myslet na to, ?e tady musi byt i n?co jineho... Ob?as jsem to i zaslechl, ale zahrat jsem to nedokazal.“ A? jednou p?i
jam session
s kytaristou Biddy Fleetem se to p?i skladb?
Cherokee
povedlo ? Parker pou?il vy??i intervaly akordu jako melodickou linku, podtrhl to odpovidajicimi zm?nami a zjistil, ?e to, co ?ob?as zaslechl“ doka?e kone?n? i zahrat.
[6]
V roce
1942
se zu?astnil jam session v newyorskem
Harlemu
, kde se poprve setkal s nad?jnymi jazzovymi muzikanty, jako byl pianista
Thelonious Monk
, trumpetista
Dizzy Gillespie
, kytarista
Charlie Christian
nebo bubenik
Kenny Clarke
.
Roku 1943 se na rok p?ipojil k
Earl Hines
' Bandu, kde mimo jine hral i Dizzy Gillespie. Tato formace se pak stala zakladem bandu
Billyho Eckstina
. Ob? uskupeni p?edstavovala vrchol nove jazzove sceny.
Vyznamny zlom p?i?el v roce
1945
, kdy vedl svoji vlastni kapelu a nahral serii skladeb v?etn?
Salt Peanuts
nebo
Show 'Nuff
, ktere definovaly novy druh jazzove muziky. Na konci roku 1945 se vydal spole?n? s Gillespiem do
Kalifornie
. Jejich pobyt v?ak skon?il katastrofaln?. Zapadni publikum nena?lo v bebopu zalibeni, s Gillespiem se neustale hadal a on sam nakonec upadl do problem? s
drogami
a
alkoholem
. V ?ervenci
1946
se nervov? zhroutil a musel byt na sedm m?sic?
hospitalizovan
v kalifornske
Camarillo State Hospital
. Zavislost na
heroinu
u n?ho udajn? vznikla nasledkem podavani
morfinu
, kdy? se je?t? jako dospivajici le?il z nasledk?
autonehody
.
Abstinen?ni p?iznaky
pak ?asto kompenzoval alkoholem. Oba tyto navyky se bezpochyby podepsaly na jeho
zdravotnim stavu
a p?isp?ly k jeho p?ed?asne smrti.
Po propu?t?ni z nemocnice se rychle ?vratil do formy“. Odjel zp?t do
New Yorku
, kde spole?n? s bubenikem
Maxem Roachem
, trumpetistou
Milesem Davisem
, pianistou
Dukem Jordanem
a kontrabasistou
Tommy Potterem
zalo?ili jazzovy quintet. V roce
1947
take nahral sva nejznam?j?i alba jako
Night in Tunisia
nebo
Yardbird Suite
.
[6]
V teto dob? byl nejvlivn?j?im a nejproslulej?im jazzovym muzikantem. Jeho jazzovy vzestup v?ak ost?e kontrastoval s osobnim
upadkem
spojenym se zavislosti na
heroinu
a alkoholu. P?esto dokazal v letech
1947
a?
1951
sam nebo s kapelou odehrat mnoho koncert? v klubech,
rozhlasovych
stanicich i jinde a v roce
1949
podnikl usp??ne
turne
po
Evrop?
.
V ?ervenci
1951
p?i?el kv?li problem?m s
drogami
o povoleni hrat v centru m?sta, a tak se musel na n?jakou dobu uchylit na periferii. Hral jen p?ile?itostn?, m?l
dluhy
, jeho psychicky i fyzicky stav se zhor?oval. V roce
1954
se dvakrat pokusil o
sebevra?du
.
[6]
Posledni ve?ejny
koncert
odehral 5. kv?tna 1955 v newyorskem klubu Birdland, pozd?ji pojmenovanem na jeho
po?est
. V depresi a s podlomenym zdravim na?el uto?i?t? v byt? jazzove patronky baronky
Nicy de Konigswater
, kde 12. kv?tna 1955 zem?el, udajn? na
zapal plic
a komplikace spojene s krvacejicim
v?edem
.
P?e?ily ho ob? jeho ?eny, zakonna man?elka Doris i partnerka Chan, a zanechal po sob? syna Bairda. Nevlastni dcera Kim se take v?nuje hudb?. Osudy jeho nejbli??ich popisuje Chan Parker ve sve
autobiografii
My Life in E Flat
.
Sehral zasadni roli ve vyvoji
bebopu
, formy
jazzu
charakterizovane spi?e svi?nym tempem a improvizacemi ne? melodii. Jeho kompozi?ni styl charakterizuji rychle p?echody od ji? existujicich forem a standard? k originalnim melodiim. Typickymi p?iklady mohou byt skladby
Ornithology
(
How High The Moon
) nebo
Yardbird Suite
(
What Price Love
). Nejednalo se sice o nic, co by se ji? d?ive v jazzu neobjevilo, ale v bebopu ?lo o zasadni, charakteristicky prvek.
Jeho pojeti harmonie lze pova?ovat za revolu?ni. Jeho tonalni
repertoar
zahrnoval akordy
nonove
,
undecimove
a
tercdecimove
, rychle implikovane akordy disharmonicke a nove varianty zm?n?nych akord? a akordovych substituci. Jeho hudebni barvu lze popsat jako ?istou a pronikavou, ale zarove? i jemnou a tklivou u balad.
Nahravky jako
Ko-Ko
,
Kim
,
Leap Frog
a dal?i sv?d?i o Parkerov? vyborne virtuozni technice a slo?itych melodickych linkach, stejn? tak ale pat?il i mezi velikany bluesove hry. Jeho bluesova improvizace v
Parker’s Mood
p?edstavuje jednu z nejp?sobiv?j?ich nahravek v d?jinach jazzu.
V r?znych obdobich spojoval jazz s prvky dal?ich hudebnich styl? od klasiky po hudbu latinskoamerickou; v tom ho pak mnozi nasledovali.
Nahraval pro t?i hudebni vydavatelstvi: Savoy, Dial a Verve.
Obdobi u Savoy a Dial mapuji kompletni soubory nahravek
The Complete Savoy Sessions
,
Charlie Parker on Dial
,
Complete Charlie Parker on Dial
a
The Complete Savoy & Dial Master Takes
. Nahravky pro Verve vy?ly jako
Bird: The Complete Charlie Parker on Verve
a
The Complete Verve Master Takes
.
- 1944
- The Immortal Charlie Parker
- Bird: Master Takes
- Encores
- 1945
- Dizzy Gillespie - Groovin' High
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker
- Charlie Parker Story
- Charlie Parker Memorial, Vol. 2
- 1947
- Charlie Parker Memorial, Vol. 1
- 1948
- Bird At The Roost, Vol. 1
- Newly Discovered Sides By Charlie Parker
- The 'Bird' Returns
- 1949
- Bird At The Roost, Vol. 2
- Bird At The Roost
- 1950
- An Evening At Home With Charlie Parker Sextet
- 1945
- Red Norvo's Fabulous Jam Session
- 1946
- Alternate Masters, Vol. 2
- 1947
- The Bird Blows The Blues
- Cool Blues c/w Bird's Nest
- Alternate Masters, Vol. 1
- Crazeology c/w Crazeology, II: 3 Ways Of Playing A Chorus
- Charlie Parker, Vol. 4
- 1946
- Jazz At The Philharmonic, Vol. 2
- Jazz At The Philharmonic, Vol. 4
- 1948
- Various Artists -
Potpourri Of Jazz
- The Charlie Parker Story, #1
- 1949
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #7 - Jazz Perennial
- Jazz At The Philharmonic, Vol. 7
- Jazz At The Philharmonic - The Ella Fitzgerald Set
- The Complete Charlie Parker On Verve - Bird
- 1950
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #4 - Bird And Diz
- The Charlie Parker Story, #3
- 1951
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #8 - Swedish Schnapps
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #6 - Fiesta
- 1952
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #3 - Now's The Time
- 1953
- The Quartet Of Charlie Parker
- 1954
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #5 - Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter
- 1940
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 1
(Philology)
- Charlie Parker With Jay McShann And His Orchestra - Early Bird
(Stash)
- Jay McShann Orchestra Featuring Charlie Parker - Early Bird
(Spotlight)
- 1941
- Jay McShann - The Early Bird Charlie Parker, 1941?1943: Jazz Heritage Series
(MCA)
- The Complete Birth Of The Bebop
(Stash)
- 1943
- Birth Of The Bebop: Bird On Tenor 1943
(Stash)
- 1945
- Every Bit Of It 1945
(Spotlight)
- Charlie Parker, Vol. 3 Young Bird 1945
(Masters of Jazz)
- Dizzy Gillespie - In The Beginning
(Prestige)
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 17
(Philology)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 5
(Spotlight)
- Red Norvo's Fabulous Jam Session
(Spotlight)
- Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker - Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945
(Uptown)
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 4
(Philology)
- Yardbird In Lotus Land
(Spotlight)
- 1946
- Rappin' With Bird
(Meexa)
- Jazz At The Philharmonic - How High The Moon
(Mercury)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 1
(Spotlight)
- 1947
- The Legendary Dial Masters, Vol. 2
(Stash)
- Various Artists -
Lullaby In Rhythm
(Spotlight)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 2
(Spotlight)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 3
(Spotlight)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 4
(Spotlight)
- Various Artists -
Anthropology
(Spotlight)
- Allen Eager - In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee 1947?1953
(Uptown)
- Charlie Parker On Dial, Vol. 6
(Spotlight)
- Various Artists -
The Jazz Scene
(Clef)
- 1948
- Gene Roland Band Featuring Charlie Parker - The Band That Never Was
(Spotlight)
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 6
(Philology)
- Bird on 52nd St.
(Jazz Workshop)
- Charlie Parker
(Prestige)
- Charlie Parker - Live Performances
(ESP)
- Charlie Parker On The Air, Vol. 1
(Everest)
- 1949
- Charlie Parker - Broadcast Performances, Vol. 2
(ESP)
- The Metronome All Stars - From Swing To Be-Bop
(RCA Camden)
- Jazz At The Philharmonic - J.A.T.P. At Carnegie Hall 1949
(Pablo)
- Rara Avis Avis, Rare Bird
(Stash)
- Various Artists -
Alto Saxes
(Norgran)
- Bird On The Road
(Jazz Showcase)
- Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie - Bird And Diz
(Universal (Japan))
- Charlie Parker - Bird In Paris
(Bird in Paris)
- Charlie Parker In France 1949
(Jazz O.P. (France))
- Charlie Parker - Bird Box, Vol. 2
(Jazz Up (Italy))
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 5
(Philology)
- Charlie Parker with Strings
(Clef)
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 2
(Philology)
- Bird's Eyes, Vol. 3
(Philology)
- Dance Of The Infidels
(S.C.A.M.)
- 1950
- Charlie Parker Live Birdland 1950 (EPM Musique (F) FDC 5710)
- Charlie Parker - Bird At St. Nick's (Jazz Workshop JWS 500)
- Charlie Parker At The Apollo Theater And St. Nick's Arena (Zim ZM 1007)
- Charlie Parker - Bird's Eyes, Vol. 15 (Philology (It) W 845-2)
- Charlie Parker - Fats Navarro - Bud Powell (Ozone 4)
- Charlie Parker - One Night In Birdland (Columbia JG 34808)
- Charlie Parker - Bud Powell - Fats Navarro (Ozone 9)
- Charlie Parker - Just Friends (S.C.A.M. JPG 4)
- Charlie Parker - Apartment Jam Sessions (Zim ZM 1006)
- V.A. - Our Best (Clef MGC 639)
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #4 - Bird And Diz (Verve MGV 8006)
- The Persuasively Coherent Miles Davis (Alto AL 701)
- Charlie Parker - Ultimate Bird 1949-50 (Grotto 495)
- Charlie Parker - Ballads And Birdland (Klacto (E) MG 101)
- Charlie Parker Big Band (Mercury MGC 609)
- Charlie Parker - Parker Plus Strings (Charlie Parker PLP 513)
- Charlie Parker - Bird With Strings Live At The Apollo, Carnegie Hall And Birdland (Columbia JC 34832)
- Charlie Parker - The Bird You Never Heard (Stash STCD 10)
- Norman Granz Jazz Concert (Norgran MGN 3501-2)
- Charlie Parker At The Pershing Ballroom Chicago 1950 (Zim ZM 1003)
- The Charlie Parker Story, #3 (Verve MGV 8002)
- Charlie Parker - Bird In Sweden (Spotlite (E) SPJ 124/25)
- Charlie Parker - More Unissued, Vol. 2 (Royal Jazz (D) RJD 506)
- Machito - Afro-Cuban Jazz (Clef MGC 689)
- An Evening At Home With Charlie Parker Sextet (Savoy MG 12152)
- 1951
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #8 - Swedish Schnapps (Verve MGV 8010)
- The Magnificent Charlie Parker (Clef MGC 646)
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #6 - Fiesta (Verve MGV 8008)
- Charlie Parker - Summit Meeting At Birdland (Columbia JC 34831)
- Charlie Parker - Bird Meets Birks (Klacto (E) MG 102)
- Charlie Parker - The Happy "Bird" (Charlie Parker PLP 404)
- Charlie Parker Live Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn 1951 (EPM Musique (F) FDC 5711)
- Charlie Parker - Bird With The Herd 1951 (Alamac QSR 2442)
- Charlie Parker - More Unissued, Vol. 1 (Royal Jazz (D) RJD 505)
- 1952
- Charlie Parker - New Bird, Vol. 2 (Phoenix LP 12)
- Charlie Parker/Sonny Criss/Chet Baker - Inglewood Jam 6-16-'52 (Jazz Chronicles JCS 102)
- Norman Granz' Jam Session, #1 (Mercury MGC 601)
- Norman Granz' Jam Session, #2 (Mercury MGC 602)
- Charlie Parker Live At Rockland Palace (Charlie Parker PLP 502)
- Charlie Parker - Cheers (S.C.A.M. JPG 2)
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #3 - Now's The Time (Verve MGV 8005)
- 1953
- Miles Davis - Collector's Items (Prestige PRLP 7044)
- Charlie Parker - Montreal 1953 (Uptown UP 27.36)
- Charlie Parker/Miles Davis/Dizzy Gillespie - Bird With Miles And Dizzy (Queen Disc (It) Q-002)
- Charlie Parker - One Night In Washington (Elektra/Musician E1 60019)
- Charlie Parker - Yardbird-DC-53 (VGM 0009)
- Charlie Parker At Storyville (Blue Note BT 85108)
- Charlie Parker - Star Eyes (Klacto (E) MG 100)
- Charles Mingus - The Complete Debut Recordings (Debut 12DCD 4402-2)
- The Quintet - Jazz At Massey Hall, Vol. 1 (Debut DLP 2)
- The Quintet - Jazz At Massey Hall (Debut DEB 124)
- Charlie Parker - Bird Meets Birks (Mark Gardner (E) MG 102)
- Bud Powell - Summer Broadcasts 1953 (ESP-Disk' ESP 3023)
- Charlie Parker - New Bird: Hi Hat Broadcasts 1953 (Phoenix LP 10)
- The Quartet Of Charlie Parker (Verve 825 671-2)
- 1954
- Hi-Hat All Stars, Guest Artists, Charlie Parker (Fresh Sound (Sp) FSR 303)
- Charlie Parker - Kenton And Bird (Jazz Supreme JS 703)
- The Genius Of Charlie Parker, #5 - Charlie Parker Plays Cole Porter (Verve MGV 8007)
- Charlie Parker - Miles Davis - Lee Konitz (Ozone 2)
- V.A. - Echoes Of An Era: The Birdland All Stars Live At Carnegie Hall (Roulette RE 127)
- Live at Townhall w. Dizzy
(1945)
- Yardbird in Lotus Land
(1945)
- Bird and Pres
(1946) (Verve)
- Jazz at the Philharmonic
(1946) (Polygram)
- Rapping with Bird
(1946-1951)
- Bird and Diz at Carnegie Hall
(1947) (Blue Note)
- The Complete Savoy Live Performances
(1947?1950)
- Bird on 52nd Street
(1948)
- The Complete Dean Benedetti Recordings
(1948?1951) (7 cds)
- Jazz at the Philharmonic
(1949) (Verve)
- Charlie Parker and the Stars of Modern Jazz at Carnegie Hall
(1949) (Jass)
- Bird in Paris
(1949)
- Bird in France
(1949)
- Charlie Parker All Stars Live at the Royal Roost
(1949)
- One Night in Birdland
(1950) (Columbia)
- Bird at St. Nick's
(1950)
- Bird at the Apollo Theatre and St. Nicklas Arena
(1950)
- Apartment Jam Sessions
(1950)
- Charlie Parker at the Pershing Ballroom Chicago 1950
(1950)
- Bird in Sweden
(1950) (Storyville)
- Happy Bird
(1951)
- Summit Meeting at Birdland
(1951) (Columbia)
- Live at Rockland Palace
(1952)
- Jam Session
(1952) (Polygram)
- At Jirayr Zorthian's Ranch, July 14, 1952
(1952) (Rare Live Recordings)
- The Complete Legendary Rockland Palace Concert
(1952)
- Charlie Parker: Montreal 1953
(1953)
- One Night in Washington
(1953) (VGM)
- Bird at the High Hat
(1953) (Blue Note)
- Charlie Parker at Storyville
(1953)
- Jazz at Massey Hall
aka.
The Greatest Jazz Concert Ever
(1953)
- "Ah-Leu-Cha"
- "Anthropology"
- "Au Privave"
- "An Oscar for Treadwell"
- "Another Hairdo"
- "Back Home Blues"
- "Ballade"
- "Barbados"
- "Billie's Bounce"
- "Bird Gets the Worm"
- "Bird of Paradise"
- "Bloomdido"
- "Blue Bird"
- "Blues (Fast)"
- "Blues for Alice"
- "Buzzy"
- "Card Board"
- "Celebrity"
- "Chasing the Bird"
- "Cheryl"
|
- "Chi Chi"
- "Confirmation"
- "Constellation"
- "Cosmic Rays"
- "Dewey Square"
- "Dexterity"
- "Diverse"
- "Donna Lee" (s
Milesem Davisem
)
- "Kim"
- "K.C. Blues"
- "Klaun Stance"
- "Ko-Ko"
- "Laird Baird"
- "Leap Frog"
- "Marmaduke"
- "Merry-Go-Round"
- "Moose the Mooche"
- "Mohawk"
- "My Little Suede Shoes"
- "Now’s the time"
|
- "Ornithology"
- "Parker's Mood"
- "Passport"
- "Perhaps"
- "Quasimodo"
- "Red Cross"
- "Relaxing with Lee"
- "Scrapple from the Apple"
- "Segment"
- "Shawnuff" (s
Dizzy Gillespiem
)
- "She Rote"
- "Si Si"
- "Steeplechase"
- "The Bird"
- "Thriving from a Riff"
- "Visa"
- "Warming Up a Riff"
- "Yardbird Suite"
|
- Aebersold, Jamey, editor (1978). Charlie Parker Omnibook. New York: Michael H. Goldsen.
- Giddins, Gary (1987). Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker. New York: Beech Tree Books, William Morrow.
ISBN
0-688-05950-3
- Koch, Lawrence (1999). Yardbird Suite: A Compendium of the Music and Life of Charlie Parker. Boston, Northeastern University Press.
ISBN
1-55553-384-1
- Reisner, George (1962). Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker. New York, Bonanza Books.
- Russell, Ross (1973). Bird Lives! The High Life & Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker. New York:Charterhouse.
ISBN
0-306-80679-7
- Woideck, Carl (1998). Charlie Parker: His Music and Life. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
ISBN
0-472-08555-7
- Woideck, Carl, editor (1998). The Charlie Parker Companion: Six Decades of Commentary. New York: Schirmer Books.
ISBN
0-02-864714-9
- Yamaguchi, Masaya, editor (1955). Yardbird Originals. New York: Charles Colin, reprinted 2005.