Charlie Parker
Biography
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.
Filmography
Charlie Parker: Bird Songs
2022
as Self - Subject (archive footage)
Bird: Not Out Of Nowhere
2020
as Self - Archival Footage
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool
2019
as Self - Musician (archive footage)
Take Your Pills
2018
as Self (archive footage)
The Harlem Renaissance
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Improvisation
2004
as Self
Bluesland: A Portrait in American Music
1993
as Self
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
1989
as Charlie Parker
Improvisation
1950
as Self
- No poster
Cool
Unreleased
as Self
- No poster
Bird 100
Unreleased