| Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker was one of the most | | | | Tatum frequently played at the venue and his use of |
| influential jazz musicians of all time. Known also as | | | | fast paced arpeggios would have an influence of |
| Yardbird, or simply Bird, Charlie was an early bebop | | | | Parker's playing. |
| pioneer; many of his songs remain standards to this | | | | In 1942 Charlie Parker left Jay's band to play with Earl |
| day. | | | | Hines' band. A band that included Dizzy Gillespie on |
| It might surprise you, but Charlie Parker started playing | | | | trumpet. A musician's strike from 1942-1943 has made |
| the saxophone at age 11, but wasn't a child prodigy by | | | | it difficult to document much of what happened during |
| any stretch of the imagination. He joined the school | | | | that period. We do know, however, that in that year |
| band at age 14, and by one account, was kicked out | | | | Paker played with a group of young musicians who |
| because of his bad playing as a result of his lack of | | | | embraced the new bebop form of jazz. This group of |
| formal training. Charlie didn't let setbacks bother him | | | | musicians included not only Parker and Gillespie but |
| though, and an in interview once said that for three to | | | | other soon to be legends, such as Thelonious Monk, |
| four years he practiced 15 hours a day. Part of this | | | | Charlie Christian and Kenny Clarke. |
| practice regime included playing the blues songs he | | | | During these formative years of the genre, most of |
| learned in all 12 keys. During this time, Parker's | | | | the older, established jazz musicians did not embrace it. |
| improvisational skill flourished, and he began to develop | | | | Some, however, such as Coleman Hawkins and |
| some of the musical ideas that would give birth to | | | | Benny Goodman, appreciated the new art form, |
| bebop. | | | | playing and recording with bebop stylists. The genre |
| In the late thirties, Charlie played with local jazz bands | | | | which Charlie Parker all but invented, had arrived. |
| in the Kansas City area. Ensembles led by Count | | | | Charlie was famous for showing up to gigs without an |
| Basie and Bennie Moten were popular in the area | | | | instrument and borrowing one from somebody else at |
| around this time and influenced Charlie's playing. By | | | | the last minute. For this reason, he could be seen |
| 1938 Charlie Parker had joined pianist Jay McShann's | | | | playing many different makes and models of sax. |
| band, Jay McShann's Territory Band. The band played | | | | These include Conn 6Ms, Selmer model 22s, and 26s, |
| all over the southwest and occasionally travelled to | | | | and even a Grafton plastic saxophone. In 1947 he had |
| bigger markets such as Chicago and New York. | | | | a King Super 20 made exclusively for him. He seemed |
| It was with Jay McShann that Parker would play on | | | | to prefer Brilhart mouthpieces, having used both Ebolin |
| his first professional recording. Bird moved to New | | | | and Tonalin Streamlines. According to rumor he used |
| York in 1939 and took a job as a dishwasher at | | | | hard Rico reeds early in his career but later switched |
| Jimmy's Chicken Shack to supplement the income he | | | | to a 2 ½ in the fifties. |
| made with Jay McShann's Territory Band. Pianist Art | | | | |