Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker

225 Pages·2013·2.788 MB·English

by  Chuck Haddix

The
Life and
CharLie
MusiC
birodf Parker
ChuCk haddix
bird
Music in AMericAn Life
A list of books in the series
appears at the end of this book.
The
Life And c hArLie
Music
of PArker
bird
chuck hAddix
universiTy of iLLinois Press
Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield
© 2013 by Charles Haddix
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
c 5 4 3 2 1
∞ This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Frontispiece: Charlie at Billy Berg’s, 1946.
(Used by permission of the University
of Missouri–Kansas City Libraries,
Dr. Kenneth J. LaBudde Department
of Special Collections.)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Haddix, Chuck.
Bird : the life and music of Charlie Parker /
Chuck Haddix.
Pages cm. — (Music in American life)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-252-03791-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) —
ISBN 978-0-252-09517-7 (e-book)
1. Parker, Charlie, 1920–1955.
2. Jazz musicians—United States—Biography.
I. Title.
ML419.P4H34 2013
788.7'3165092—dc23 2013003509
[B]
For Bill Tuttle, a scholar, bon vivant,
and always an inspiration.

“Come, fill the Cup, and in the fire of Spring,
Your Winter garment of Repentance fling;
The Bird of time has but a little way
To flutter—and the Bird is on the Wing.”
—Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

contents
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction 1
1 Kansas City Blues 5
2 Buster’s Tune 23
3 Hootie Blues 39
4 Bebop 59
5 Relaxing at Camarillo 85
6 Dewey Square 105
7 Parker’s Mood 131
Notes 165
Sources 179
Index 183
Photographs follow page 84