Revolutionary Thinker, Innovator Charlie Parker Born on this Date
On August 29, 2004 in 1920, Charlie Parker was born. American alto saxophone player, a founder of the bebop jazz style and one of the most influential musicians in the history of jazz. Born Charles Parker, Jr., in Kansas City, Kansas, he acquired the nickname "Yardbird" (usually shortened to "Bird") as a young man. Largely self-taught, Parker had an ability to listen and a willingness to practice that enabled him to make rapid progress on the saxophone. [more
]