Charlie Parker- musical explanations

[take5]

I'm ready to start seriously exploring and trying to understand the music of Charlie Parker, specifically how it influenced other musicians. I listen to Mingus and Coltrane, et al, and I think understanding as much about Bird as I can will help my appreciate the music better.

I have the Complete Savoy/Dial recordings coming in the mail which I will listen to a lot, very closely.

I'm no musician, but can understand some of the basic concepts that I've read about on my own and picked up when (unsuccessfully) trying to learn to play instruments- scales, chords, etc. The basics.

I'd love to read something that explains, for example, how what Parker does on such-and-such a tune effected what other musicians did- technique, a bit of theory, whatever. Something relatively understandable and not too hardcore academic, but beyond the basic "he improvised the chords, not just the melody" stuff you read in liner notes. And I'm not really interested in reading about him personally.

Is there such a book?

[brownie]

If you can find it, Andre Hodeir had an illuminating chapter on Charlie Parker and the Be-bop movement development in his 1954/1961 book classic 'Jazz, Its Evolution and Essence'.

The other chapters of the book are very interesting too, including Hodeir's famous analysis of Duke Ellington's 'Concerto for Cootie'.

[Larry Kart]

Carl Woideck's "Charlie Parker: His Life and Music" (U of Michigan Press) is very good.

[gslade]

This might help or may be too technical for you, but I found it very interesting and helpful in understanding Parkers improvisations

Charlie Parker and Thematic Improvisation: by Henry Martin on Scarecrow press

[doubleM]

I'm pretty sure he used mirrors.

[Harold_Z]

I'm pretty sure he used mirrors.

Definitely smoke too.

[BruceH]

If you can find it, Andre Hodeir had an illuminating chapter on Charlie Parker and the Be-bop movement development in his 1954/1961 book classic 'Jazz, Its Evolution and Essence'.

The other chapters of the book are very interesting too, including Hodeir's famous analysis of Duke Ellington's 'Concerto for Cootie'.

I second that.

[Brad]

This may not help you answer your question but you also need to get the flavor of the man. In my view, the book by Robert Reisner, Bird: The Legend of Charlie Parker, does that. I'd pick that up. Amazon has it in paperback for $12.60.

Edited June 4, 2004 by Brad

[JSngry]

If you already have a basic understanding of harmony, theory, know the "basic" chords to some tunes, and can read music, the Omnibook shows in actual notes what nobody's ever really adequately into words, at least not yet, not to my knowledge (although I've yet to read the Carl Woideck thing). Even if you have nothing but the most rudimental knowledge, but have a freind who has more knowledge to go over the solos with you and illuminate what's going on, that's better than reading "musical analysis" (a whole 'nother creature than criticism, fwiw) that is either superficial or impressionistic.

[Nate Dorward]

Scott DeVeaus's The Birth of Bebop is very useful, though it's not (of course) exclusively concerned with Parker. But it gives you a good idea of the innovations made by the beboppers, the thinking behind them, & the way that these led out of the music of predecessors like Hawkins & Young.