Charlie Parker: life and musical legacy

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker' by Gary Giddins is all about demystification of a famous figure that had hitherto been shrouded in mystery. Giddins did what any self-respecting biographer would do. He gathered all relevant information about the life of jazz guru Charlie Parker and tried to remove layers of myth and mystery surrounding this well-known figure. The book is a must-read for Charlie lovers but not because it demystifies the man but because it offers information about his early life that is hard to find elsewhere.

The author chronicles Bird's rise from a 'nobody' to the status of most important musician of the last century. The man who ruled jazz and introduced innovations in this form of music was an interesting figure who led a difficult and often self-destructive life. Published thirty years after his death, Celebrating Bird offers a close insight into the early rise of Charlie Parker. The author talks about Charlie's experiences with band members George E. Lee and Jay McShann, tells us about his job at Times Square tango place, Charlie's decision not to join hands with Duke Ellington in 1939. Giddins also quotes other players of Charlie's times who talked about their reaction when they first heard Charlie on radio. Trumpeter Thad Jones, for example, recalls what went on his soldier camp in Guam when he listened to Charlie playing on radio with Dizzy:

can't describe what went on in that tent. We went out of our minds!... It was the newness and the impact of that sound, and the technique. It was something we were probably trying to articulate ourselves and just didn't know how. And Dizzy and Bird came along and did it. They spoke our minds. (12, 15)

Giddins also mentions self-destructive habits of Charlie Parker who probably suffered from the same syndrome that killed famous people like Marilyn Monroe and the likes. He was a classic case of someone whose life goes awry when he has accomplished everything he had ever wanted. At the peak of fame and fortune, Charlie Parker lost direction and his life fell apart. Giddins book doesn't focus much on the later stage of Charlie's life but it definitely manages to stand apart from other books on him with good pictures and accurate hard-to-find information. For example, it is only from this source that we learn that by the end of his life, Charlie had got tired of jazz and wanted to write orchestral scores. (p. 112)

Parker is remembered today more for his innovative music techniques and his unique voice than anything else. His personal problems never overshadowed his numerous achievements. We should pay tribute to this man for creating new ways of making jazz music. One of his very well-known techniques was Bebop, a form so music that took the country by storm in 1950s and was a rage among music-lovers. Charlie believed in innovation and improvisation. He was not satisfied with the trends of his times and decided to create new and better ways of making jazz tunes. The flexibility he introduced to jazz is unparalleled even today. The great legendary musician would sometimes create tunes right in the middle of his performance and people would remain in awe of his musical genius.