• 01. Cool Blues 01:54
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.
Published by Songs of Universal, Inc.
• 02. Cheryl 07:13
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.
Published by Atlantic Music Corp.
• 03. Moose the Mooche 05:12
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.
Published by Atlantic Music Corp.
• 04. Ornithology 05:29
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.
Published by Atlantic Music Corp.
• 05. Anthropology 05:59
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Charles Christopher Parker, Jr.
Published by Atlantic Music Corp.
• 06. Night in Tunisia 05:51
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by John Birks Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
Published by Universal Music Corporation
• 07. Oop Bop Sh'bam 04:09
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by John Birks Gillespie, Walter Gilbert Fuller
Published by Music Sales Corp
• 08. Jumpin' with Symphony 00:59
Performed by Charlie Parker
Music by Lester Young, Buddy Feyne
Published by Criterion Music Corp.

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By 1950, much of the jazz world had fallen under Parker's spell. Many musicians transcribed and copied his solos. Legions of saxophonists imitated his playing note-for-note. In response to these pretenders, Parker's admirer, the bass player Charles Mingus, titled a tune "Gunslinging Bird" (meaning "If Charlie Parker were a gunslinger, there would be a whole lot of dead copycats") featured on the album Mingus Dynasty. In this regard, he is perhaps only comparable to Louis Armstrong: both men set the standard for their instruments for decades, and few escaped their influence. In 1953, Parker performed at Massey Hall in Toronto, Canada, joined by Gillespie, Mingus, Bud Powell and Max Roach. Unfortunately, the concert clashed with a televised heavyweight boxing match between Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott and as a result was poorly attended. Thankfully, Mingus recorded the concert, and the album Jazz at Massey Hall is often cited as one of the finest recordings of a live jazz performance, with the saxophonist credited as "Charley Chan" for contractual reasons. At this concert, he played a plastic Grafton saxophone (serial number 10265); later, saxophonist Ornette Coleman used this brand of plastic sax in his early career. Parker had sold his alto saxophone to buy drugs, and at the last minute, he, Dizzy Gillespie and other members of Charlie's entourage went running around Toronto trying to find Parker a saxophone. After scouring all the downtown pawnshops open at the time, they were only able to find a Grafton, which Parker proceeded to use at the concert that night. Parker was known for often showing up to performances without an instrument, necessitating a loan at the last moment. There are various photos which show him playing a Conn 6M saxophone, a high quality instrument which was noted for having a very fast action and a unique "underslung" octave key. Some of the photographs showing Parker with a Conn 6M were taken on separate occasions because Parker can be seen wearing different clothing and there are different backgrounds. However, other photos exist which show Parker holding alto saxophones with a more conventional octave key arrangement, i.e. mounted above the crook of the saxophone e.g. the Martin Handicraft and Selmer Model 22 saxophones, amongst others. Parker is also known to have performed with a King 'Super 20' saxophone, with a semi-underslung octave key which bears some resemblance to those fitted on modern Yanagisawa instruments. Parker's King Super 20 saxophone was made specially for him in 1947.

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Charlie Parker and Bud Powell: Birdland

Few of today's musicians have met Charlie Parker. His short life (1920-55) has become a myth of grand proportions, where every note is mummified for future generations. Perhaps a short life like the one of Parker imparts that special human reaction "what if", and therefore his post-35 imaginary... Full Story