How Did Charlie Parker Use Bebop Music

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Saxophonist, drug addict, composer, dishwasher and one of the inventers of bebop style music. Charles "Yardbird" Parker Jr. Aka Charlie was a jazz saxophonist who had won Grammy's for his talent. Yardbird invented a musical style called bebop or bop. In 1945, Parker recorded a bebop cover of the George Gerhwin tune "I've Got Rhythm." Gerhwin's, lyrics focus on the power of love, as having his "gal" satisfied his last need. I argue that Parker's improvisational style brought new life to this standard. In this essay, I will show that while the specific meaning of the song is obscured by the bebop style, Parker maintains the general feeling of the original through his use of a quick tempo, through his maintenance of the original chord progression, and through a tight exchange of solos between him and his collaborators.
Charlie Parker was born 29 August 1920, in Kansas City. At the age of 34 Parker lost his life to perforated ulcer, pneumonia and a long term of substance abuse. When Parker died the coroner said by looking at his body they thought he was 64 instead of 34 due to the hard drugs and drinking. Parker's father abandoned his family so to cheer him up, his mother spent her whole paycheck to buy him a saxophone (The Famous People). Lester Young was …show more content…
Gerhwin did not think that his song would have this much impact of the jazz/swing style of music, but it did. This piece of music became so important to this genre of music. He had artist like Nat King Cole, Sonny Rollins, Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker make multiple songs from the form of his song. The difference between Parker's and Gerhwin's lyrics are that, Parker's lyrics are more about him loving his "gal". While Gerhwin's lyrics are more about he has this and he has that, so what more could he have if he already has the world. Gerhwin brother sold the song from underneath
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