Charlie Parker, the bird remains rare

Charlie Parker was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. A legendary figure during his lifetime, his untimely death in 1955 (at the age of 34) made him one of the founding myths of jazz. In the beautiful biopic that Clint Eastwood devoted to him in 1988, Bird, a striking scene. It takes place in Kansas City, the musician's hometown. Parker was only 16 at the time of the jam organized around Jo Jones, drummer of the Count Basie Orchestra. Bold despite his young age, Parker loses his foothold during his improvisation, prompting the angry Jones to throw a cymbal on his foot. Humiliated, Parker then leaves the stage under the whistles, determined to take revenge one day.

Improvisation queen

“From that point on, he isolated himself in the Ozark Mountains for four months, training fourteen hours a day playing in every key. When he left, he knew how to do everything, ” says Patrice Blanc-Francard, author of the Dictionary of Jazz Love . The story resembles that of the singer and

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