American alto saxophonist. With Dizzy Gillespie and others he built bebop, whose advanced improvisation over fast tempos and complex harmony turned jazz from dance music into listening music. He died young, at 34.
Recommended recordings
Ko-Ko (Charlie Parker) (Charlie Parker) (1945, Charlie Parker's Re-Boppers / Savoy): A landmark bebop session recorded with Dizzy Gillespie and others. Its ultra-fast improvisation startled listeners of the time.