Resources | Saving Charlie Parker

Creating Saving Charlie Parker would not have been possible without access to the many great books that document the life and music of Charlie Parker. Various authors may differ on some small details, but by and large, they generally agree as to the general sequence of events in Bird's life. Some concentrate on the actual music more than the life events. In the novel I mention four in particular: Bird Lives by Ross Russell, Bird: The Life and Music of Charlie Parker by Chuck Haddix, Bird's Diary by Ken Vail, and Yardbird Suite: A compendium of the Music and Life of Charlie Parker.

Below is a list, with short descriptions, of the most important books on Charlie Parker. I have organized them in the order of their publication.

The Legend of Charlie Parker
By Robert George Reisner
Citadel Press, 1962

Robert Reisner met Charlie in a rainstorm on the streets of New York in 1953. Bird was walking in the rain as his wife was having his child. Reisner later became a promoter and one of Bird's most ardent advocates in the last years of his life. The Legend of Charlie Parker is a collection of over 80 personal remembrances of Bird by the most famous jazz musicians of the day. It is a delight. You will learn much about Bird and his impact on his fellow musicians. Great stuff.

Bird Lives: The High Life and Hard Times of Charlie (Yardbird) Parker
Ross Russell
Originally Published by Charterhouse, 1973

In 1946 Ross Russell formed Dial Records mainly to record Charlie Parker. Russell was a keen promoter and a gifted writer. This was the first book about Bird that I read and it is a good read. Unfortunately Russell may have played fast and loose with the some of the details. There is a good bit of conjecture at times as Russell describes Bird's daily activities. At the end of Parker's life he had gained a notorious reputation and it is on full display in Bird Lives.

Yardbird Suite: A Compendium of the Music of Charlie Parker
by Lawrence O. Koch
Published by Northeastern Univ. Press, 1999
Originally by Bowling Green Univ. Press, 1988

As an improviser, composer, and educator I have relied on this book more than any other to understand and help my students understand Bird's artistry. Koch details every recording of Bird's career and the circumstances surrounding each. Fascinating stuff.

Chasin' the Bird
By Brian Priestly
Oxford, 2005

I only discovered this book after finishing Saving Charlie Parker. It is comprehensive in its scope, well researched and well written. Priestly does a good job in untangling some of the conflicting information about Bird's life.

Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker
By Stanley Crouch
Harper/Collins, 2013

This book is an interesting read, but not really a biography. It borders on historical fiction and has received high acclaim in some circles. For my taste, I think Crouch may have gone a bit too far in fabricating certain conversations that might or might not have taken place. It ends with Bird just entering his twenties.

The Live and Music of Charlie Parker
By Chuck Haddix
University of Illinois Press, 2013

I am particularly fond of this book and the author, Chuck Haddix. Chuck was very generous with his time in helping me sort out the details of the November 1936 gig at Musser's Ozark Resort. Great read overall, but excels in painting a vivid picture of the Kansas City musical environment in the 30's and 40's.

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker
By Gary Giddins
University of Minnesota Press, 2013

Giddins is an outstanding writer and does a great job of explaining to the newcomer Bird's music and the impact its innovation had on the music world.

Charlie Parker: Composer
By Henry Martin
Oxford, 2020

This is an amazing work of musicological scholarship. Martin takes a deep dive into Parker's compositions, his musicianship and his improvisation vocabulary. I am only now at this writing beginning it and it is a revelation. Great book.

Bird's Diary
The Live of Charlie Parker 1945-1955
By Ken Vail
Published by Castle Communications, 1996

One at first might think that Bird actually kept a diary. He may have but this isn't it. That said it is one of the most interesting and useful books on Bird. Vail chronicles month by month, week by week, and often day by day Bird's activities for the last ten years of his life. Priceless information and photographs.