DATE=4-21-02

NUMBER=7-22820

TITLE=SPECIAL ENGLISH PEOPLE IN AMERICA #1870 - CHARLIE PARKER

TYPE=SPECIAL ENGLISH FEATURE

BYLINE= VIVIAN BOURNAZIAN

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT..:MUSIC INSERTS FOR THIS PROGRAM ARE NOT AVAILABLE FROM THE

SPECIAL ENGLISH OFFICE. CONSULT THE MUSIC LIBRARY.

((THEME))

VOICE ONE:

I'M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH.

VOICE TWO:

AND I'M STEVE EMBER WITH THE VOA SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM,

PEOPLE IN AMERICA. TODAY, WE TELL ABOUT ONE OF AMERICA'S

GREATEST JAZZ MUSICIANS, CHARLIE PARKER. HE INFLUENCED THE

DIRECTION OF JAZZ MUSIC DURING HIS SHORT LIFETIME. HIS INFLUENCE

CONTINUES TODAY.

((CUT 1: BIRD OF PARADISE: J-433))

VOICE ONE:

CHARLIE PARKER FOREVER CHANGED THE PERFORMANCE AND WRITING OF

JAZZ MUSIC. HE DEVELOPED A NEW STYLE OF JAZZ CALLED "BEBOP." IT

WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE DANCE OR "SWING" STYLE THAT WAS POPULAR

FOR YEARS.

PERFORMERS OF BEBOP LEFT THE TRADITIONAL MUSICAL MELODY AND

PLAYED A SONG FREELY, WITH THE MUSIC AND RHYTHM THAT WAS FELT AT

THE TIME. SO, THE SAME SONG COULD BE PLAYED IN A DIFFERENT WAY

EACH TIME IT WAS PERFORMED. CHARLIE PARKER SAID, "MUSIC IS YOUR

OWN EXPERIENCE, YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR WISDOM. IF YOU DON'T LIVE

IT, IT WON'T COME OUT OF YOUR HORN."

VOICE TWO:

CHARLIE PARKER WAS BORN AUGUST, TWENTY-NINETH, NINETEEN-TWENTY,

IN THE MIDDLE WESTERN STATE OF KANSAS. HE HAD HIS FIRST MUSIC

LESSONS IN THE LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. HIS MOTHER BOUGHT HIM A

SAXOPHONE IN NINETEEN-THIRTY-THREE. TWO YEARS LATER, HE DECIDED

TO LEAVE SCHOOL AND BECOME A PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN. FOR THE NEXT

FOUR YEARS, HE WORKED MAINLY IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, WHERE JAZZ

MUSIC HAD BECOME POPULAR. CHARLIE DEVELOPED AS A MUSICIAN BY

PLAYING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS IN PUBLIC EATING AND DRINKING

PLACES CALLED NIGHTCLUBS. HE ALSO LEARNED BY LISTENING TO OLDER

LOCAL JAZZ MUSICIANS. DURING THIS TIME, CHARLIE DEVELOPED

SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT WERE TO AFFECT HIM THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

HE BECAME DEPENDENT ON ALCOHOL AND THE ILLEGAL DRUG, HEROIN.

VOICE ONE:

ONE NIGHT IN NINETEEN-THIRTY-SIX, THE YOUNG MUSICIAN DECIDED TO

TAKE PART IN A "JAM SESSION." MUSICIANS FROM ALL OVER KANSAS

CITY WOULD PLAY FOR FUN DURING THESE UNPLANNED PERFORMANCES.

THESE JAM SESSIONS OFTEN BECAME MUSICAL BATTLES. THE BETTER, THE

FASTER, THE STRONGER, THE MORE CREATIVE MUSICIAN WOULD WIN.

CHARLIE BEGAN TO PLAY THE SAXOPHONE THAT NIGHT. HE PLAYED WELL

FOR A WHILE. BUT HE THEN BECAME LOST IN THE MUSIC. THE DRUMMER

THREW DOWN HIS INSTRUMENT AND BROUGHT CHARLIE TO A HALT. CHARLIE

LATER SAID, "I WENT HOME AND CRIED AND DIDN'T PLAY AGAIN FOR

THREE MONTHS." THE INCIDENT, HOWEVER, MADE CHARLIE WORK EVEN

HARDER TO IMPROVE HIS PLAYING.

VOICE TWO:

IN NINETEEN-THIRTY-NINE, CHARLIE WENT TO NEW YORK CITY. HE

STAYED FOR ALMOST ONE YEAR. HE WAS ABLE TO GET A FEW PAYING JOBS

PLAYING THE SAXOPHONE. MOST OF HIS TIME, THOUGH, WAS SPENT

PLAYING IN UNPAID JAM SESSIONS. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT HE

BEGAN TO DEVELOP HIS OWN STYLE OF JAZZ.

HE SAID LATER THAT THIS WAS WHEN HE MADE A BIG DISCOVERY. HE WAS

UNHAPPY PLAYING SONGS THE SAME WAY ALL THE TIME. HE THOUGHT

THERE HAD TO BE ANOTHER WAY TO PLAY. HE SAID, "I COULD HEAR IT

SOMETIMES, BUT I COULDN'T PLAY IT." HE BEGAN WORKING ON THE SONG

"CHEROKEE." HE USED THE HIGHER NOTES OF A CHORD AS A MELODY LINE

AND MADE OTHER CHANGES. HE NOW COULD PLAY THE THINGS HE HAD BEEN

HEARING.

IT WAS IN DECEMBER, NINETEEN-THIRTY-NINE, THAT CHARLIE PARKER

MADE THIS DISCOVERY. HE LATER SAID THAT WITH IT, HE "CAME

ALIVE." HERE HE IS PLAYING "CHEROKEE":

((CUT 2: CHEROKEE: CDJ-1335))

VOICE ONE:

CHARLIE PARKER'S NAME FIRST APPEARED IN THE PRESS REPORTS ABOUT

MUSIC IN NINETEEN-FORTY. DURING THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, HE JOINED

DIFFERENT BANDS. HE PLAYED WITH THE EARL HINES ORCHESTRA AND THE

BILLY ECKSTINE ORCHESTRA. HE ALSO PLAYED WITH OTHER YOUNG JAZZ

MUSICIANS WHO HELPED MAKE THE NEW SOUND KNOWN. TRUMPET PLAYERS

DIZZY GILLESPIE AND MILES DAVIS, AND PIANISTS THELONIUS MONK AND

BUD POWELL WERE SOME OF THEM.

PARKER WAS CONSIDERED THE GREATEST OF THE BEBOP JAZZ MUSICIANS.

THIS SONG, "NOW'S THE TIME," IS ONE OF HIS HITS DURING THIS TIME:

((CUT 3: NOW'S THE TIME: CDJ-315))

VOICE TWO:

PARKER'S CONTINUING DRUG HABIT WAS AFFECTING HIM. HE OFTEN WAS

LATE FOR PERFORMANCES. OR HE MISSED THEM. HE HAD DECIDED HE DID

NOT LIKE THE MUSIC OF THE BIG BANDS. HE APPARENTLY DID NOT FEEL

AT EASE PLAYING WITH A BIG BAND, EVEN ONE THAT FOLLOWED HIS OWN

MUSICAL IDEAS.

IN NINETEEN-FORTY-FIVE, HE RETURNED TO NEW YORK CITY. HE HAD

THE IDEA OF STARTING A SMALL JAZZ GROUP. IN NEW YORK, HE JOINED

DIZZY GILLESPIE. THEIR WORK TOGETHER WAS AMONG THE GREATEST IN

AMERICAN MUSIC HISTORY. THEY ENJOYED THE SUPPORT OF YOUNGER

MUSICIANS. YET, THEY HAD TO FIGHT THE CRITICISM OF THOSE OPPOSED

TO ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT IN JAZZ.

THAT YEAR, CHARLIE PARKER AND DIZZY GILLESPIE TOOK THE NEW JAZZ

SOUND TO CALIFORNIA. CHARLIE CONTINUED TO RECORD AND PERFORM IN

LOS ANGELES, EVEN AFTER DIZZY RETURNED TO NEW YORK. IT WAS

DURING THIS TIME THAT PARKER RECORDED "ORNITHOLOGY:"

((CUT 4: ORNITHOLOGY: CDJ-336))

VOICE ONE:

IN NINETEEN-FORTY-SIX, CHARLIE PARKER SUFFERED A NERVOUS

BREAKDOWN. HIS DEPENDENCE ON HEROIN AND ALCOHOL LED TO THIS

SEVERE MENTAL CONDITION. HE WAS SENT TO A HOSPITAL AND STAYED

THERE FOR SIX MONTHS.

HE RETURNED TO NEW YORK CITY IN NINETEEN-FORTY-SEVEN. THE

FOLLOWING FOUR YEARS ARE CONSIDERED HIS MOST SUCCESSFUL. HE

FORMED HIS OWN SMALL BANDS AND PLAYED WITH OTHER GROUPS. HE

VISITED EUROPE THREE TIMES, WHERE HE RECORDED ABOUT HALF OF THE

ALBUMS HE EVER MADE.

IN JULY, NINETEEN-FIFTY-ONE, NEW YORK CITY OFFICIALS TOOK AWAY

HIS RIGHT TO PLAY IN NIGHTCLUBS BECAUSE HE USED ILLEGAL DRUGS.

HIS DEBTS GREATLY INCREASED. HIS PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

BEGAN TO FAIL.

VOICE TWO:

CHARLIE PARKER WAS GIVEN A PERMIT TO PLAY IN NEW YORK AGAIN TWO

YEARS LATER. JOBS, THOUGH, WERE DIFFICULT TO FIND. HE FINALLY

GOT A CHANCE TO PLAY FOR TWO NIGHTS IN MARCH,

NINETEEN-FIFTY-FIVE. IT WAS AT BIRDLAND, THE MOST FAMOUS JAZZ

NIGHTCLUB IN NEW YORK CITY. BIRDLAND HAD OPENED IN

NINETEEN-FORTY-NINE. IT WAS NAMED AFTER "BIRD," AS CHARLIE

PARKER'S FOLLOWERS CALLED HIM.

PARKER KNEW THOSE PERFORMANCES MIGHT BE HIS LAST CHANCE TO

RE-CLAIM THE SUCCESS HE HAD GAINED ONLY A FEW YEARS EARLIER. HIS

LAST PUBLIC APPEARANCE WAS ON MARCH FIFTH, NINETEEN-FIFTY-FIVE,

AT BIRDLAND. IT WAS NOT A SUCCESS. HE DIED SEVEN DAYS LATER OF

A HEART ATTACK. HE WAS THIRTY-FOUR.

VOICE ONE:

CHARLIE PARKER'S INFLUENCE ON MODERN JAZZ MUSIC CONTINUES TO

LIVE. HE LED MANY ARTISTS TO "PLAY WHAT THEY HEAR." JAZZ

MUSICIANS CONTINUE TO PERFORM HIS MUSIC, OFTEN COPYING HIS SOUND

AND STYLE. BUT, EXPERTS SAY, NO ONE HAS EVER PLAYED THE SAME AS

"BIRD".

((CUT 5: SCRAPPLE FROM THE APPLE: CDJ-337)

VOICE TWO:

THIS SPECIAL ENGLISH PROGRAM WAS WRITTEN BY VIVIAN BOURNAZIAN.

I'M STEVE EMBER.

VOICE ONE:

AND I'M SHIRLEY GRIFFITH. JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK FOR ANOTHER

PEOPLE IN AMERICA PROGRAM ON THE VOICE OF AMERICA.