Book Description
Revised Edition. Bebop saxophonist Charlie "Yardbird" Parker (1920-1955), a man of extremes in his personal life, was a disciplined musical genius who expanded and transformed the boundaries of jazz. In this revised and updated edition of Yardbird Suite, Lawrence O. Koch fuses musical, discographical, and biographical analysis to thoroughly examine the evolution of Parker's innovative music. Richly illustrated with extensive musical notations, this in-depth study of hundreds of works in the Parker discography takes into account newly discovered recordings and CD reissues. Koch meticulously documents each recording session and provides an array of musical details on theme structure, key, chords, distinguishing phrases, and performance format. Comprehensive biographical material-including the "Bird stories" of Parker's eccentric behavior, sexual appetite, drug addiction, and compulsive drinking-is interwoven with the musical analysis to fully illuminate both the man and the musician. This volume will appeal to Bird fans, jazz buffs, and musicologists alike, and it will make an essential companion for listeners of Charlie Parker's superb recordings.


About the Author
Lawrence O. Koch is a jazz musician and music critic. He has written over 100 compositions, including several for symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble, and is the recipient of the Schuylkill Lifetime Achievement Award for the Field of Jazz. A former faculty member at Moravian College, he currently heads his own music institution, the Braun School, in Pottsville, Pennsylvania.

FROM THE CRITICS

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