Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker

A father of bebop, Charlie Parker influenced generations of musicians.

Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker American Masters

Premiered August 17, 1989
Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker: asset-mezzanine-16x9
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Celebrating Bird: The Triumph of Charlie Parker

At age eleven, he had just begun to play the saxophone. At age twenty he was leading a revolution in modern jazz music. At thirty-four, he was dead from years of drug and alcohol use. Today, Charlie “Yardbird” Parker is considered one of the great musical innovators of the 20th century. We're bringing this film back to celebrate what would have been Charlie's 100th birthday in August 2020.

About the Program

American Masters

American Masters, committed to producing comprehensive film biographies about the broad cast of characters who comprise our cultural history.

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