Título: Charlie Parker
Seção: Issues
Background: Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 - March 12, 1955), also known as Yardbird and Bird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Parker was a highly influential jazz soloist and a leading figure in the development of bebop, a form of jazz characterized by fast tempos, virtuosic technique and advanced harmonies. Parker was a blazingly fast virtuoso, and he introduced revolutionary harmonic ideas including rapid passing chords, new variants of altered chords, and chord substitutions. His tone ranged from clean and penetrating to sweet and somber.

Conteúdo: Parker's life was riddled with depression and heroin addiction. This addiction caused him to miss performances and be considered unemployable. He frequently resorted to busking, receiving loans from fellow musicians and admirers, and pawning his saxophones for drug money. Heroin use was rampant in the jazz scene, and users could acquire it with little difficulty.  Although he produced many brilliant recordings during this period, Parker's behavior became increasingly erratic. Heroin was difficult to obtain once he moved to California, where the drug was less abundant, so he used alcohol as a substitute. A recording for the Dial label from July 29, 1946, provides evidence of his condition. Before this session, Parker drank a quart of whiskey. According to the liner notes of Charlie Parker on Dial Volume 1, Parker missed most of the first two bars of his first chorus on the track, "Max Making Wax". When he finally did come in, he swayed wildly and once spun all the way around, away from his microphone. On the next tune, "Lover Man", producer Ross Russell physically supported Parker. On "Bebop" (the final track Parker recorded that evening) he begins a solo with a solid first eight bars; on his second eight bars, however, he begins to struggle, and a desperate Howard McGhee, the trumpeter on this session, shouts, "Blow!" at him. Charles Mingus considered this version of "Lover Man" to be among Parker's greatest recordings, despite its flaws. Nevertheless, Parker hated the record

user: What sort of issues did Parker have?

assistant: Parker's life was riddled with depression and heroin addiction.

user: Was he ever treated for depression?

assistant: When Parker received his discharge from the hospital, he was clean and healthy.

user: Did depression affect his life or his music?

assistant: This addiction caused him to miss performances and be considered unemployable.

user: Did he stay off heroine after being discharged from the hospital?

assistant: He returned to New York, resumed his addiction to heroin

user: Did he get any more gigs/release songs after that?

assistant: recorded dozens of sides for the Savoy and Dial labels, which remain some of the high points of his recorded output.

user: What other work did he do?

assistant: he produced many brilliant recordings during this period, Parker's behavior became increasingly erratic.

user: Did he ever get violent?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What were some of his other recordings?

assistant: he recorded "Relaxin' at Camarillo" in reference to his hospital stay.

user: Was Relaxin' a popular song?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What are some examples of his "erratic behaviour"?

assistant: swayed wildly and once spun all the way around, away from his microphone.