Caption
Saxophonist and composer, Charlie Parker.
Number
2987
Prompt
Charlie Parker's saxophone could gleam, and his fingers could move in a blur over the keys. He could close his eyes in concentration and then open them with a look of inspiration. The abstract shapes in the background could pulse and change color in time with an imagined bebop rhythm.
Body
This stamp commemorates Charlie Parker (1920-1955), one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time. Parker's virtuosic technique, harmonic sophistication, and rhythmic innovations on the alto saxophone were central to the bebop revolution of the 1940s. His improvisations were complex and brilliant, and his compositions, such as "Ornithology" and "Confirmation," are cornerstones of the modern jazz repertoire.