Charlie Parker

12 3.5

An American saxophone player and composer who helped create bebop jazz

proper noun
/ˈtʃɑrli ˈpɑrkər/

: Charlie Parker

Did you know that Charlie Parker was a pioneer of bebop?

Examples

The music of Charlie Parker continues to inspire saxophonists around the world.
Many jazz enthusiasts regard Charlie Parker as one of the most innovative musicians of the 20th century.
A documentary about Charlie Parker explored his influence on the bebop movement.
Many consider Charlie Parker to be one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time.
A documentary about Charlie Parker explored his influence on the bebop movement.
Many jazz enthusiasts regard Charlie Parker as one of the most innovative musicians of the 20th century.
The music of Charlie Parker continues to inspire saxophonists around the world.

Surface Forms

Charlie Parker main

Morphology

Charlie + Parker

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the constituent tokens 'Charlie' (a given name) and 'Parker' (a surname) does not allow a B1 learner to infer that he was an American jazz saxophonist and bebop leader. The meaning is encyclopedic/cultural rather than compositional, so prior world knowledge is required.

Etymology

Charlie Parker is the name of a famous American saxophone player who was often called 'Bird'. One popular story says the nickname came from the word 'yardbird', a farm chicken, and that lively bird image helps you remember his fast, new jazz style called 'bebop' that changed modern jazz.