Charlie Parker and the Genesis of Bebop: A Transcription Performance Project and Musicological Case Study

Abstract

The music of saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker is quintessential to the development of modern jazz. This project details a comprehensive examination of Parker’s specific musical contributions to the emerging genre of bebop through a musicological case study of four transcriptions from the Savoy and Dial recording sessions: “Billie’s Bounce,” “A Night in Tunisia,” “Quasimodo,” and “Ko-Ko.” This analysis is constructed around the transcription process, with an aural transcription of each recording, a complete musical analysis, and a live performance of the four transcriptions. Parker’s specific musical contributions are identified in the analysis and contextualized through a biographical and historical narrative that connects these innovations to the other musicians and outside factors that influenced or contributed to their creation.