Remembering Bird: A Poem for Charlie Parker

NPR | By Joseph Pacheco

Published March 11, 2005 at 12:00 AM EST

Legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker died 50 years ago Saturday. Poet Joe Pacheco recalls one of Parker's last performances, when the saxophonist known as "Bird" played in Manhattan.

As he helped usher in a new age in jazz, Parker recorded many unforgettable tunes: "A Night in Tunisia," "Ornithology," "Salt Peanuts" and more. His influence in establishing bebop has lasted for decades.

Joseph Pacheco is a poet and a retired New York City school superintendent. He lives on Sanibel Island in Florida. Pacheco's poem is from his book The First of the Nuyoricans/Sailing to Sanibel.

The Night Charlie Parker Played Tenor at Montmartre Café in Greenwich Village — Joseph Pacheco

Joseph Pacheco

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