Living the melodies he created, jazz saxophonist Charles Parker (1920–1955) was born on this day in Kansas City, Kansas. A musical genius, “Yardbird” revolutionized music, creating bebop in the 1940s—an improvisational jazz form that changed everything.

“I realized by using the high notes of the chords as a melodic line, and by the right harmonic progression, I could play what I heard inside me. That’s when I was born,” he said.

In 1939, “Bird” moved to New York City and made his recording debut a year later. From jam sessions with legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, and Miles Davis, Parker birthed a new sound—fast, fluid, and fearless. He broke down chords into their components and let the arpeggios fly.

“He was the other half of my heartbeat,” explained Gillespie.

“Bird Lives” in classics like Billie’s Bounce, Salt Peanuts, and Ko Ko. His genius echoes through remastered recordings and in tributes like Clint Eastwood’s film Bird (1988). With enduring urgency, Parker lives on in the harmonic freedom of those who choose to play the horn with passion.

“First learn your horn and all the theory,” he once advised. “Next develop a style. Then forget all that... and just play.”