This was the first biography of Charlie Parker and was written by Ross Russell, the president of Dial Records which recorded Parker in the ‘40s. The book is more than the detailed story of the great alto saxophonist’s life, spiced with amusing anecdotes and legendary tales. Russell describes the political and social climate of the times, includes background on Parker’s contemporaries and their musical styles, analyzes specific performances with acute insight, and even includes such information as the history of the saxophone and the importance of embouchure. Jazz standards readers will appreciate the in-depth analyses of particular songs which help explain the reverence in which the alto saxophonist is held.

Ross Russell (1909-2000) was a contributor to many jazz publications, the author of a jazz novel, The Sound, and the scholarly Jazz Style in Kansas City and the Southwest. He was the founder of Dial Records and Charlie Parker’s personal manager for two years, owner of a jazz retail store, producer of jazz festivals, on the music faculty at University of California at San Diego, and a member of the international critics’ committee of Down Beat magazine. His papers are housed at the University of Texas in Austin.