Charlie Parker, nicknamed Bird, was an American alto saxophonist and composer who became one of the founding figures of bebop and modern jazz. In the 1940s, he revolutionized improvisation through complex harmony, fast tempos and highly virtuosic phrasing, notably alongside Dizzy Gillespie. With pieces such as Ornithology, Ko-Ko and Now’s the Time, Charlie Parker profoundly transformed the language of jazz and influenced generations of musicians.