The trouble with tracking down a good Charlie Parker biography is that the subject only lived to 34 and for most of it was incredibly poorly documented. So rather than being annoyed that this book was too short, I've decided 138 pages is adequate, and maybe even ample. If you are looking up the page count online, be advised that almost half of the book is actually an extensive and detailed discography, followed up with an index. For the actual prose portion of the book, the life narrative comprises all but the final two chapters. The second to last chapter is an overview of the music style, which can be a little overwhelming to non-musicians. The final chapter discusses the considerable legacy Bird left in his wake.
Reading about Charlie Parker inevitably draws up a storm of emotions. On one hand he really is a remarkable individual, seemingly fascinated in just about everything under the sun, from sculpture to classical music. On the other he spent over half his life destroying his own reputation through uncontrollable narcotic and alcohol abuse. Then, hovering over both of these realities, he was also caught up in the intensely racist atmosphere of mid-20th century America. Nevertheless it seems such a senseless tragedy, compounded with the mistaken notion among some of his younger peers that his musical genius and drug use were somehow interrelated. Don't drink that juice.
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