Charlie "Bird" Parker

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, so to did the era where the grandeur of classical music prospered as the essential foundation in the world of Western music. Society implored music that boasted simplicity, energy and a modest approach to real life issues, devoid of the glamour and cultural idioms exhibited by former composers, predominantly European. Inevitably, the famed arrival of jazz emerged at the turn of the century from the creative flair of Negro Spirituals, gospel and blues. As with nearly every facet of music, jazz is only a broad term applied to represent a myriad of styles within jazz. Bebop, rag, swing, blues and scat are only a few examples of jazz styles, each identified via individual characteristics and features. Some styles have developed naturally, while others were the direct product of influential leaders.…