Charlie Parker's combination of sheer genius and pure emotion on the soprano sax has few rivals, and after him, nothing would be the same. As one of the creators of bebop in the 1940s and 1950s (alongside Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and others), Parker, aka Bird, introduced a new level of expression to jazz, one that combined stunning technique, profound musical knowledge, and, above all, the ability to make complex ideas sound simple, soulful, and inevitable. Dead at just 34, Parker left behind a legacy that many have tried to equal, but none has surpassed.