Leo Parker
Leo Parker (April 18, 1925 – February 11, 1962) was an American jazz musician, who primarily played baritone saxophone. Parker was the earliest baritone saxophonist to play bebop.
Leo Parker
![Gottlieb, William P., 1917-, photographer. [Portrait of Illinois Jacquet, New York, N.Y., ca. May 1947] 1 negative: b w; 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 in.](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/%28Portrait_of_Leo_Parker%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._May_1947%29_%28LOC%29_%285354784684%29.jpg/1024px-%28Portrait_of_Leo_Parker%2C_New_York%2C_N.Y.%2C_ca._May_1947%29_%28LOC%29_%285354784684%29.jpg)
The Library of Congress · [Portrait of Leo Parker, New York, N.Y., ca. May 1947] (LOC) · Public domain
- Name
- Leo Parker
- Born
- April 18, 1925
- Birthplace
- Washington, D.C., U.S.
- Died
- February 11, 1962 (aged 36)
- Place of death
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Nationality
- United States.
- Occupation
- saxophonist and musician.
- Fields
- jazz.
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Documentary summary
Leo Parker (April 18, 1925 – February 11, 1962) was an American jazz musician, who primarily played baritone saxophone. Parker was the earliest baritone saxophonist to play bebop.
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wikidata · Q353736 · wikipedia · Leo Parker
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Leo Parker • Born — April 18, 1925 • Birthplace — Washington, D.C., U.S. • Died — February 11, 1962 (aged 36) • Place of death — New York City, New York, U.S. • Genre — Jazz • Instruments — Baritone saxophone
Early life
Early life
Born in Washington, D.C., Parker studied alto saxophone in high school and played this instrument on a recording with Coleman Hawkins in 1944.
Career
Career
Parker switched to baritone saxophone in 1944 when he joined Billy Eckstine's bebop band, playing there until 1946. In 1945, he was a member of the "Unholy Four" of saxophonists, with Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons. He played on 52nd Street in New York with Dizzy Gillespie in 1946 and Illinois Jacquet in 1947-48, and later recorded with Fats Navarro, J.J. Johnson, Teddy Edwards, Wardell Gray and Charles Thompson. He and Thompson had a hit with their Apollo Records release, "Mad Lad".
Personal life
Personal life
In the 1950s, Parker had problems with drug abuse, which interfered with his recording career. He made two comeback records for Blue Note in 1961, but the following year he died of a heart attack in New York City. He was 36.
Identity
Identity
Leo Parker is recorded with the occupation jazz musician. Recorded with the occupation saxophonist. Recorded as a citizen of United States. Classed in the genre jazz.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1925
Leo Parker was born on 18 April 1925.
1962
Leo Parker died on 11 February 1962.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Washington and D.C.
Birth place
New York City.
Death place
Discography
As leader or co-leader • Billy in the Lion's Den (King, 1957) with Bill Jennings • Let Me Tell You 'Bout It (Blue Note, 1961) • Rollin' with Leo (Blue Note, 1961) • The Late Great King of the Baritone Sax (Chess, 1971) With Coleman Hawkins • Rainbow Mist (Delmark, 1944 [1992]) compilation of Apollo recordings With Illinois Jacquet • The Kid and the Brute (Clef, 1955) • Illinois Jacquet / Leo Parker -- Toronto 1947 (Uptown Records, 2013) • Jumpin' at Apollo (Delmark, 2002) With Dexter Gordon • Dexter Rides Again (Savoy, 1945–1947 [1958])
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q353736: Leo Parker
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Leo Parker”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Colin Larkin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Publishing. 1908. 1992. 0-85112-939-0.
- 2.Cerra, Steven. The Forgotten Ones - Leo Parker. JazzProfiles. 30 January 2021.
References
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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