Charles McPherson

Charles McPherson is an American alto saxophonist and composer, one of the foremost living torchbearers of the bebop tradition. Born in 1939 in Joplin, Missouri, and raised in Detroit, he studied under pianist Barry Harris and moved to New York in 1959, where he became a key member of Charles Mingus's band from 1960 through the early 1970s. Steeped in the language of Charlie Parker, he contributed to the saxophone recordings for the 1988 film Bird and has led his own groups for decades. Long based in San Diego, he continues to tour and record, and was named JazzTimes Artist of the Year in 2020.