Bradley Parker-Sparrow

Born and raised in Chicago, Bradley Parker-Sparrow is a multi-faceted pianist who has also made his mark as a composer, label owner, engineer, producer and playright. In addition to his creative work, Sparrow has done well for himself in Chicago's real estate market. After writing music for the ballet and various theatrical productions, Sparrow opened his own studio, Sparrow Sound Design, when he was 23 in 1977. Sparrow's first jazz date as a leader, Latin Black, came in 1979 and marked the beginning of his Southport label, which went on to release over 35 albums in the 1980s and 1990s. Sparrow's subsequent Southport dates included Sparrow AM/FM in 1982, Inside Out in 1991, The Desert Rat Suite in 1991 and the unaccompanied solo-piano effort Solo Sparrow in 1995. The label's main focus has been documenting Chicago's rich jazz scene, and the long list of talented Windy City residents who have recorded for Southport include tenor saxman Von Freeman, singer April Aloisio, pianist King Flemming and Sparrow's wife, singer Joanie Palatto. Many non-Southport artists have traveled to Chicago's North Side to record at Sparrow's studio, including the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Yusef Lateef and Richie Cole. The late 1990s found Sparrow branching out into rock releases with Southport's sister label Northport. ~ Alex Henderson