In jazz the underlying tension, of the Cold War threat of nuclear annihilation, will be reflected in the broken rhythms and dissonant melodies of bebop, and in the troubled life of bebop's biggest star, Charlie Parker. Nicknamed "Bird," Parker is a soloist whose ideas and technique are as overwhelming for musicians. He is idolized, copied, imitated, and his self-destructive lifestyle is adopted. When Parker dies, wasted by heroin at age 34, drugs are as much a part of his legacy to jazz as the genius of his music. Parker 's partner, Dizzy Gillespie, tries to popularize the new sound by adding showmanship and Latin rhythms, while pianist Thelonius Monk infuses it with his eccentric personality to create a music all his own. Dave Brubeck mixes jazz with classical music. A former Parker sideman trumpet player Miles Davis is moving beyond the cool sound he inspired and stands poised to lead jazz in a new direction. Produced by Ken Burns. .