Part One, “Now’s the Time," examines Parker’s early years in Kansas City and his impact on fellow musicians - Dizzy Gillespie, John Lewis, Flip Phillips - after he came to New York in the 1940s.
Part Two, “Just Friends,” centers on the New York years and his collaborations with Red Rodney, Max Roach, Roy Haynes, and others.
Part Three, “What Is This Thing Called Love?” follows Parker to the West Coast and his collaborations with Chet Baker, Bud Powell, and Thelonious Monk.
Part Four, “Autumn in New York,” explores his broader artistic search with the help of composer Edgar Varese and painter Harvey Cropper and the overview of his life through the eyes of Chan Parker and others.