As someone who played gigs with (among many others) Parker's heir apparent Sonny Stitt in 1980 (on the strength of being able to play Stella by Starlight in G-what's the first chord? Quick! Go home, kid.) I have spent a fair amount of time in the woodshed, I can assure you.
Now, would you like to attempt a refutation of the points made below by citing specific cuts by Parker? Incidentally, there are at least two known, albeit somewhat obscure, jazz heads which make use of five bar phrases. Prize for anyone here who can identify one of these. Hint: Parker doesn't play on either recording.
John
> >M's "compositions" are more tightly constructed, have more formal variety
> >(not much, but Parker's have virtually none), have more interesting
> >basslines-both rhythmically and melodically, occassionally have an
> >asymettrical phrase structure-if I remember correctly, (anyone know of a
> >five-measure phrase in a Parker improvisation?) etc.
> >