Bebop is one of the most artistic styles of jazz music. Bebop gradually developed during the 1940’s. Bebop focused more on the freedom of creativity rather than rhythmic aspects. According to The Bop Era, it also gave soloists more room for “innovative improvisation” (Glass). Through the works of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and other players we will discover how Bebop became such a prominent style during this era.
Bebop is a “genre of American music originated in New Orleans around the 1900’s (The Definition of Jazz).” Bebop is a very unique style of music that comes from inspired passions of the mind. It’s free style brought out some of the greatest talents during this era. Bebop had some very unique qualities to say the least. For one, the preferred size consisted of four to six players (Kamien 482). The tempos were usually very fast. It was common for bigger bands, like swing bands, to create music you could dance to. On the contrary, Bebop was strictly for listening. I would like to think of it as a more sophisticated style of music that you could hear at a lounge or an upscale restaurant. Bebop was known for its complex melodies. It was full of notes that seemed to leap wildly. It would have been very difficult to sing to this style of music. Its harmonies were more intense and varied. The rhythm sections became more receptive to the soloists giving them a broader and daring variety of forms, ranges, and techniques. You can really see how improvising took on a new importance that led to the emotional power of the solo piece. During this time some musicians were drafted into WWII. There were war restrictions on the use of gasoline and plastics, according to PBS; which meant less traveling and record pr...
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8. Kennedy Center. "Understanding Jazz: Swing and Bebop." The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 1990. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. .
9. Oxford University Press. "PBS - JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns: Selected Artist Biography - Charlie Parker." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. .
10. Oxford University Press. "PBS - JAZZ A Film By Ken Burns: Selected Artist Biography - Dizzy Gillespie." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. Web. 8 Apr. 2011. .
11. Sabatella, Marc. "Jazz Styles: Mainstream Jazz: Bebop." The Outside Shore. 2000. Web. 8 Apr. 2011. .
Before this time the most common type of jazz was swing jazz which was a type of music that people were able to dance to. In the 1940’s the popularity of this type of jazz declined while a new type of jazz called “Bebop” became more popular which was a genre that was meant to be listened to instead of being danced to. When Keiko and Henry go to the Black Elk’s Club they listen to swing jazz and have a sweet time. Later in the story, Henry visits Keiko at the internment camp. Keiko tells him about a dream that she had where Henry was dancing “‘I don't know how to dance,’ Henry protested. ‘You knew how to dance in my dream. We were dancing in some club, with all kinds of people, and the music—it was the song he played for us.’” (Ford 162). In this part of the story Keiko is dreaming of the sweet times with Henry dancing to swing jazz. However, the bitter reality was that she was stuck in the internment camp and Henry is unable to dance. This reflects the shift of jazz music from sweet, swing jazz that people can dance to, to bitter, bebop jazz that people can only listen
Developed in the early 1940's, Bop had established itself as vogue by 1945. It's main innovators were alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie. In this stage in jazz, improvisation differed immensely. Bebop soloists engaged in harmonic improvisation, often avoiding the melody altogether after the first chorus. Usually under seven pieces, the soloist was free to explore improvised possibilities as long as they fit into the chord structure. Popular and influential jazz artists include: Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, & Cannonball Adderley. Armstrong is most known for his involvement in hot jazz as a trumpeter, but is especially renowned for his improvisation capabilities. Louis Armstrong, born August 4, 1901 right in the beginning stages of the jazz movement, was originally from New Orleans. Armstrong was a bandleader, soloist, comedian/actor, and vocalist. Another famous, Miles Davis, is what some consider to be the best trumpeter of the era. Davis was born on May 26, 1926 in Alton, Illinois. One unique thing about Davis was that he was taught to play without vibrato, which was incredibly contrary to the popular way of
Jazz music of the 1940’s and 1950’s was defined by a history of change since its beginning at the dawn of the 20th century. Almost every decade brought a new flavor to the movement, and by the 1940’s jazz had developed into a mature, complex form of music, with many nuances and avenues for continued change. It is important to trace the early movements in jazz to better understand the innovations of the Bebop and Cool jazz eras of the 40’s and 50’s.
Swing, the predecessor of bop, was big, sweet, and hot. The performers were big bands, fronted by a charismatic bandleader, yet the success of a piece depended mostly on the unity of the ensemble as a whole, rather than on the showcasing of prodigious individuals. The requisite instrument was the saxophone, which was often smooth and mellifluous. Songs were old favorites, or simple jazz standards, that had been arranged to suit a large ensemble. Swing bands played in large venues, such as ballrooms, and to large audiences, who seized the opportunity to not just tap their toes, but to "jump, jive, and wail." The swing era became the most popular form of jazz, as it catered to audiences as a form of social and interactive entertainment.
"Dizzy" Gillespie was a trumpet player, composer, bandleader and politician of mostly the early 40's to mid 50's. This was a time period in Jazz called Bebop, Bop or sometimes known as Rebop. Bebop got its name from the musical language musicians would speak to one another while trying to explain a rhythm. "Bop, Bop, Doba sho ba, Bop, Bop." this was also a common style of singing which was first introduced by Louis Armstrong, called scatting (Kerfeld, 137). This fast tempo music was pioneered by saxophonist Charlie Parker, drummer Max Roach, pianist Thelonious Monk and trumpeter "Dizzy" Gillespie. Gillespie was one of the chief innovators of this new style of music as well as an important figure to all musicians to follow him and international figure for the United States.(Kerfeld, 137)
Gridley, Mark C. Concise Guide to Jazz. 6th ed. New Jersey: Pearson Education, 2010. 157-165.
Richard Cook & Brian Morton. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Seventh Edition. East Rutherford, NJ: Penguin Books(USA), 2004
Ciment, James. Encyclopedia of the Jazz Age: From the End of World War I to the Great Crash. Vol. 2. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, 2008. Print.
The word “jazz” is significant to America, and it has many meanings. Jazz could simply be defined as a genre or style of music that originated in America, but it can also be described as a movement which “bounced into the world somewhere about the year 1911…” . This is important because jazz is constantly changing, evolving, adapting, and improvising. By analyzing the creators, critics, and consumers of jazz in the context of cultural, political, and economic issue, I will illustrate the movement from the 1930’s swing era to the birth of bebop and modern jazz.
Teachout, Terry. "John Hammond's jazz." Commentary 122.3 (2006): 55+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
Jazz music prospered in the 1940’s and 1950’s. Jazz was created by African Americans to represent pain and suffering and also represented the adversity that racial tension brought. (Scholastic) African American performers like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie “Bird” Parker came to be recognized for their ability to overcome “race relati...
Jazz is referred as “America’s classical music,” and is one of North America’s and most celebrated genres. The history of Jazz can be traced back to the early era of the 20th century of the U.S. “A History of Jazz” presents From Ragtime and Blues to Big Band and Bebop, jazz has been a part of a proud African American tradition for over 100 years. A strong rhythmic under-structure, blue notes, solos, “call-and response” patterns, and
Though Jazz has changed, the background behind it still inspires those today. Even though each artist has their particular style or expression, they all can agree that music is art. They can all agree that Music is emotions and feelings. Through the years, just as all things do, Jazz and Bebop have grown and flourished across America and the World. All in all Jazz for African Americans opened the doors in America, jazz alone opened doors and ears all across the Earth.
The music of jazz became an important aspect of American culture in the early 20th century. The crisp syncopation of ragtime and the smooth tunes of the blues seeped into American mainstream music through dance halls and saloons and later through ballrooms. Instruments like the piano, trumpet, trombone and clarinet became important and symbolized the “swing-feel” of jazz because of their capability to syncopate and improvise precisely. With the help of the booming recording industry, musical geniuses were discovered and their talent and contributions to the emergence of jazz spread throughout the entire country. Such musicians include composer, arranger and pianist Jelly Roll Morton who heavily influenced the development of early jazz by his unique piano style, his “invention” of musical notation for jazz, and his compositions that have become the core in the jazz repertory. Because the style was new and different and so successful in drawing in large audiences, musicians around the world tried to mimic it. Furthermore, Morton’s masterpieces were the first to show notation for complicated jazz music and thus, formed the basis for standard notation in jazz compositions today.
Andrews, John. (1998). What bebop meant to jazz history. A review of Scott Deveux’ book “The Birth of the Bebop: A Social and musical history.”