The Philosophical and Sociological Developments for Bebop During the 1940's When discussing the history of Jazz, an important type of music is developed that changed the music industry. This music, bebop, helped to influence other types of music, and it also let us appreciate jazz more As is so often the case in jazz, when a style or way of playing becomes too commercialized, the evolution turned in the opposite direction. A group of musicians, who had something new to say, something definitely new, found each other reacting against the general Swing fashion. This new music developed, at first in spurts, originally in Kansas City and then most of all in musician's hangouts in Harlem, particularly at Minton's Playhouse, and once again at the beginning of a decade. Contrary to what has been claimed, this new music did not develop when a group of musicians banded together to create something new, because the old could no longer work. The old style worked very well. It also is not true that the new jazz style was developed as an effort on behalf of an interconnected group of musicians. The new style formed in the minds and on the instruments of very different musicians in many different places, independent of each other. But Minton's became a focal point, just as New Orleans had been forty years earlier. And just as Jelly Roll Morton's claim to have "invented" jazz then is crazy, so would be the claim of any musician to have "invented" modern jazz. This new style called bebop was like, onomatopoetically, the then best-loved interval of the music: the flatted fifth. The words "bebop" or "rebop" came into being, when someone attempted to "sing" these melodic leaps. Bebop, which was also called bop, was the fis... ... middle of paper ... ... during the bebop period, but also gave to the music of later periods. That bebop was a revolutionary music is a given fact by most historians and critics, but the length to which it affected society and the musicians who played it has not been fully explored. Bibliography: Bibliography 1. Berendt, Joachim E., The New Jazz Book. Hill and Wang, New York, 1959. p. 17-19. 2. Tirro, Frank Thro Jazz- A History, W.W. Norton & Co, Inc., New York, 1982. p. 287, 290-291. 3. Davis, Nathan T. Writings in Jazz. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. Dubuque, IA. 1996. p. 152-153, 163, 166. 4. Hodeir, Andre. Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence. Hill and Wang, New York, p. 110. 5. The World Book Encyclopedia. Volume 11, 1994. p. 72-73. 6. http://blackhistory.cb.com/cgi-bin/switcher. Internet 7. The New Yorker, November 7, 1959. p. 158.
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.
Kenton, Stan(ley Newcomb)." New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Ed. Barry Kernfeld. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1994.
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
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.
The rapid development of jazz in both the United States and Europe generated a number of diverse musical expressions, including musics that most listeners today would not recognize as “jazz” music. In order to remedy this situation, jazz musicians and critics after 1930 began to codify what “real” jazz encompassed, and more importantly, what “real” jazz did not encompass. This construction of authenticity, often demarcated along racial lines, served to relegate several artists and styles (those outside a “mainstream” to the margins of historiography.
Bebop was centered in New York City, art music instead of Entertainment, completely black invention, it was to listened to o not danced to, was a fast tempo, and The rhythm was fast with eighth notes and most of the notes were accented. Most groups that played bebop practiced with small groups, quintets of trumpets, saxophone, or rhythm section. Bebop was designed for improvisation, Bebop gives jazz a musical vocab this style is the common practice for the jazz period.,
Teachout, Terry. "John Hammond's jazz." Commentary 122.3 (2006): 55+. Academic OneFile. Web. 16 Nov. 2011.
It was in New York where the “Harlem Renaissance” was born. This movement with jazz was used to rid of the restraints held against African Americans. One of the main reasons that jazz was so popular was that it allowed the performer to create the rhythm.... ... middle of paper ...
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...
It’s not hard to imagine that bebop brings the revolution of jazz. “Beboppers held themselves above the tastes of the public”(Leland, p112). Beboppers are fond of creativity
Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” The Jazz Fiction Anthology. Ed. Sascha Feinstein and David Rife. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 2009. 17-48.
"History of Jazz | Black History in America | Scholastic.com." History of Jazz | Black History in America | Scholastic.com. Scholastic, n.d. Web. 09 Jan. 2014.
Not only is it nearly impossible to pinpoint jazz’s conception in time, many locations are accredited with its origin, the United States allowed for jazz to start gaining popularity and leading into the change it had to the music scene. When jazz is brought up, many first think of its birth place being New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans has always been a big musi...
Sundquist, Eric J. “Ralph Ellison, Jazz, and Louis Armstrong.” Bloom’s Literature. Facts on File, Inc., 1995. Web. 9 Jan. 2014.
Jazz is a form of art music developed by Black Americans in the early twentieth century and was emerged from many cultures that branched out into many different styles. The development of jazz was influenced by some great musicians. One of the prominent one was Lester Young, an American jazz tenor-saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. His style has influenced many other well known musicians in the jazz history, leading him to play a significant role in the development of jazz. He undoubtedly was a masterful innovator from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940s, not only because he changed the way saxophone was played, but also because he changed the art of jazz itself.