Chapter 6 Lecture Slides for Gridley, Concise Guide to Jazz

Bebop Chapter 6 The Birth of Bebop Bop did not suddenly appear; developed late 1930s to mid-1940s Originally less popular than swing, because it was “listening”-oriented, rather than dance-oriented, music Bop vs. Swing Small combos rather than big bands Faster Individual, solo-oriented rather than group/section-oriented More complex melodies and harmonies Surprise was a key element Bop vs. Swing Drumming Bop drummers interacted more frequently with the soloist Moved away from the heavy time keeping Feathering the bass drum or not using it at all Keeping time primarily on the suspended ride cymbal Creating continuous “chatter” that increased the excitement of the performance Snare drum “pops” and “crackles” Bass drum - “dropping bombs” Bop Style Original tunes were composed using chord progressions of popular tunes Often large intervals between the notes Abrupt changes of direction in the musical lines Quick and unpredictable rhythms Solos departed completely from original melody Often added new chords in improvisations Charlie Parker Most important alto saxophonist in jazz history Nicknamed “Bird” Tremendous melodic imagination Dense solos Extreme speed; commonly used double time Dry, biting tone as opposed to lush and sweet quality His solos and compositions were copied note-for-note by aspiring saxophonists Listening Guide: “Parker’s Mood” and “Leap Frog,” CD 1, Tracks 16 & 17 View: “Hot House,” PH Jazz History DVD Dizzy Gillespie Virtuoso trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Innovative melodic concepts High-register playing Startling harmonic and rhythmic skills An accomplished composer “Groovin’ High” and “A Night in Tunisia” Incorporated Afro-Cuban themes and rhythms “Manteca” and “Cubano Bop” Contributed a new vocabulary of phrases and ways to perform a solo Thelonious Monk Influential pianist, composer, combo leader Unusual melodies and chord progressions Placed accents in irregular order Ended phrases in unexpected places Used silence strategically in his comping Each phrase is deliberate and carefully constructed Challenged and confounded fellow musicians View: “Blue Monk,” PH Jazz History DVD Bud Powell Most imitated of all bebop pianists Influenced by Art Tatum, Billy Kyle, Nat Cole, and Thelonious Monk Incorporated the style and phrases of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie Mastered comping Listening Guide: “Get Happy,” CD 1, Track 17 Dexter Gordon First recognized bop tenor saxophonist Deep and dark tone Style Improvisations not as unpredictable or jumpy as Charlie Parker’s Varied phrase lengths and rhythms Completed his musical ideas Displayed swing feeling Influenced many “hard bop” tenor saxophonists Stan Getz One of the most distinctive tenor saxophonists of the 1940s Developed an original melodic and rhythmic vocabulary Phrasing and accenting less varied and syncopated than Parker’s Improvisations influenced by classical music Light and fluffy tone Graceful approach to the saxophone Some even characterize his style as “cool jazz” as opposed to bop One of few bebop musicians to become widely recognized Helped to popularize the bossa nova Sarah Vaughan Best-known bebop singer Recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Tadd Dameron, and Clifford Brown Had a large following outside of the jazz audience Accomplished scat singer Ballad performances among her greatest achievements Tone quality, range, and technique increased over the years The Popularity of Bebop Appreciated by a relatively small elite Most bebop musicians were obscure compared to swing musicians Lack of repetition did not allow for familiarity to the listener Much more complicated and unpredictable Melodies difficult to follow Changed the ratio between written and improvised music Click to edit Master title style Click to edit Master subtitle style * * * Listening Guide: “Leap Frog,” CD 1, Track 17 View: “Hot House,” PH Jazz History DVD Listening Guide: “Index,” CD 1, Track 18 Listening Guide: “It Never Entered My Mind” CD 1, Track 19 Bebop Chapter 6 The Birth of Bebop Bop did not suddenly appear; developed late 1930s to mid-1940s Originally less popular than swing, because it was “listening”-oriented, rather than dance-oriented, music Bop vs. Swing Small combos rather than big bands Faster Individual, solo-oriented rather than group/section-oriented More complex melodies and harmonies Surprise was a key element Bop vs. Swing Drumming Bop drummers interacted more frequently with the soloist Moved away from the heavy time keeping Feathering the bass drum or not using it at all Keeping time primarily on the suspended ride cymbal Creating continuous “chatter” that increased the excitement of the performance Snare drum “pops” and “crackles” Bass drum - “dropping bombs” Bop Style Original tunes were composed using chord progressions of popular tunes Often large intervals between the notes Abrupt changes of direction in the musical lines Quick and unpredictable rhythms Solos departed completely from original melody Often added new chords in improvisations Charlie Parker Most important alto saxophonist in jazz history Nicknamed “Bird” Tremendous melodic imagination Dense solos Extreme speed; commonly used double time Dry, biting tone as opposed to lush and sweet quality His solos and compositions were copied note-for-note by aspiring saxophonists Listening Guide: “Parker’s Mood” and “Leap Frog,” CD 1, Tracks 16 & 17 View: “Hot House,” PH Jazz History DVD Dizzy Gillespie Virtuoso trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Innovative melodic concepts High-register playing Startling harmonic and rhythmic skills An accomplished composer “Groovin’ High” and “A Night in Tunisia” Incorporated Afro-Cuban themes and rhythms “Manteca” and “Cubano Bop” Contributed a new vocabulary of phrases and ways to perform a solo Thelonious Monk Influential pianist, composer, combo leader Unusual melodies and chord progressions Placed accents in irregular order Ended phrases in unexpected places Used silence strategically in his comping Each phrase is deliberate and carefully constructed Challenged and confounded fellow musicians View: “Blue Monk,” PH Jazz History DVD Bud Powell Most imitated of all bebop pianists Influenced by Art Tatum, Billy Kyle, Nat Cole, and Thelonious Monk Incorporated the style and phrases of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie Mastered comping Listening Guide: “Get Happy,” CD 1, Track 17 Dexter Gordon First recognized bop tenor saxophonist Deep and dark tone Style Improvisations not as unpredictable or jumpy as Charlie Parker’s Varied phrase lengths and rhythms Completed his musical ideas Displayed swing feeling Influenced many “hard bop” tenor saxophonists Stan Getz One of the most distinctive tenor saxophonists of the 1940s Developed an original melodic and rhythmic vocabulary Phrasing and accenting less varied and syncopated than Parker’s Improvisations influenced by classical music Light and fluffy tone Graceful approach to the saxophone Some even characterize his style as “cool jazz” as opposed to bop One of few bebop musicians to become widely recognized Helped to popularize the bossa nova Sarah Vaughan Best-known bebop singer Recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Tadd Dameron, and Clifford Brown Had a large following outside of the jazz audience Accomplished scat singer Ballad performances among her greatest achievements Tone quality, range, and technique increased over the years The Popularity of Bebop Appreciated by a relatively small elite Most bebop musicians were obscure compared to swing musicians Lack of repetition did not allow for familiarity to the listener Much more complicated and unpredictable Melodies difficult to follow Changed the ratio between written and improvised music