MUHL 368 – History of Jazz: Ch.7 – Bebop

Started in early 1940's Harlem, bebop marked the changing of jazz from dance focused music to listening focused music.

site of many celebrated early bebop sessions starting place of Thelonious Monk

site of early bebop sessions, owned by onetime tap dancer Clark Monroe, called Dark Gable

cluster of clubs in tiny narrow basements on 52nd between fifth and sixth avenue

The Onyx The Downbeat The Famous Door Kelly's Stables Jimmy Ryans

five pieces: trumpet, sax, piano, bass, and drums

deliberately un-danceable rhythm arrangements consisted only of a melody played in unison by horns in between solos

syncopated and unpredictable. bass drum used to drop bombs. free form piano playing. rhythmically complex melodies

heavy reharmonization and chord substitution

more complex and challenging often outgrowths of improvisations heavy use of flatted 5th interval

due to unwillingness to pay royalties, bebop records were often made with independent small record companies and consisted solely of original tunes/though these were often jazz standards with new melodies

High-spirited, joyful music small, five piece ensemble simple arrangements emphasis on improvised solos extreme tempos reharmonization/chord substitution unpredictable flatted 5th melodies new repertoire based on jazz standards

Charlie Parker Dizzy Gillespie Thelonious Monk the three often played together

1920-1955, alto sax/composer from Kansas City began gigging at 15 originally awful, revolutionized his style in summer 1937 difficult life, starting heroin at 17

Bird, because while on tour the band's car hit a chicken, which Charlie had cooked and then ate at their next stop.

Art Tatum in Jimmy's Chicken Shack

by Charlie Parker at the Three Deuces on 52nd Street

many younger musicians began experimenting with heroin, in the belief that its influence would help them play like Bird, starting an epidemic in the jazz world

venue opened with a live radio broadcast of Parker playing. First club named after a jazz musician

Bird had to borrow a plastic saxophone, he had sold his own to pay off drug debts

1917-1993, Trumpet/composer/bandleader Born John Birks Gillespie

during a two year stay with the Cab Calloway Orchestra starting in 1939, Gillespie's original and explosive style coupled with clowning and pranks earned him the name Dizzy

earned name schoolmaster because of the informal sessions he often help with musicians regarding bop chord progressions

Dizzy Gillespie and Coleman Hawkins recording of "Woody'n You"

started by Gillespie and Chano Pozo, describes big band music with latin rhythms and percussion

Complex latin rhythms combined with bebop melody and improv percussion such as bongos, congas, and timbales originally used by big bands, now in ensembles of all sizes

1917-1982, Piano/Composer self taught pianist, early stride influence house pianist at Minton's Playhouse reclusive personality heavy influence on bop harmony

1947 with upstart label Blue Note, labeled as High Priest of Bop

sparse, percussive and dissonant playing rhythmic phrasing, offbeat often performed with a quartet of drums, bass, and tenor sax

Greenwich Village nightspot where Monk made a triumphant return with a young John Coltrane

animated stage presencem walking through the audience often while waving his hands fetish for exotic hats

1924-1966, Piano/Composer protege of Monk

drummer, founder of modern jazz drumming

Electric guitar. discovered by John Hammond, played in the Benny Goodman orchestra. first great electric guitarist to focus on single note runs rather than rhythm playing

drums/composer/bandleader melodic and polyrhythmic

tenor sax

Trumpet

piano, arranger, composer

piano

trombone

rhythm and blues as popular music, as it was more easy to dance to and commercial

1947 article by Barry Ulanov which coined the term that has been used ever since to describe those who refuse to keep up with modern trends

New Orleans revival of traditional jazz during the war between figs and moderns

Singer/Bandleader of the Sepia Sinatra all star group that played big band bebop, yet few recordings exist due to the recording ban

Piano/Bandleader orchestral jazz, using french horns inspiration for miles davis

clarinet/bandleader started as a swing band, played bebop inspired modern arrangements

Piano/composer/bandleader wide variety of tunes with progressive arrangement conducted many jazz clinics

widely regarded as greatest scat singer in history of jazz first hired by Chick Webb after an amateur singing competition rare female band leader developed scat technique with Dizzy Gillespie

vocalist of Billy Eckstine orchestra from 1944 to 45 "sassy" fine pianist

perfected vocalese, adding witty lyrics to existing jazz instrumental melodies

first to apply bop harmonies and performance to vocal ensemble singing

after the war ended, police cracked down on the rampant crime on The Street, and the opening of elaborate Broadway jazz clubs killed the scene