BEBOP! 1940-1955
Out of Swing, evolved bebop in the mid-40s. No longer was this music for dancers - beboppers, by pushing the limits of virtuosity made their music for listening (effectively alienating the audience, many critics believe). Tempos got faster; chords got more complex and numerous; melodies more angular and difficult.
Primary innovators Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie spearheaded the movement away from swing with theoretical advances and virtuosic playing.
Bebop (at first) shied away from the big band format, preferring small combos - featuring a rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) and a front-line soloist. improvisation became the main focus with the melody becoming simply a springboard into the solos.
Tunes were often classic standards, or contrafacts (new melodies over existing, common chord progressions). Standard progressions also underwent reharmonizations and alterations - the flatted fifth being the signature 'note' of the emerging style. The extended harmonic vocabulary would trip-up many an unsuspecting soloist - musicians using complex reharms and melodies to confuse newcomers and discourage lesser talented musicians who had trouble navigating the difficult terrain.
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Charlie Parker (1920-1955):
Likely the most celebrated and influential of all modern jazz musicians, Charlie 'Bird' Parker almost singlehandedly redefined jazz improvisation.
Stylistically, it was the sheer velocity of his playing that astounded many; but also, the accuracy within the speed was devastating and theoretically, he was considerably more advanced than anyone preceding. His melodies and improvisations are instantly recognizable and although there were spawned many clones and imitators, few came close to realizing his command of the vocabulary or the instrument.
Sadly, Parker was also addicted to heroin, which greatly affected his reliability; his behaviour became erratic and quite unpredictable. I don't want to go into much detail on this, but Parker lived a fast, hard life and died at the age of 34.
Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993):
Bird's musical counterpart, and one of his only true peers was John Birks 'Dizzy' Gillespie. Diz was better versed in the theoretical aspect of music - what Bird did, Dizzy could explain.
A superior stylist on the trumpet Dizzy was heavily influenced by Roy Elridge, and Louis Armstrong. Gillespie also had a strong sense of showmanship and humour - something that can be seen throughout his career.
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Both these pioneers were surrounded by a host of other influential musicians, forging new frontiers for their respective instruments.
- J.J. Johnson developed a flawless trombone technique, proving the cumbersome trombone could be suited for the fast tempos and difficult lines.
- Kenny Clarke practically invented the style of modern drumming, returning to the hihats, and punctuating his playing with staccato attacks - 'bombs' to spur on and push the soloist.
- Bud Powell adapted horn-like lines to the piano, while Thelonious Monk further refined the advanced sense of harmony and composition
- Others who were around at the time, perhaps to be most influential in styles to come, but nonetheless a part of the developing music: Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Sonny Stitt, Howard McGhee, Charlie Christian.
The rhythm section playing refined itself to a role of accompanyment - pianists and drummers 'comping' more for soloists - a sense of more interaction can be heard as the musicians react to each other...
(something I will do is compile audio visual references from the internet for the development of each instrument...but that's not for here)
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Watch, YouTube links:
- Hot House - featuring Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie.
- Now's The Time - featuring JJ Johnson, Sonny Stitt (A Charlie Parker deciple who soon switched to tenor sax as he was too often compared to Bird), and Howard McGhee.
- Jazz Dispute - quite an interesting take of the interaction going on. Again, featuring Bird and Dizzy.
Listen: *samples only available for a limited time*
Excerpted melody for Donna Lee (recorded May8, 1947. Featuring a young Miles Davis on trumpet; with Charlie Parker, asx; Bud Powell, pno; Tommy Potter, bass; Max Roach, drums). One of the most recognized and beboppish melodies (based on the chords to
Indiana), likely composed by Charlie Parker, though often credited to Miles Davis.
Melody and Charlie Parker's solo on KO KO (recorded Nov 26, 1945. With Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet - subbing for then 19-year-old Miles who found the opening melody too difficult - Curly Russell, bass; Sadik Hakim, pno; Max Roach, drums). Another classic bebop side, extreme tempo and melody, and another great example of Parker's playing and writing, the melody being based on the chords to
Cherokee.
There's some food for thought....hope it makes some sense.