Bebop

• Characterization of Bebop
• Musicians

This is a preview of the educational program A Jazz Improvisation Almanac which is under development for the Outside Shore Music Online School. Feel free to browse this preview and learn what you can from it. For a more completed product, though, check out the original freely browsable jazz textbook, A Jazz Improvisation Primer.

Characterization of Bebop

Bebop is, in many ways, a direct outgrowth of the older swing combos, but with more of an emphasis on virtuoso soloing. The solos typically consist of long streams of eighth notes built up from the chord changes of the original theme, with little or no reference to the original melody itself. For example, here is a composition by bebop pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker:

Here is an exceprt from Dizzy Gillespie's solo based on that composition:

Original compositions in bebop tend to be based on blues progressions or other simple progressions from popular songs, most notably George Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm". The melodies often resemble the improvised solos - long streams of eighth notes in scale and arpeggiated chord patterns, as in the example above. The arrangements are almost invariably simple head arrangements, as the emphasis was again on the improvisation, not on the composition.

From the perspective of the rhythm section, the primary difference between the bebop and swing is that the generally faster tempos of bebop require a lighter approach. Drummers such as Kenny Clarke and Max Roach began keeping time primarily with their ride cymbals instead of the bass drum or hi hat, although the latter was used on beats two and four to keep the beat in a more subtle fashion. Pianists ceased concentrating on constantly marking the beat or playing full chords and instead played more sparsely. Bass players usually played walking bass lines, playing on all four beats in order to propel the pulse. Listen again to the rhythm section in the above examples to hear how this sounds.

Another aspect of bebop that sets it apart from earlier forms of jazz is the increased use of more dissonant harmonies. In particular, the interval of the diminished or flatted fifth, also known as an augmented or raised fourth, generated considerable controversy. The following example features a flat fifth at the end of the phrase played by the horns:

While modern ears generally do not hear this as anything more than mildly peculiar, it was considered a significant departure from tradition in the 1940's.

Musicians

Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie are considered the founders of bebop. Here is Charlie Parker's solo from the recording used in the examples at the top of this section:

Bud Powell was the pianist who most typified this style. His style was almost completely based on horn-like right hand lines, with the left hand used relatively little. This has become the norm for most pianists ever since. Here is an excerpt from a performance by Powell:

Another influential musician of the era was pianist Thelonious Monk. His music was considered controversial at first, even by bebop standards, as his improvisations were considerably sparser yet more angular and dissonant than those of his contemporaries, and his original compositions were more harmonically complex. Here is an example of his playing:

Important bebop musicians include:

Alto Saxophone

• Charlie Parker
• Sonny Stitt
• Art Pepper

Tenor Saxophone

• Lucky Thompson
• Wardell Gray
• James Moody
• Dexter Gordon

Clarinet

• Buddy DeFranco

Trumpet

• Dizzy Gillespie
• Fats Navarro
• Red Rodney
• Howard McGhee
• Kenny Dorham

Trombone

• J. J. Johnson
• Kai Winding

Guitar

• Herb Ellis
• Barney Kessel
• Jimmy Raney

Vibraphone

• Milt Jackson

Piano

• Bud Powell
• Thelonious Monk
• Duke Jordan
• Al Haig
• Billy Taylor
• Oscar Peterson

Bass

• Oscar Pettiford
• Tommy Potter
• Curly Russell
• Al McKibbon
• Ray Brown
• George Duvivier

Drums

• Kenny Clarke
• Max Roach
• Art Blakey
• Roy Haynes

Vocals

• Eddie Jefferson
• Jon Hendricks

Again, it should be noted that the boundaries between styles are not firm, and many of the above players played swing music and also played in post bebop styles.

Copyright 2000 Outside Shore Music
Authored by Marc Sabatella

Bebop