Bebop After The Swing Era
Victor Estrada
ID: 1261250
Listening To Jazz Class Essay Following the swing era, which had come into existence in the 1930’s after the Great Depression, a new and more innovative jazz style merged in the 1940’s known as Bebop. Bop was not as popular as swing because unlike swing, Bop was not a dancing jazz style. Bop however did bring a new musical dimension different from swing. The Bop jazz style focused on advanced improvisations, emphasis on solos, and just musical virtuosity in general. Two of the most influential musicians in the advancement of bebop were saxophonists Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzie Gillespie. Dizzie was the first and most important bop trumpeter and composers of the Bop era. Gillespie was very influential …show more content…
It was not until later that Dizzie and Charlie both developed bebop and became two of the most influential bebop artists. In his album, “The Song Book”, the element of bebop is evident in the song named, “Cold Breeze” performed by Dizzie’s band along with jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. Bebop came into existence after the swing era. As bebop surged it developed new characteristics different from that of swing. Some characteristics that distinguished bebop from swing were the fast tempo, virtuosity and the emphasis on solos. As soon as the song, “Cold Breeze” starts the fast tempo is evident right from the start. The tempo is so fast that it was hard for the singer to sing words, and in this case the singer Ella Fitzgerald had to use the technique of scat singing to follow along with the song and its tempo. Another characteristic of bebop was the virtuosity of the music and the emphasis on long and complex instrumental solos. In the song, “A Night in Tunisia” featuring saxophonists Dexter Gordon along with Dizzie’s band, the complexity of bebop is evident in the chord progressions used and the emphasis on solos is clear as saxophonist Dexter initiates most of the song predominantly engaging in a sax solo. The sax solo is then followed by a piano solo, a drum solo, and then capped off with the sax solo once again. Dizzie was very heavy on solo improvisations and as a composer and director of a big band he gave many instruments the opportunity to engage in their respective
ID: 1261250
Listening To Jazz Class Essay Following the swing era, which had come into existence in the 1930’s after the Great Depression, a new and more innovative jazz style merged in the 1940’s known as Bebop. Bop was not as popular as swing because unlike swing, Bop was not a dancing jazz style. Bop however did bring a new musical dimension different from swing. The Bop jazz style focused on advanced improvisations, emphasis on solos, and just musical virtuosity in general. Two of the most influential musicians in the advancement of bebop were saxophonists Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzie Gillespie. Dizzie was the first and most important bop trumpeter and composers of the Bop era. Gillespie was very influential …show more content…
It was not until later that Dizzie and Charlie both developed bebop and became two of the most influential bebop artists. In his album, “The Song Book”, the element of bebop is evident in the song named, “Cold Breeze” performed by Dizzie’s band along with jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald. Bebop came into existence after the swing era. As bebop surged it developed new characteristics different from that of swing. Some characteristics that distinguished bebop from swing were the fast tempo, virtuosity and the emphasis on solos. As soon as the song, “Cold Breeze” starts the fast tempo is evident right from the start. The tempo is so fast that it was hard for the singer to sing words, and in this case the singer Ella Fitzgerald had to use the technique of scat singing to follow along with the song and its tempo. Another characteristic of bebop was the virtuosity of the music and the emphasis on long and complex instrumental solos. In the song, “A Night in Tunisia” featuring saxophonists Dexter Gordon along with Dizzie’s band, the complexity of bebop is evident in the chord progressions used and the emphasis on solos is clear as saxophonist Dexter initiates most of the song predominantly engaging in a sax solo. The sax solo is then followed by a piano solo, a drum solo, and then capped off with the sax solo once again. Dizzie was very heavy on solo improvisations and as a composer and director of a big band he gave many instruments the opportunity to engage in their respective