Reactions to Bebop – Cool and Hard Bop

The Term “Cool"  Apparently originated by Lester Young  Refers to a number of different (albeit related) states. › "a complex system of coping mechanisms, a technique for black survival in America," › Monson equates cool with "hipness; "to be hip... is to be 'in the know,' not to be duped by the world around one, and to react with dignity and 'cool' when faced with an assault on one's being."  A state of being in charge or in control, not being surprised or caught off guard, having at least the appearance of confidence.  “Cool's quicksilver nature”

Birth of the Cool  Miles Davis’ first important session as a leader › a small group of musicians met regularly with Gil Evans › Davis "took the initiative and put the theories to work. He called the rehearsals, hired the halls, called the players, and generally cracked the whip."  Davis’ nonet first performed at the Royal Roost in September 1948  Capital agreed to record twelve sides with the group.  Eight of the Nonet’s recordings were eventually collected onto a 10" LP. Three years later all 11 instrumental performances were released on a 12" as The Birth of The Cool.

"Cool" Jazz  The "cool" jazz style has been described as a reaction against the frenzied tempos and angular melodies of bebop. › Term used extensively by journalists and record companies in the 1950s. › Many jazz musicians objected to the term › Some of the distinctions seem artificial in retrospect.  Nevertheless, "cool jazz" is a widely used designation for music of the 1950s characterized by a "softer," more overtly melodic style and more complex arrangements.

General characteristics of cool jazz: a less overtly emotional, more "intellectual" approach to composition, arranging, and improvisation. some use of collective improvisation and contrapuntal writing. a lighter, less "rough" approach to tone production. some use of nontraditional tone colors and instruments.

West Coast Jazz Cool jazz often associated with West Coast musicians such as Chet Baker and Dave Brubeck. A common quartet instrumentation included two horns, bass, and drums.

Hard Bop  A jazz style of the 1950s with roots in bebop.  Hard bop is often indistinguishable from bebop ( Gridley).  Hard bop characterized by: › somewhat simpler improvised lines than in bop. › drummers play with somewhat more activity. › tone colors are darker, weightier, and rougher (Clifford Brown). › stronger influence of the blues, gospel, and soul music (“funky” or “soul” jazz).

Hard Bop (cont’d) Possible originators of hard bop: Miles Davis (“Walkin’,” “Blue and Boogie”) Clifford Brown/Max Roach quintets. Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley. Soul jazz or funky jazz – a “subset” of hard bop that emphasized chord progressions and style similar to the “sanctified” church or rhythm and blues.

Modal Jazz Modes – in “jazz practice,” diatonic scales other than the major and minor names based on ancient Greek “church modes” modal jazz tunes generally not based on complex chord progerssion Kind of Blue (1959) considered “the culmination of Miles Davis’s experiments with modal improvisation.