Chapter 6 - Bebop Flashcards
What two styles are considered as the classic style?
Early jazz and swing style. Anything afterwards is considered as modern jazz.
Did modern jazz develop quickly or gradually?
Gradually through the word of swing-era musicians. They expanded on swing styles and slowly developed new techniques.
What is the name of the first modern jazz style?
Bebop or just Bop. It failed to attract dancers and was considerably less popular. This became the standard jazz for the next 40 years. This style today is often used to measure one’s ability to play jazz.
How does Bebop differ from Swing in performance? (6)
- Preferred instrumentation for bebop was the small combo instead of big band.
- Average tempo was faster in bebop
- Clarinet was rare in bebop.
- Display of instrumental virtuosity was a higher priority for bebop players
- Rhythm guitar was rare
- Less emphasis was placed on arrangements in bebop
How does bebop differ from Swing in style? (9)
- Melodies were more complex in bebop
- Harmonies were more complex in bebop
- Accompaniment rhythms were more varied in bebop
- Comping replaced stride style and simple, on-the-beat chording
- Drummers played their timekeeping rhythms primarily on suspended cymbal, rather than snare drum, high-hat or bass drum
- Bebop musicians enjoyed leaving phrases in tunes suspended or unresolved
- Bebop was a more agitated style than swing was
- Bebop improvisation was more complex because it contained: a) more themes per solo b) less similarity among themes c) more excursions outside the tune’s original key d) a great scope of rhythmic development
- Surprise was more highly valued in bebop
What were bebop improvisations composed of?
Mostly of melody lines that seemed jumpy, full of twists and turns. There were often large intervals between the notes and abrupt changes of direction. There was a heavy emphasis on syncopation.
What did bebop musicians in addition to embellish the melody do during their improvisations?
They departed completely from the melodies and retained only the chord progressions of a song’s accompaniment.
Did bebop players often write original tunes using the accompaniment chord progressions of popular tunes?
Yes. Many of these tunes went without names. The leader called out the key and the name of the tune that provided the chord progression.
T or F: The technique where the leader calls out the key and the name of the tune, members of the rhythm section could immediately play a tune they might never have previously heard.
True.
Was the technique where the leader calls out the key and the name of the tune new to bebop?
No. it had been used in swing and early jazz.
Why was the technique where the leader calls out the key and the name of the tune successful and served as a common ground for jam sessions?
All participants knew the chord progression to the popular songs.
In bebop, where was the emphasis for improvisation?
The improvisations done by small combos rather than set arrangments by big bands.
What were the differences in drumming style in bebop compared to swing? (3)
- More frequently kicked and prodded the soloist, in addition to playing time-keeping sounds.
- Moved away from the heavy ways of timekeeping; for instance, the bebop drummer: a. Feathered the bass drum instead of pounding it. Sometimes he did not use it for timekeeping at all. b. Kept time primarily on the suspended ride cymbal. c. Snapped shut the high-hat crisply on every other beat.
- Created an almost continuous “chatter” that increased the excitement of the performance. Much of this was generated on the snare drum, and it took the form of pops and crackles that seemed to provide a commentary on what else was happening in the band. Surprises came from the bass drum, too. This was called “dropping bombs”.
What instrument did Dizzy Gillespie play?
The trumpet.
Was Gillespie only influential for his trumpet playing?
No, much of his influence stems from his stirring musical ideas.
Were Gillespie’s phrases surprising and had playful directional changes?
Yes. He would weave in and out of different keys within a single phrase, yet he always managed to resolve his line’s logic to fit with the ways the chords changed in his accompaniment.
What about his trumpet playing was so phenomenal for the 1940s?
His high-register playing and innovative melodic concepts.
Have his high-register playing and his innovative melodic concepts ever been matched?
No.
Would Gillespie sometimes intersperse quotes from non-jazz pieces?
Yes, such as the opera “Carmen” or the pop tune “We’re in the Money”.
How would he use these quotes from non-jazz pieces?
He would use the quote as a point of departure for developing his own phrases.
How did he increase and decrease tension?
By building a line higher and higher with staccato, syncopated notes then by coming down with legato lines.
Did Gillespie have a sweeping influence on modern jazz?
Yes.
T or F: His pet phrases became stock clichés for two generations of jazz trumpeters, pianists, guitarists, saxophonists, and trombonists?
True. Several established trumpeters of the 1940s originally derived their styles from pre-modern sources, but when they heard Gillespie’s approach, they began imitating him.
Was Gillespie considered a classic or contemporary model?
Classic.
Which two songs became jazz standards that are still played frequently?
“Groovin’ High” and “A Night in Tunisia”.
What was one of Gillespie’s special interests and explored it in his big band numbers “Manteca”, “Cubano Be”, and “Cubano Pop”?
Afro-Cuban music.
T or F: “Manteca”, “Cubano Be”, and “Cubano Pop” are among the earliest appearances of Latin American music in modern jazz.
True.
