Ample Essay on Bebop Revolution

The Bebop Revolution: Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie * Bebop is linked to Charlie Parker who presided at its beginning and during its rise to preeminence. During his lifetime the bebop style reached its highest level. * Bebop was developed by and for virtuosos. * Theories explaining why: Instrumentalists were seeking improvisitaional freedoms that they couldn’t find in the big bands; black musicians were reasserring their supremact; jazz was maturing. * Bebop drew small audiences to after hours clubs, primary in NYC harlem. It consisted of sophisticated chord structures, irregular melodies and flashing speed left uninitiated listeners befuddled.

The Bebop Style * Produced 4 significant changes in musicians attitudes towards jazz and its performance. 1. ) It is required a greater understanding of jazz theory and called for virtuoso technique. 2. ) It introduced complex instrumental melodies and phrases to replace the simpler melodies of the big band era 3. ) It introduced increasingly complicated chords and rythms to the rythms section 4. It developed a cult of serious musicians who approached their music intellectually as well as emotionally.

Technique * Jazz improvisation shifted from ornamenting an original melody to organizing new patterns of fast, active melodic lines. The patterns often ended up with an abrupt two note figure that suggested the word bebop of rebop. Bebop musicians developed theoretical relationships between distended chords and esoteric scales. Their theories justifies the use of notes that were previously considered too dissonant.

These notes are called melodic extensions because they are not among the primary notes if the chords. Furthermore extensiions were added to chords by the pianist to add harmonic color.

Get quality help now

KarrieWrites

Verified

Proficient in: Biology

5 (339)

“ KarrieWrites did such a phenomenal job on this assignment! He completed it prior to its deadline and was thorough and informative. ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

New Melodies * Within the new melodic patterns of bebop, imp. Notes usually the top notes of a melodic line were accented. * This outlined a slower melody * Bebop melodies were not as tuneful as those of the big band era. And the phrasing ovevrlapped the chords in angular leaps and bounds. The Rhythm Section * Carried the weight of harmony and rhythm. Made beats faster, and complicated rhythms. Bebop drumming increased in complexity through the use of polyrhythms, : two or more contrasting rythms are played at the same time. This conflict of different rythms blurs and disguises the regular beat. * In “Un Poco Loco” max roach plays a complicated pattern in which he accompanies the solos with the explosive punctuations called bombs, on the snare or bass drum in conjunction with cymbal crashes. The bombs and cymbal spashes dominate the sounds of the rhythm section and often the entire ensemble. AABA Form * Most Bebop performance were weighted heavily with solos with a minimum of arrangement. Rigidly arranged compositions of the big band eras were rejected; soloists freedoms appeared as a backlash response to the big band ensembles where long improvisitions were impossible. * Emphasis on improvisations not only created new melodies for old songs but also eliminated the original melody entirely. * In addition to borrowing older songs as a basis for solos bebop musicans composed new tunes that minimized the written melody and expanded the time for solos. * They followed the standard 32 measure AABA form, with the 8 measure section gaving the only written melody. Formed a structure for songs in different styles. * Became a vital element in bebop composition and improvisation. Charlie Bird Parker (1920-1955) * The word bird means only one person and one thing : Charlie parker and bebop. * Born aug 29, 1920; died in 55 die to susbstances inhaled and swallowed. *

Became absorbed in jazz; only had a mother; bright student. * Accepted the loan od a brass from school but did not like it. * His mother bought him an ancient alto sax for 45$; keys leaked and it was hard to blow; but Charlie taught himself to play. * Joined an amateur dance band “Deans of Swings” An insurance claim gave him enough money for a new saz in 1936 * Admired was Lester Young(tenor sax in Count Basie’s band) * Parker thought that he was reaching that point where he could Jam with players of that caliber. * In 1937 he got up to play with the famous Bass drummer Jo Jones at Reno Club. His solo progressed well but then became lost in harmonic changes in the tune. Jones threw a cymbal at him. * Had a job playing in a dance band at Lake Taneycomo in Ozark Mtns. * He committed Lester Youngs solo to his memory. * Hired by Tommy Douglas in 1938 who helped him with music theory. Charlie stayed close to Buster smith another sax player; Parkers Professoional Career: * First job was at the Parisien Ballroom, a taxi dance hall. * Every 60 seconds the bell rang and the band segued to a new tune. * Joined Jay McShann in Kansas City, a band that was second in popularity. * Joined Earl Hines in 1943 and worked on a regular basis with Dizzy Gillespie. They practiced formal braass and woodwind instructional studies at speeds previously thought impossible. It was then that the characteristic bebop sax-trumpet unison lines developed. * He organized small groups in NYC in 1945 and secured Miles Davis as a sideman. Recorded “KoKo” Him and his band were booked to go to cali but he turned in his ticket for drug money. * Had a narcotic problem; went to a mental hosp; when he got out in 1947 recorded ‘Relaxin at camarillo”. * 1947-1950 was most productive years; worked with small groups; * 1949 he played with strings. Some of his best solos; but lost his carbaret lisence so only could play where liquor was not sold. * Birdland a NYC nightclub names for him. Bird brought his string orchestra, a few days after opening he fired the players bc he was drunk in the middle of a set and then went home and swallowed iodine asprin. Bird Lives is his music and contribution to Bebop. John Birks”Dizzy” Gillespie (1917-1993) * Born in Cheraw S. Carolina. * Could play piano at 4 and received a music scholarshiop at Laurinburg Insitiute in N. Carolina where he changed from Trombone to Trumpet. * Job with Fran Fairfaxs band got his name for sounding like eldrige; then 2 years later went to Teddy Hill band and made his first record. * Joined Cab Calloway orchestra in 1939 * Cab fired him in 1941 bc he thought Dizzy was shooting spitballs. * Jonah Jones and Milt Hinton were the culprits.

And cab and dizzy made up. * 1942 he played in Les Hites band; hite reorganized withought him and dizzy experimented. Gillespie would prepare complex chord variations during the afternoon to challende the upstarts; thus began the rev of bebop. * 1943 he played with Earl Hines, Coleman Hawkins, Boyd Raeburn and Duke Ellington * His position as musical director of the Billy Eckstine band in 1944 was significant to advancement in bebop; Charlie played in sax section and other band members were bebop oriented. * Invited to the White House