New Sounds

Bop jazz was sometimes called “bebop” or “rebop” because players sang the words to an early bop musical phrase. Bop became the first style of jazz that was not used for dancing. Bop took on a complexity that required players to extend their former playing knowledge and technique. Bop was fast and demanded highly skilled execution. It emerged when bop players turned to small combos and away from big bands. The jazz community rejected it at that time, yet today, bop is the mainstream style of jazz. Like most jazz styles, bop did not “begin” at any one place or at any one time but rather developed organically.

Works that gain a general consensus of value over time become codified or formalized in canons. Canons exist for all art forms and bop was the era from which a majority of the giants of the jazz canon emerged.

Several changes occurred during this period that set the framework for the developing jazz mainstream. Improvisation became a much more valued component of the jazz expression. In bop arranging, notation for bop bands was usually confined to unison lines for melodic instruments. Standard format of bop consisted of: first chorus in unison, multiple improvised choruses followed by a final chorus in unison.

Bop exhibited a musical expansion and provided greater freedom of expression. Bop players used extended harmonies like 9th, 11th, and 13th chords. These extensions resulted in complex harmonies with a fresh chord sound. Fast tempos, tonal clashes (unusual harmonies) and complex rhythms create excitement and tension in bop.

One of the major changes that occurred during the bop era was repertoire. A new repertoire was established mainly by using the chords of a standard tune as the framework on which to compose a new melody. Bop players changed harmonies, melodies, and rhythms. The players even changed phrasing from neat symmetrical phrases to phrases that seemed uneven and unnatural compared to earlier jazz.

Bop Rhythm

In the bop rhythm section, the drummer uses bass and snare drums mainly for accents and punctuations. Drummers play eighth-note rhythms on the top cymbal. Spontaneous punctuations on the bass drum were called bombs. Piano playing changed from keeping a steady 4/4 rhythm to playing syncopated chordal punctuations that designated chord changes and added excitement to the music. The amplified guitar became a melody instrument and sometimes took the place of the trumpet, saxophones and other instruments. String bass maintained a steady rhythmic pulse and a “walking” bass line.

The Performers

Trumpet player Roy Eldridge (1911–1989) played with Fletcher Henderson in 1936. He exhibited a fiery style of playing and a virtuosic trumpet technique. He is also recognized for his use of the extreme upper register of the trumpet. Eldridge was featured in bands like those of Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw.

Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993) modeled his playing style after Eldridge. An accomplished trumpet player, Gillespie was also an arranger/composer. The period from 1944 to 1947 was noted for the great jazz groups that worked in the clubs on 52nd Street in New York City. It was on 52nd Street where Gillespie formed the first actual bop band. Dizzy Gillespie is highly regarded all over the world for his contributions to modern jazz trends.

Alto saxophonist Charlie Parker (1910–1955), also known as “Yardbird” or simply “Bird,” is credited as an originator of bebop. He used higher harmonies of chords as structures to improvise new melodies. Parker produced a rich, expressive tone and rhythmic freedom in his phrasing. He was one of the rare musicians who could play slow blues very well but also was comfortable at extremely fast tempos.

Classically trained pianist Bud Powell (1924–1966) became a pioneer in bop piano. He recorded many solo albums displaying an innovative melodic and rhythmic approach. Guitarist Charlie Christian (1919–1942) revolutionized the concept of jazz guitar playing. He shifted the role of the guitar from a rhythm instrument to a solo melody instrument equal to other frontline instruments. Christian pioneered the use of the amplifier as early as 1937 and played and recorded with major jazz artists like Benny Goodman and Duke Ellington. Jimmy Blanton (1918–1942) also advanced the role of his rhythm instrument, the bass. He expanded the use of the bass beyond keeping the rhythmic pulse in support of the other instruments to include melodic solo improvisation.

Pianist and composer Thelonious Monk (1917–1982) influenced the development of bop through his unique rhythmic and harmonic conception. J.J. Johnson (1924–2001) pioneered the use of trombone in bop. Singer and Bandleader Billy Eckstine (1914–1993) was a distinctive ballad singer who was committed to bebop. Pianist, vocalist and bandleader Stan Kenton (1911–1979) recruited exceptional instrumentalists into his band to play challenging arrangements.