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Cool, Hard Bop, and Modal Jazz

II.

III.

IV.

Cultural Implications

8. all styles of jazz from Dixieland to contemporary are still being performed and recorded today; all style dates given are approximations of when each respective style came to the forefront of jazz and experienced its most concentrated development; of course, styles and dates overlap

9. IHJ = selection is found on Willie Hill’s The Instrumental History of Jazz; JIA = selection is found on the Jazz in America website (www.jazzinamerica.org)

I. Cool (1949-1955)

Chet Baker

Dave Brubeck

Miles Davis

MJQ

Gerry Mulligan

A. A reaction to Bebop

if Bebop was a reaction to Swing, then Cool was a reaction to the reaction

Bebop was a fast-paced, energetic, raw emotional, loud, “hot” style of jazz

Cool was usually a slower paced, more subdued, less emotional, softer, more controlled, “cooler” style of jazz

Cool repopularized jazz and pulled it back into the mainstream of America

while Cool jazz was performed by both black and white musicians in all major cities, it has been most closely associated with young white players (e.g., baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, trumpet player Chet Baker, pianist Dave Brubeck, alto saxophonist Paul Desmond) on the West Coast (i.e., Los Angeles and San Francisco); highly significant east coast black Cool innovators included trumpet player Miles Davis and pianist John Lewis

the size of the Cool groups were more varied than their Bebop counterparts

Bebop combos usually ranged from quartets to sextets

Cool combos ranged from trios (three members) to nonets (nine members)

the instrumentation of the Cool groups were more varied than their Bebop counterparts

Bebop combos usually consisted of trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums

besides the standard Bebop instrumentation, Cool combos often included softer, more “classical” instruments, e.g., flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, fluegelhorn, vibes, tuba, guitar, etc.)

Cool influences and tune sources included swing, bebop, pop, and classical music

B. Performance Practices

written arrangements

use of polyphony

Bebop employed more homophony, i.e., one melodic line (the soloist) with accompanying chords (the pianist) underneath

besides homophony, Cool often employed polyphony, i.e., two or more independent melodic lines sounded together

integration of arrangement and improvisation; both were important

rhythm sections were basically passive, providing subtle accompaniment

the dynamic range (i.e., soft to loud), as well as the emotionally expressive range, was usually more narrow in Cool than in Bebop

Cool utilized the basic musical language of Bebop, but more simplified; the use of the blues was minimized (more classical influence than blues influence)

compared to bebop, cool jazz was more “tune oriented,” i.e., more singable, easy, narrow range, simple rhythms

C. Important Figures

Chet Baker, trumpet (1929-1988)

Video of Chet Baker singing and playing "Time After Time"