Bebop (Minton's, Monroe's)

Style · c. 1940-1955 · New York · Modern jazz (1940-1970)

Small-group jazz with fast tempos and dense harmonies, born in the jam sessions at Minton's (founded in 1938) and Monroe's. The AFM strike (July 31, 1942) explains the documentary gap: it is barely heard on record before 1944-45.

How to recognize it by ear

• Tempo: very fast, often more than 250 beats per minute. Ko-Ko, recorded by Charlie Parker in 1945, comes close to 300.
• Lineup: a small group, typically a quintet (trumpet, alto saxophone, piano, double bass, drums), in place of the big band.
• Theme: a new melody, played in unison by trumpet and saxophone, written over the changes of a standard. Ko-Ko thus reuses the chords of "Cherokee."
• Harmony: extended chords that change quickly. The soloist improvises following these changes, which demands great virtuosity.
• Listening: music made to be listened to more than danced to. That is what separates it from the swing of the big bands.

Where to start

• Ko-Ko — Charlie Parker (1945, Classic): The manifesto: a theme written over "Cherokee," a dizzying tempo, and two soloists (Parker, Gillespie) who answer each other.
• A Night in Tunisia — Dizzy Gillespie (1946, Classic): The most recognizable track of the style, with its ostinato bass line and its Latin-inspired rhythm.
• 'Round Midnight — Thelonious Monk (1947, Classic): The ballad of the repertoire: the slow, dark side of bebop.
• Lullaby of Birdland — Sarah Vaughan (1954, Easy): The language of bebop carried into the voice: a gentler way in.

Bebop and hard bop

Hard bop, from 1953, keeps bebop's small groups and speed. It brings the blues, gospel, and more songlike themes back in. If bebop resists you, start with hard bop, which is more welcoming, then come back to Parker.

What is still debated

DeVeaux: neither a clean break nor a revolution. The "Cherokee 1942" story is retrospective. R&B influence unsourced.

Where it comes from

• Kansas City
• Swing, big bands

What it gave rise to or influenced

• Vocal jazz, scat, vocalese
• Cool (Birth of the Cool)
• Hard bop
• Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban
• Tristano School
• West Coast
• Free jazz
• South African jazz
• Japanese jazz
• French jazz
• British jazz
• Polish jazz
• Dutch jazz

Artists

• Coleman Hawkins (1904–1969, tenor saxophone)
• Sarah Vaughan (1924–1990, vocals, piano)
• Mary Lou Williams (1910–1981, piano, arrangement)
• Dizzy Gillespie (1917–1993, trumpet, vocals)
• Charlie Parker (1920–1955, alto saxophone)
• Thelonious Monk (1917–1982, piano, composition)
• Bud Powell (1924–1966, piano)
• Max Roach (1924–2007, drums)
• Miles Davis (1926–1991, trumpet)
• Sonny Rollins (1930–2026?, tenor saxophone)
• Toots Thielemans (1922–2016, harmonica, guitar)
• Fats Navarro (1923–1950, trumpet)
• Martial Solal (1927–2024, piano)
• Erroll Garner (1921–1977, piano)
• Buddy Rich (1917–1987, drums)
• Machito (1909–1984, vocals, maracas)
• Hazel Scott (1920–1981, piano, vocals)
• Vi Redd (1928–2022, alto saxophone, vocals)
• Ray Brown (1926–2002, double bass, cello)
• Kenny Dorham (1924–1972, trumpet, vocals)
• Charlie Rouse (1924–1988, tenor saxophone, flute)
• Piet Noordijk (1932–2011, alto saxophone)

Sources

• EN : Bebop

Facts checked against these pages (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). Method and licenses

The editorial sections of this page (how to listen, where to start, landmarks) are written by Jazzency and are being proofread.