Cool (Birth of the Cool)
Nonet of Miles Davis, Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan (Capitol sessions from January 21, 1949 to March 9, 1950, compiled in 1957). Softer sound, written arrangements, medium tempos.
How to recognize it by ear
- A soft sound: little vibrato, medium tempos, restrained dynamics.
- Written arrangements: Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool is played by nine musicians, with a tuba and a French horn, far from the bebop quintet.
- Understated playing: the aim is the clear line rather than a display of speed.
- Unusual meters: Dave Brubeck plays in 5/4 (Take Five) and in 9/8 (Blue Rondo à la Turk).
- A classical anchor: John Lewis's Modern Jazz Quartet draws on chamber music.
Where to start
- Take Five — Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959, Easy): The best-known track of the style: a theme in 5/4 that you remember from the first listen.
- Birth of the Cool (Move) — Miles Davis Nonet (1949, Classic): The starting point: nine musicians, with arrangements by Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan, and John Lewis.
- Linus and Lucy — Vince Guaraldi Trio (1964, Easy): The Peanuts theme: you have already heard it, and it is jazz for piano trio.
- Django — Modern Jazz Quartet (1955, Classic): A tribute to Django Reinhardt, with the elegance of chamber music.
Cool and bebop
Cool takes up bebop's harmonic knowledge but calms the playing: medium tempos, muted sounds, written arrangements. Do not confuse it with West Coast jazz, which descends from it and is tied to 1950s California.
Where it comes from
What it gave rise to or influenced
Artists
- Miles Davis
- Dave Brubeck
- Bill Evans
- Stan Getz
- Ahmad Jamal
- Shelly Manne
- Russ Freeman
- Lennie Tristano
- Lee Konitz
- Claude Thornhill
- Marian McPartland
- Lars Gullin
- Bobby Jaspar