What is Jazz? The Musicians & The History of Jazz Explained
Jazz is a style of music which emerged in the early 20th Century, primarily within the African-American community, which features improvisation and rhythmic ...
bebop
Partly in response to the perceived commercialism of some swing era music, the mid-1940s saw the emergence of <anchor>bebop</anchor>, a fiercely intellectual Afro-American creation that was meant for listening more than dancing.
What Is Bebop? Uncovering The 1940s Jazz Pioneers - Jazzfuel
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# What Is Bebop? Uncovering The 1940s Jazz Pioneers

last updated March 4, 2024

What is bebop?

You’ve probably heard of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, but what about the story behind the style of jazz they pioneered? In this article we dive into some of the fastest jazz of the 20th Century to discover what is bebop?

So, how to define bebop?

Musically it’s a style of jazz that developed in 1940s New York, distinctive for its fast speeds, virtuosic playing, rapid chord changes and complex melodies.

If you’re a non-musician, let’s put it like this…

If you’re listening to an old jazz record which seems to swing but would be almost impossible to sing along with (due to its speed and complexity), it’s pretty likely you’re listening to bebop!

## The emergence of bebop

Bebop emerged as a reaction to the more audience-friendly styles such as big band and swing which preceded it, and which were primarily there as dance-friendly pop entertainment.

In time-honoured tradition, the kids were rebelling against their parents!

Technically speaking, it marked a huge turning point in the development of jazz improvisation, with the early proponents of bebop – based initially in New York – working from a more academic and intellectual standpoint.

As such, it was not meant primarily as entertainment, but for serious listening, with the musicians pushing the boundaries of harmonic and rhythmic possibilities.

## Characteristics of Bebop

Whilst most jazz fans are familiar with the sound of bebop today, it would have seemed totally radical at the time.

Key characteristics of bebop include:

- Creative Chords: Bebop jazz introduced innovative chord structures that enriched the music, making it more complex and interesting.
- Familiar Tunes, New Twists: Bebop often used existing popular songs as a base, creating new, intricate melodies that showcased the musicians’ skill.
- Spotlight on Improvisation: Improvisation, or making up music on the spot, became a hallmark of bebop, allowing musicians to showcase their creativity and deep musical knowledge.
- Intimate Group Settings: Moving away from the large orchestras of swing, bebop favored smaller groups, like quartets, making the music more intimate and interactive.
- Rooted in Swing, but with a Twist: While bebop evolved from the swing era, it introduced more complex rhythms and a focus on musical artistry over danceability.
- A Dynamic Backing Band: The rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) in bebop wasn’t just background music; it played a crucial role in enhancing the performance and interacting with the soloists.
- Complex Rhythms Over Dance Beats: Bebop shifted focus from easy-to-dance-to beats to more sophisticated, often faster rhythms, prioritizing musical expression over danceability.
- Pushing the Tempo: Bebop is known for its fast pace, often reaching impressive speeds that demand a high level of skill from the musicians.

At the time, bebop jazz received a strong backlash from many popular critics and musicians of the day.

Tommy Dorsey, for example, claimed that bebop had “set music back by 20 years”, while Louis Armstrong was another famous detractor.

Despite that, its early pioneers – such as saxophonist Charlie Parker, pianist Bud Powell and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie – forged ahead and changed the face of jazz forever.

What is bebop? A 1954 photo of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker on stagepinelife, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

## What Is Bebop? 20 Examples To Listening To)

In order to understand what is bebop, it helps to dive into the new ‘songbook’ of tunes that these musicians liked to play together.

Many have remained in the modern musicians’ catalogue to this day, with examples of famous bebop tunes (or ‘heads’) including:

- Scrapple From The Apple
- Ornithology
- I’ll Remember April
- A Night In Tunisia
- Confirmation
- Donna Lee
- Ko-Ko
- Yardbird Suite
- Moose the Mooche
- Billie’s Bounce
- Anthropology
- Dizzy Atmosphere
- Bebop
- Salt Peanuts
- Shaw ‘Nuff
- Oleo
- Straight, No Chaser
- Bouncing with Bud
- Tempus Fugit
- Four

Another interesting feature of bebop is that many of the tunes (or ‘heads’ as they are called) are contracts: a melody written on top of the chord changes of an existing tune.

Whilst perhaps not immediately obvious, listening carefully to tunes like Billies Bounce, Ornithology and Anthropology can uncover harmony borrowed from ‘simpler’ songs such as How High The Moon, I Got Rhythm and the 12 bar Blues.

## Bebop Line-Ups & Famous Musicians

The other big change from the big band era which preceded it was the group sizes; bebop bands often consisted of quartets or quintets, with the piano-bass-drum rhythm section backing trumpet and/or saxophone.

It’s importance in the development of the music is perhaps best-illustrated by the number of jazz musicians who came through this ‘school’ of playing.

As always the best way to really understand what bebop is, is to listen to the greats who made it!

We’ve highlighted some of the most important artists in bebop history here, along with biographical info and listening suggestions for each.

Happy listening!

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I started out as a jazz musician before becoming a booking agent and manager. I host Jazzfuel to provide resources and info for both professional musicians and jazz fans around the world. Questions or comments? Feel free to drop me an email!

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