The Purpose of this site is for the viewer to gain an understanding of some of the issues concerning Post-War Jazz in America.  This website is a study of Documents in Context - with 'The Cult of Bebop' by Dizzy Gillespie as a case-study.

A READING THE TEXT section provides links to the normal criteria used and problems faced by historians when interpreting sources, as well as a discussion of the issues and questions relating to The Cult of Bebop in particular. 

The Aim is for viewers to approach the ISSUES: JAZZ HISTORY,RACE and CULTURE, through the text.  Rather having one interpretation of history on this site, the viewer is encouraged to 'do' history themselves. 

In order to formulate their own response to the source, links on the sidebar of The Cult of Bebop text allow viewers to choose which ISSUE they feel is appropriate to that segment of the text. 

Once within the ISSUES,  brief descriptions of main ideas and historiography can be read.  Sample QUESTIONS prompted by the text in relation to these issues are listed.  Viewers are encouraged browse any area of the text for clues, but suggestions of relevant segments of the text are also given.

Links between the relevant ISSUES are provided, in order to stimulate comparison of these ideas, and an understanding of how they interrelate.

The Scope of this site, prevents it from being an Archive.  Ultimately, 'The Cult of Bebop' would be used in conjunction with other primary sources.  There is a large variety of appropriate sources.  These include:

-interviews eg Playboy, Down Beat
-photos
-many autobiographies and biographies
-contemporary articles and reviews 
-records (now remastered CDs); 
-album cover art

However, not many of these exist on the web.  This site has attempted to provide examples of OTHER SOURCES that could be included in a study of Post-war Jazz: both on- and off-line.
 

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