|
HOME |
Bop emerged fully-formed into the public arena in 1945, due particularly to a recording strike during the previous years. This emphasised the radical departure from Swing, that Bebop represented.INTERPRETATIONS The dichotomy: A)
A theory of evolution is the
traditional explanation for the development of jazz. That is, gradual
changes have occurred over time, which maintained certain elements.
Bebop remphasised elements of early jazz and blues that Swing had subsumed.
B)
Theory of revolution, which involves
the idea of discontinuity. A sudden change that brought in a new
form, rejecting the status quo. Hence Bebop was viewed as a deliberate
reconstruction, which was evidence of broader socio-political currents.
Bebop was part of a culture of protest, an alternative worldview to the dominant liberal-coporate culture. However, pre-Swing musical elements were also incorporated within Bebop.Linking Issues Jazz HistoryQUESTIONS How did Dizzy explain contiuniuty and change within jazz? Did Bebop seem to stimulate or respond to wider areas of change? To what degree is bebop a form of protest? See "The
Cult of Bebop"
January 27, 1950 interview with Miles Davies ‘Nothing But Bop? ‘Stupid,’ Says Miles’. EXTERNAL DISCUSSION: Compare the ideas of jazz evolution
above, with 'Ken Burns' Jazz History,
and a standard description of the musical
progression.
|