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Cool Jazz

Cool jazz emerged in the late 1940s as a response to bebop, which had become too intellectual and distant from mainstream audiences. Cool jazz featured lighter, more relaxed textures compared to bebop through the use of instruments like French horn, tuba, and vibes. Key innovators included Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, and Lennie Tristano, whose music was influenced by classical composers like Debussy and featured through-composed arrangements, space, and restraint. Cool jazz appealed to post-World War 2 audiences and aimed to be more accessible than bebop through its emphasis on melodicism over virtuosity.

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173 views2 pages

Cool Jazz

Cool jazz emerged in the late 1940s as a response to bebop, which had become too intellectual and distant from mainstream audiences. Cool jazz featured lighter, more relaxed textures compared to bebop through the use of instruments like French horn, tuba, and vibes. Key innovators included Gerry Mulligan, Miles Davis, and Lennie Tristano, whose music was influenced by classical composers like Debussy and featured through-composed arrangements, space, and restraint. Cool jazz appealed to post-World War 2 audiences and aimed to be more accessible than bebop through its emphasis on melodicism over virtuosity.

Uploaded by

Babin Olano De Lera
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

COOL JAZZ

bebop - intellectual, complex- virtuoso genre, distant from swing & dance audience

rise of suburbia after WW2, cinema, TV, search for recognition, new audience

cool jazz(problematic term - labelling music) - name invented by journalists -


impressionist composers(Debussy, Stravinsky) - diff textures, timbre, polytonal
structures, educated,    integrated through composed long form, small/medium combos -
ensemble playing focussed, blend of improv and arrangement nuanced, light, reflective,
vulnerable, understated, middle register, spacious, controlled dynamics - ensemble
playing, laid back rhythm, diff sound ideal & structure- similar time - changing audiences
- diff and similar players -easy listening than bebop -response to bebop - complex
harmony - non virtuosity -    through composed - European elements - educated
musicians - intellectual approach - theories & concepts - response of changing mkt. -
concert etiquette - each band has unique sound

loaded term - intellectualism, race, authenticity

cool - Lester young - cool sound & attitude = less vibrato - controlled - cleaner

Claude Thornhill Orch. ( fr. horn, tuba, vibes - soft diff sound than swing orch., not edgy)
, Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz

mix of classical & jazz - 3rd stream

Gen after WW2 - conservatory trained, classical(debussy)

Polka Dots & moon beams (1947 - Gerry Mulligan) - complex through composed arr. -
classical approach-

Miles Davis - bebop onwards    involved in all imp jazz styles - Miles Davis Nonet -
medium size combos

Gil Evans basement apt. (west 55th street) -    hang for cool jazz cats - Gerry Mulligan,
John Lewis, John Carisi, Parker, Davis

Dream Band: small ‘Thornhill Band’

live gigs@royal roost (sep 1949)

pete rugolo - encouraged not rehearsing before rec - spontaneous) - Capitol (eg. Cool &
quiet) - singles 78 RPM records released - 10” LP Classics in Jazz(54’) ,Birth of
cool(57’)

Lennie Tristano - own method, lee konitz, warne marsh(ts) - intuition & digression
(sectet - 49’) - polyrhythmic figures/constellations in melody - intellectual - contrafacts -
complex melodies - over the bar - early free jazz - 49’    - improv w/o pre conditions

Lee konitz played what is this thing called love & all the things you are till the end

polyrhythms, counterpoint - multiple indendent improv lines, super imposed


harmony(stacks of 4ths) - chromaticism - outside playing - polyphonic structures

west coast - gerry mulligan, chet baker - melodic not virtuosic - counterpt. improv , Paul
desmond - quartet w/o piano - polyphonic style ( dixieland evoluton)

Paul Desmond, Dave Brubeck - criticised for phrasing, timing - college grads Eleven-
four (63’) - intellectual

Miles Davis french film music - ascenseur pour l’Echafaud(Louis Malle, regie)

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