Describe how bebop developed, became the major modern movement in jazz around the time of the decline of big bands, and how bebop fragmented into the styles of cool and hard bop. Provide your opinion as to what role African-American innovation, in reaction to mainstream tastes in the U.S., played in these developments, if at all. Use specific examples of major figures and stylistic developments.
Bebop – an introduction
Bepop began as a style of jazz which had a fast tempo and improvisation as its main facets and began to surface in the early years of the Second World War. This period of style was synonymous with the decline of those big bands which had already started to show signs of weakness especially with the controversy regarding female vocalists who were usually white and who did not go down well with some groups.
In his article, “The Gal Yippers Have No Place In Our Jazz Bands.” (Down Beat 15 October 1939), Ted Toll is at pains to point out that a good jazz vocalist should not be simply based exclusively on the sex. He is scathing of women due to the fact that he believes they are too artificial and this perhaps reflects the attitude which was prevalent in the time regarding women – one has to remember that this was 1939 and women were treated as quite less than important in those days.
However the main thrust of Toll’s article seems to be that white women should not be let into the jazz scene since this is an exclusively black enclave and in a sense these women would be prying and spying into what was going on in this particular world. It is a rather sexist comment and implies a fear of intrusion into a world which is jealously guarded.
Toll is also scathing about the capabilities of these girls in singing and he rubbishes most of the singers who seemed to have been taking the world by storm in the jazz scene. Again one detects an element of fear in all this since the women were undoubtedly of a talented nature who apart from exuding a beautiful appearance could sing with a voice of quality.
In a sense, Toll was rather close minded when he made his criticism since the women were attracting a vast new audience to the jazz scene and such an article could only push them away. He continues to insist that ‘these gals aren’t singing jazz’ (Toll, 1939), and that they can have no idea of the intricacies which permeate this wonderful music and which is a style that can only be understood by men. He also seems to decry the invasion of these women into an exclusively all male club regardless of race, perhaps he is envious of the immediate attention which these pin up girls are garnering.
A whiff of counter racism sifts into Toll’s argument when he commends the legendary black singer Billie Holiday for her efforts. Does he seem to imply the Holliday, being black is the only female singer who can understand the nooks and crannies of jazz? This certainly seems the case but in an ironic way, Holliday herself chastises the jazz band system in her interview where she states that she has had more than enough of the band system and will be quitting. Does this mean that she was being discriminated against due to her gender or was it because she wished to strike out a march for the black women? Was it truly a decision based on interpretative needs or one more grounded on escaping from the banter? She is slightly non-committal in the interview so it is difficult to guess what is going on here.
The Dave Dexter interview is revealing on one point however, it seems that in these jazz bands too many cooks were spoiling the broth. Holliday was pretty scathing about how the managers interfered too much in Count Basie’s and Artie Shaw’s bands and that she was fed up with being told what to do. She also brings out the question of non-payment for certain performances so one has to admire her taking a stand. One can only imagine what it was like like for a woman in her early twenties to sing with an all-male band and create such a stir. However the disadvantages amongst the sexual mores of the time were undoubtedly quite large with a chasm between both sexes.
The article dealing with women jazz singers also shows that the message was more visual than talent. There are references to the singing abilities of some of the girls who were making a name for themselves in the jazz sector but there are also subtle implications that these were more looks than talent. In fact they have a bit of a point since they are now names which we don’t really remember although whether such scathing criticism was justified remains debatable and a moot point.
Jazz styles – New Orleans Jazz
Bebop developed continually and eventually branched out into the style that is known as New Orleans Jazz. This effectively spelt the end of the big bands which were seen as archaic and without much scope having remained hamstrung in the past with the jute being their only source of artistic expression.
The Civil Rights Movement had various standard bearers in the struggle for equal rights across the colour line but music perhaps is the least well known of these. Ornette Coleman’s ‘Lonely Woman’ is a haunting piece containing several crooning sounds with the orchestral backing extremely effective. The woodwind and string sounds almost recreate the sounds of the Mississippi Delta where racial injustice was probably the most pronounced in the United States. Coleman’s voice contains typical African American tones which almost send a shiver down one’s spine. I felt very sad when listening to the music since it brought back the haunting memories of the violence which perpetrated the Deep South in the 1950’s and 1960’s and which ran unchecked with the complicity of local authorities. It is a powerful music statement full of compassion and at the same time, proud dignity.
Cecil Taylor’s work is similarly effusive and dramatic at the same time. The Willisau Concert uses the orchestral and jazz tapestry very effectively throughout with several instruments creating extremely haunting tones. The performance is very professional although the sound quality occasionally leaves something to be desired. Again it is a wonderful description of the racial injustice which permeated the South in those heady years.
Finally, ‘Ghosts’ by Albert Ayler is similarly haunting and expressive. It almost makes you recall the ghosts of those who perished in the struggle for civil rights, personages such as Emmett Till and the three boys murdered in the dead of the night in Neshoba County, Mississippi. A powerful and at times deeply emotional statement indeed.
All three pieces are a testament to the struggle for justice in the 1960’s and are essential for those who have this period at heart and are typical examples of how bebop developed into the modern jazz style which we know today.
Bibliography:
Blackburn, Julia. With Billie: A New Look at the Unforgettable Lady Day. New York: Vintage Books, 2006
Chilton, John: Billie's Blues: The Billie Holiday Story 1933–1959. New York: Da Capo Press, 1989
Toll, Ted. “The Gal Yippers Have No Place In Our Jazz Bands.” Down Beat 15 October 1939: 16.Dexter, Dave, Jr. “I’ll Never Sing With A Dance Band Again—Holiday.” Down Beat 1 November 1939: 4.
