As part of our deep dive into the different types of jazz throughout history, join us for a short summary of the style.
We’ve already put together a detailed round up of the best artists and albums in this style here, but what exactly is ?
Well, musically, it’s a style that developed in 1940s distinctive for its fast tempos, virtuosic playing and complex melodies.
If you’re a non-musician, let’s put it like this…
If you’re listening to an old 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 !
Why ?
big band and swing which preceded it and which were primarily there as dance-friendly pop entertainment. emerged as a reaction to the more audience-friendly styles such as
Technically speaking, it marked a huge turning point in the development of , with the early proponents of – based initially in – working from a more academic and intellectual standpoint.
As such, it was not meant primarily as entertainment, but for serious listening, with the pushing the boundaries of harmonic and rhythmic possibilities.
: a crucial period in history
complex chord extensions, chromatic passing notes, intentional dissonance (‘tension and release’) and heavily syncopated rhythms – all at speeds often passing 300bpm! ‘s evolution popularised the use of
Whilst most fans are familiar with this sound today, it would have sounded totally radical at the time; something confirmed by the backlash it received from many popular critics and of the day.
Tommy Dorsey, for example, claimed that had “set music back by 20 years”, while Louis Armstrong was another famous detractor.
Despite that, its early pioneers – such as saxophonist , pianist and – forged ahead and changed the face of forever.
Examples of
With came a new ‘songbook’ of tunes that liked to play together.
Many have remained in the modern ‘ catalogue to this day, with examples of famous tunes including:
- Scrapple From The Apple
- Ornithology
- I’ll Remember April
- A Night In Tunisia
- Confirmation
Another interesting feature of 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.
The Line-Up & Musicians
The other big change from the big band era which preceded it was the group sizes; bands often consisted of quartets or quintets, with the – -drum backing and/or saxophone.
It’s importance in the development of the music is perhaps best-illustrated by the number of who came through this ‘school’ of playing.
, , Charles Mingus, and many others not considered specifically as ‘ ‘ today all developed their playing during this fertile era of experimentation.
As always the best way to really understand what is, is to listen to the greats who made it!
We’ve highlighted some of the most important artists in history here, along with biographical info and listening suggestions for each.
Happy listening!

International jazz booking agent, manager and host of Jazzfuel.
Join the mailing list for more free content, or become a member of Jazzfuel Manager (members.jazzfuel.com) for 1-to-1 support & feedback.