The term "cool jazz" defines a mixture of swing and bebop styles and mostly refers to musicians who play in an understated and subdued manner. Although it sounds very different from bop, cool jazz extends from bebop harmonic and melodic ideas.... [more]
The term "cool jazz" defines a mixture of swing and bebop styles and mostly refers to musicians who play in an understated and subdued manner. Although it sounds very different from bop, cool jazz extends from bebop harmonic and melodic ideas. Like bebop, the horns play the head (melody) in unison before and after the solos. However, unlike the improvised style of bebop, cool jazz puts more emphasis on written arrangements (similar to swing jazz) and on counterpoint (two or more lines sounding together). Cool jazz instrumentalists experimented with playing short, improvised solos within a written arrangement.
Trumpeter Miles Davis emerged from the bebop scene and developed a unique voice with his pivotal 1949 album, "Birth of the Cool." Along with Davis, fellow musicians Lee Konitz on alto sax and Gerry Mulligan
on baritone developed a new jazz sound. They created mellow textures of dry, light, and vibrato-less tones. Instrumental dialogue was softer and less "brassy." The relaxed syncopation of the rhythm gave the cool sound its musical direction. [show less]