Bebop: Jazz as Art

In its early days, Jazz music was made to dance to. More often than not, you’d find swing bands playing exclusively in dance halls and nightclubs in the wee hours of the morning. Jazz gave way to rock and roll, and funk, both energetic genres with high entertainment values. With the simplistic chord progressions and repetitive rhythmic phrases that were easy to follow, early jazz music was entertaining and accessible. However, around the end of the second world war, there was a shift in perspective. Jazz music, which at that time was dominated by the swing sound, was becoming more and more complex. Through harmonies that utilize various different chord types and modes, and rapid improvisation that showed off virtuosity in the player, bebop was a style meant to showcase the jazz musician as a technically skilled artist meant to be taken seriously.