These introductory pieces are great. My father was a young jazz pianist in that era, and I grew up within a jazz musicians’ enclave, but had no context from outside, and so didn’t understand the “map” until….well, I am putting it together now. That shoemaker’s kids had no shoes. And, it was an overwhelming subject to explore as a kid, even with a dad immersed in his craft. Or, especially so…particularly as such that only nebulous definitions exist. Thanks for your help.
I had heard the names of players, I had heard snippets of the music, but I really didn't know a damn thing about it. After watching the story of Stan Levy, and now this video I feel like I'm getting a picture of what this chapter in the story of jazz was like for the people who were living it. It is history that is relevent and worth knowing.
Thanks as always, Chase. You managed to get so many great details in there and told the story so well in such a succinct way! For me, Dizzy's solo on Salt Peanuts, and specifically that utterly remarkable opening run/line that seems to go on forever and makes so much musical sense says 'bebop' better than anything I've ever heard.
@@chasesanborn A lot of lyricist in hiphop took the same mindset of not making mindless dance music instead they wanted to show there lyricism so they showed how they can use multi syllable rhyming , internal rhyming , clever punchlines , metaphors even song concepts and a lot of times the music wasn’t as danceable because you have to actively listen to pick up on what’s being said like Bebop
@@chasesanborn I rap as well so I been studying how Miles , Bird , Shorter and others on how they flowed when soloing because I got tired of hearing the same Melodies and flows from other rappers it started to become very predictable studying Jazz from bebop forward showed me different ways to rap to break away from the mainstream shit
I do appreciate all the big band leaders that tried bop for a little while like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Also, these old Red Rodney recordings I’ve been listening to again largely hold up. He had worked with Bird and others so it was cool getting to see what he was doing on his own with the likes of Chubby Jackson. Thanks for this awesome summary on what was happening at the time!
I don't know to what degree musicians like Benny and Artie were attracted to the music as opposed to trying to keep up with the trends. Red Rodney sounds authentically down with the 'new music'. Thanks for your comment!
@@chasesanborn I binged episode 1-10 last night and I can’t wait to watch more tonight. I appreciate the level of research you put into these videos. You don’t just read off the Wikipedia, every episode teaches me something I didn’t know. And I enjoy hearing the music evolve as the episodes go on. Cheers!
@@HieronymousLex This series grew out of a what grew to be a 1200-slide PowerPoint presentation for a university course that I had to take online at the onset of Covid. That's why the images are static. Not being a historian by training, I try to bring in something of my own perspective as a jazz musician. Creating these videos was an enormous amount of work done by necessity, so I'm happy that they can be viewed by a wider audience and appreciate someone like you who takes the time to watch. It's a commitment to do so (as my former students would attest).
Now I’m definitely a “moldy fig” in the sense that I much prefer swing and don’t care for most bebop, but it’s origins and history is still very interesting
Because your video and one of his books share a title, it's as good a moment as any to ask you about Scott Deveaux's essay "constructing the jazz tradition: jazz historiography". Have tou read it? What are your thoughts on the subject and how did you approach constructing your jazz history course? Love the playlist and the channel by the way.
In the description for this series I say that I am coming at the topic from the perspective of a jazz musician, not a historian, and that this is as much a disclaimer as a descriptor. I do not have the background to be able to delve deeply into the sociological aspects as someone like Deveaux. (I have read the essay and his book JAZZ was one of my resources in putting this course together.) My focus is on presenting a representative chronological overview of the evolution of the music, with the music itself front and center via full-length clips augmented by background information about the musicians who made it. There is much more of the story than I am able to tell, but I think I can guarantee that anyone who invests the time to watch this series will hear a LOT of great music and likely learn a few things they didn't know. That's the extent of my claim as 'jazz historian'. Thanks for your comment and question!
It was an amazing era and Bird was the king. Historians claim it ended the Jazz age because you couldn't dance to it and it was too complex. So the artists started repeating the music Rosetta Tharpe created in the 30's and sped it up and added variations to it to make it danceable
As I talked about in videos relating to the swing era, the only time when jazz was the popular music of the day was when it was the prevailing dance music, and certainly there was a desire among some musicians who came up in that era to break free from the confines of playing for dancers. Salt Peanuts is a pretty dramatic departure from Sing Sing Sing!
The term Moldy Fig is not solely about someone 'who couldn't get with the new sounds'. The term originates before the bebop era during the 1st critics war of the early to mid 1940s. It was aimed at those who advocated early New Orleans music (called Dixieland revivalists now) over the jazz music that developed during the 1920s which they saw as commercial rubbish. (see my video the jazz critic wars). Moldy figs is really a term outlining the decaying nature of the critics who were carping swing.
I'm not surprised that the term predates the bebop era, although your description still sounds like it was aimed at someone 'who couldn't get with the new sounds'.
@@chasesanborn If it was aimed solely at those who couldn't get with the new sounds then that would account for 99.999% of the world. Moldy fig means the New Orleans Revivalists that were active from the resurgence of New Orleans music during the late 1930s (Dixieland Jazz). The Moldy figs were against both Swing and Bebop and advocated early New Orleans music as the only true form of jazz. During the heated exchanges in magazines during this period the nasty stuff was always between critics who were advocating the change in jazz like Leonard Feather, and those that wanted jazz to go back to its roots like Rudy Blech. This debate is important in the history of Jazz because it was established that Jazz does change - and was not a folk music even if it had folk roots. By the end of the 1940s most critics excepted Jazz as an Art Form because change is one of the deciding factors of Art over Folk traditions. However, I agree with your statement that nowadays it does seem to refer to those who can't get with the new sounds. It even has a modern interpretation aimed at people like Wynton Marsalis who doesn't like the free avant garde school compared to what he calls 'classical modern Jazz'- which ironically he states is Bebop.
@@bebopreview3187 Thanks for that historical background. The debate over what is jazz, or what to call it, from Ragtime to BAM has raged from the beginning, as near as I can tell.
Maybe I’m just slow, but you talk a little quicker than I can register and keep up with 😂 but besides that this was a very informative video. Thank for the content
If you enjoy these episodes on Jazz History, please encourage RUclips to share them by leaving a LIKE!
It's 5am, I've been awake for 19 hours, I'll watch this later. Super stoked tho! Thank you for existing!
@@Ducklingy57 I would not want you to lose sleep over one of my videos. They'll be there when you are up and atom!
This was new historical information. Thank you for not rehashing the old, instead providing the new.
'New historical information' may be a contradiction, but I'm glad you found some in this video!
These introductory pieces are great. My father was a young jazz pianist in that era, and I grew up within a jazz musicians’ enclave, but had no context from outside, and so didn’t understand the “map” until….well, I am putting it together now. That shoemaker’s kids had no shoes. And, it was an overwhelming subject to explore as a kid, even with a dad immersed in his craft. Or, especially so…particularly as such that only nebulous definitions exist. Thanks for your help.
My daughter as a teenager said: "I might like jazz if I didn't have to hear it 24 hours a day." :)
I had heard the names of players, I had heard snippets of the music, but I really didn't know a damn thing about it. After watching the story of Stan Levy, and now this video I feel like I'm getting a picture of what this chapter in the story of jazz was like for the people who were living it. It is history that is relevent and worth knowing.
Happy to help fill in the gaps!
This is a subject I have always been curious and fascinated about.
Thank you again Chase for this more than excellent presentation.
'More than excellent' is more than anyone could hope for. Thanks, Dennis!
Short, to the point and packed with interesting informations in a visually pleasing package. You got a new subscriber.
Welcome aboard!
Thanks as always, Chase. You managed to get so many great details in there and told the story so well in such a succinct way! For me, Dizzy's solo on Salt Peanuts, and specifically that utterly remarkable opening run/line that seems to go on forever and makes so much musical sense says 'bebop' better than anything I've ever heard.
Thanks for that Peter. I'm always happy to be described as succinct or concise. Dizzy is certainly the epitome of 'bebop spoken here'. :)
How they soloed in the bebop era laid the ground work for Lyrical HipHop
I'm no hip-hop expert, so I'll leave it to you to illustrate the connection.
@@chasesanborn A lot of lyricist in hiphop took the same mindset of not making mindless dance music instead they wanted to show there lyricism so they showed how they can use multi syllable rhyming , internal rhyming , clever punchlines , metaphors even song concepts and a lot of times the music wasn’t as danceable because you have to actively listen to pick up on what’s being said like Bebop
@@chasesanborn I rap as well so I been studying how Miles , Bird , Shorter and others on how they flowed when soloing because I got tired of hearing the same Melodies and flows from other rappers it started to become very predictable studying Jazz from bebop forward showed me different ways to rap to break away from the mainstream shit
Thanks for adding that historical perspective!
Love it!
I do appreciate all the big band leaders that tried bop for a little while like Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw. Also, these old Red Rodney recordings I’ve been listening to again largely hold up. He had worked with Bird and others so it was cool getting to see what he was doing on his own with the likes of Chubby Jackson.
Thanks for this awesome summary on what was happening at the time!
I don't know to what degree musicians like Benny and Artie were attracted to the music as opposed to trying to keep up with the trends. Red Rodney sounds authentically down with the 'new music'. Thanks for your comment!
What a great succinct and informative video.
Likewise your comment, thank you!
This is the first video of yours I’ve seen, and I’m instantly hooked. I’ve love this type of stuff!
In that case, you'll find a lot more to like on this channel. Welcome aboard!
@@chasesanborn I binged episode 1-10 last night and I can’t wait to watch more tonight. I appreciate the level of research you put into these videos. You don’t just read off the Wikipedia, every episode teaches me something I didn’t know. And I enjoy hearing the music evolve as the episodes go on. Cheers!
@@HieronymousLex This series grew out of a what grew to be a 1200-slide PowerPoint presentation for a university course that I had to take online at the onset of Covid. That's why the images are static. Not being a historian by training, I try to bring in something of my own perspective as a jazz musician. Creating these videos was an enormous amount of work done by necessity, so I'm happy that they can be viewed by a wider audience and appreciate someone like you who takes the time to watch. It's a commitment to do so (as my former students would attest).
Happy Dizzy Gillespie’s Day we are celebrating his day here in the capital of South Carolina 🎺🎶🥳
As well you should. We owe South Carolina a debt of gratitude for your native son!
Thankyou Chase I plan to go to the world famous Jazz festival next year in Cheraw SC a 4 day Jazz Festival in tribute to Maestro!!!
Loved this video, this series is a favorite of mine
You are part of a smallish but discriminating group of viewers, and I'm glad you are!
Love these videos keep ‘em coming!
I'll do that, and you spread the word. Thanks for watching!
Now I’m definitely a “moldy fig” in the sense that I much prefer swing and don’t care for most bebop, but it’s origins and history is still very interesting
As your name might suggest. :) Glad you find it interesting anyway.
Because your video and one of his books share a title, it's as good a moment as any to ask you about Scott Deveaux's essay "constructing the jazz tradition: jazz historiography". Have tou read it? What are your thoughts on the subject and how did you approach constructing your jazz history course?
Love the playlist and the channel by the way.
In the description for this series I say that I am coming at the topic from the perspective of a jazz musician, not a historian, and that this is as much a disclaimer as a descriptor. I do not have the background to be able to delve deeply into the sociological aspects as someone like Deveaux. (I have read the essay and his book JAZZ was one of my resources in putting this course together.) My focus is on presenting a representative chronological overview of the evolution of the music, with the music itself front and center via full-length clips augmented by background information about the musicians who made it.
There is much more of the story than I am able to tell, but I think I can guarantee that anyone who invests the time to watch this series will hear a LOT of great music and likely learn a few things they didn't know. That's the extent of my claim as 'jazz historian'. Thanks for your comment and question!
It was an amazing era and Bird was the king. Historians claim it ended the Jazz age because you couldn't dance to it and it was too complex. So the artists started repeating the music Rosetta Tharpe created in the 30's and sped it up and added variations to it to make it danceable
As I talked about in videos relating to the swing era, the only time when jazz was the popular music of the day was when it was the prevailing dance music, and certainly there was a desire among some musicians who came up in that era to break free from the confines of playing for dancers. Salt Peanuts is a pretty dramatic departure from Sing Sing Sing!
Interesting info.
Glad you find it to be so. Stay tuned!
My music teacher told me “this is something for you” and here I am
I hope you find what he/she thinks you're looking for... :)
The term Moldy Fig is not solely about someone 'who couldn't get with the new sounds'. The term originates before the bebop era during the 1st critics war of the early to mid 1940s. It was aimed at those who advocated early New Orleans music (called Dixieland revivalists now) over the jazz music that developed during the 1920s which they saw as commercial rubbish. (see my video the jazz critic wars). Moldy figs is really a term outlining the decaying nature of the critics who were carping swing.
I'm not surprised that the term predates the bebop era, although your description still sounds like it was aimed at someone 'who couldn't get with the new sounds'.
@@chasesanborn If it was aimed solely at those who couldn't get with the new sounds then that would account for 99.999% of the world. Moldy fig means the New Orleans Revivalists that were active from the resurgence of New Orleans music during the late 1930s (Dixieland Jazz). The Moldy figs were against both Swing and Bebop and advocated early New Orleans music as the only true form of jazz. During the heated exchanges in magazines during this period the nasty stuff was always between critics who were advocating the change in jazz like Leonard Feather, and those that wanted jazz to go back to its roots like Rudy Blech. This debate is important in the history of Jazz because it was established that Jazz does change - and was not a folk music even if it had folk roots. By the end of the 1940s most critics excepted Jazz as an Art Form because change is one of the deciding factors of Art over Folk traditions.
However, I agree with your statement that nowadays it does seem to refer to those who can't get with the new sounds. It even has a modern interpretation aimed at people like Wynton Marsalis who doesn't like the free avant garde school compared to what he calls 'classical modern Jazz'- which ironically he states is Bebop.
@@bebopreview3187 Thanks for that historical background. The debate over what is jazz, or what to call it, from Ragtime to BAM has raged from the beginning, as near as I can tell.
Hello, where are your sources from?
Do you have a specific question?
bebop is the music of those who reject consumerist/populist dogma.
It certainly was not intended for the average consumer.
Maybe I’m just slow, but you talk a little quicker than I can register and keep up with 😂 but besides that this was a very informative video. Thank for the content
Better too fast than too slow, methinks. Note that RUclips allows you to speed up or slow down playback speed.