Student Essay on Development of Bebop

Development of Bebop

Essay

No other style of music in this world is more American than jazz. At a time when America was thrown into a second European War, and all of the ideals in the country were centered around popular culture, there was a perfect opportunity for the flourishment of the style known as bebop.

Swing, its predecessor, was basically a vehicle for dancers. It was a supplement to a lifestyle, and an admirable one at that. However, what couldn't develop naturally through such everyday life developed in the artistic world. Argued either a revolution or an evolution, bebop was the first style in jazz to transcend beyond the dance halls. A true artist could be fully appreciated on stage, while a mediocre player could easily float into a normal big band.

Possibly the most dynamic style in music, bebop remains to this day a part of this nation's culture and history in the art form of musifc.