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Jazz 101 Style
Cool
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The phrase "cool jazz" is often used as an umbrella term to
describe various subdued and understated styles of modern jazz that emerged in
the 1950s. As a rule, these approaches forsook much of the frenetic approach widely
associated with bebop. Cool saxophonists such as Stan Getz and Zoot Sims
embraced the relaxed, melodic approach to improvisation employed by Lester Young. Cool
trumpeters such as Shorty Rogers and Chet Baker were more concerned with spare
lyricism than their bop-influenced colleagues. Gil Evans and Gerry Mulligan were
among the most influential cool jazz arrangers. The phrase "West Coast Jazz" was
coined to describe a significant subgenre of the cool school, namely the modern
jazz styles emanating from California from the late 1940s through the early 1960s, as
exemplified by the work of Bud Shank, Jimmy Giuffre, Art Pepper and many others.
Cool jazz is sometimes unfairly derided as devoid of emotion. It is in fact
technically daunting music that is often quite beautiful, and as demanding of a musician's
concentration and commitment as any modern genre of jazz.
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Traditional
