Episode 5
Donald Macleod and Geoffrey Smith look at the musicians who emerged from bebop, including John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dophy and Sonny Rollins.
Bebop! It's a rather silly word for a crucial chapter in jazz history. It didn't just come out of nowhere but evolved, fizzed and bubbled into existence in the USA in the early 1940s, as a result of a gloriously rich and complex musical chemistry involving different combinations of musicians, styles and places. All week, Donald Macleod and his special guest, the writer and broadcaster Geoffrey Smith, have some serious fun investigating this amazing musical phenomenon.
To conclude the week they take a look beyond Bebop and explore the various shoots that have sprouted from the original stem, in the hands of such musicians as John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Eric Dolphy, Wynton Marsalis and finally Sonny Rollins, who brings us into the 21st century with his take on the Jerome Kern standard, 'Why Was I Born' - a live concert recording made in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
You are at the last episode
Music Played
-
Sun Ra
'Along Came Ra' [live concert rec. 12 Nov 1983, Utrecht]
Performer: Sun Ra and his Arkestra
- Leo LR-154.
- 1.
-
John Coltrane
'Giant Steps' [rec. 5 May 1959, NYC]
Performer: John Coltrane (t sax) Performer: Tommy Flanagan (pno) Performer: Paul Chambers (bas), Art Taylor (drums)
- Rhino R2 75203.
- 1.
-
Cole Porter
'I Love Paris' [15 Apr 1959, NYC]
Performer: Cecil Taylor (pno) Performer: Buell Neidlinger (bas) Performer: Rudy Collins (drums)
- Blue Note CDP 94107.
- 2.
-
Charlie Parker's Reboppers
'Blue in Green' [rec. 2 Mar 1959, NYC]
Performer: Miles Davis (tpt) Performer: John Coltrane (t sax) Performer: Bill Evans (pno) Performer: Paul Chambers (bas) Performer: Jimmy Cobb (drums)
- Columbia CK 64935.
- 3.
-
Ornette Coleman
'Ramblin'' [rec. 8 Oct 1959, NYC]
Performer: Ornette Coleman (a sax) Performer: Donald Cherry (pocket trumpet) Performer: Charlie Haden (bas) Performer: Billy Higgins (drums)
- Atlantic 81227 3608-2.
- 1.
-
Eric Dolphy
'Miss Ann' [rec. 21 Dec 1960, Englewood Cliffs, NJ]
Performer: Eric Dolphy-Booker Little Quintet: Performer: Eric Dolphy (a sax) Performer: Booker Little (tpt) Performer: Jaki Byard (pno) Performer: Ron Carter (bas) Performer: Roy Haynes (drums)
- Prestige PR 7747.
- 5.
-
Wynton Marsalis
Bebop
Performer: Wynton Marsalis (tpt) Performer: Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra
- Sony 074646299821.
- 15.
-
Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
'Why Was I Born?' [live concert rec. 15 Sep 2001, Boston]
Performer: Sonny Rollins (t sax) Performer: Clifton Anderson (trb) Performer: Stephen Scott (pno) Performer: Bob Cranshaw (e bas) Performer: Perry Wilson (drums) Performer: Kimati Dinizulu (perc)
- Milestone MCD-9342-2.
- 5.
Broadcasts
- Fri 19 Feb 2010 12:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
- Fri 19 Feb 2010 22:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
- Fri 18 Nov 2011 12:00´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
- Fri 18 Nov 2011 18:30´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.