Swing Vs Bebop Essay

Swing vs Bebop
The closest thing to jazz was Bebop. Bebop went through its heyday from 1940 to 1955. The birth of bebop coincided with World War II. The war had a great affect on many parts of the entertainment world. The draft removed men from swing scene which meant there were fewer people to play in the bands. Because of the need for many materials for the war effort gas and rubber were in shortage and   cut short or stopped all together many road trips that the bands relied on to make their livings. The curfews forced many clubs to shut down during their most lucrative and busy hours. This combined with an amusement tax as high as 20 percent in some cities raised the cost of operating these clubs and ballrooms. In addition, racism of the day made it hard for black musicians to tour. They had to stay in separate hotels, eat in different restaurants, and were excluded from performing at some events simply due to their color. But perhaps the greatest effect came from the recording ban. This ban removed new records from the market. These records were an important source of a big band's income and exposure. Bebop was preformed with smaller groups than Swing and it was hard to dance to, whereas swing was played mainly for the dancers. Also, swing was well known for its clarinetists such as Benny Goodman. Bebop is far more musically complex. Tempos are often much faster although Bebop can be played at any tempo. Bebop melodies are more detailed and usually harder to play than basic swing melodies. Bebop musicians improvise far more difficult solos than the musicians of the Swing Era. Bebop is more of an art form. Bebop was more informal and was more of an improvising jam session.   Swing had definite music to follow. Bebop was so different from Swing that many people had a hard time embracing it. They either loved it or hated it, rarely were they indifferent.
Charlie Parker’s music has a clear smooth impression.   His solos are great even when he is playing...