COOL SCHOOL
Bop
showcased virtuosity. The bop musicians were telling stories, but they were
telling them fast and hard. Playing fast and furious has its place, but certain
musicians didn't want to tear the roof of the house every time. A group of
musicians emerged who liked the smaller form of the quartet or sextet, but
who approached jazz with a laid back, "cool" feeling, treasuring an evenness
to their tone, a slower pace, and a more or less straightforward approach
to the melody.
Some
of the swing bands, notably Stan Kenton and Woodie Herman's bands were playing
with European "concert music" in their jazz compositions. The cool school
players grew out of that scene; they were looking to European concert music
for inspiration structurally and stylistically.
So
the cool school is roughly defined by a concentration on European forms (rondos,
waltzes, etc.) (the advent of the longer playing lp in 1950 was helpful)
and a mellow evenness in tone, playing the notes straight.
The
stalwarts of this style would be the Miles Davis Quartet from about 1952-60,
and the entire careers of Dave Brubeck and the Modern Jazz Quartet.
