3.2.3 Bebop-Influenced Music (Miles Davis and John Adams)

In this chapter, Clark discusses Bebop and Bebop-influenced music, using Denzil Best’s Move recorded in Miles Davis’ album Birth of the Cool and John Adams’ Chamber Symphony. Exploring how what is written in the score might not be how it should sound.

Excerpts explored in the above video:

Figure 15: Denzil Best – Move (Saxophone Excerpt, Measure 2-16)

Figure 16: John Adams – Chamber Symphony, Movement 3 (Clarinet Excerpt, Measure 190-194)

Excerpts explored in the above video:

Figure 17: Denzil Best – Move (Saxophone Excerpt, Measure 8-16, written in C)

Figure 18: John Adams – Chamber Symphony, Movement 3 (Violin Excerpt, Measure 190-215

Key Points

• Understand how to make the music sound less mechanical.
• Always inherently phrasing towards the top of the musical line. 
• The similarities between how to play this music and scat singing, and how that informs the stresses and articulations. 
• Understanding the physicalities of playing this music on the instruments.