BEBOP SPOT TEST

Select the BEST answer

1. Bebop came to the forefront of jazz and experienced its most concentrated
development in the years:
A.
1895 - 1910
B.
1910 - 1925
C.
1925 - 1940
D.
1940 - 1955
E.
1955 - 1970
2.

Bebop
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

was primarily played by:

Dixieland bands
big bands
small groups (e.g., quartets, quintets)
ragtime pianists
all of the above

3.

The common instrumentation of a bebop ensemble was (is):

A.
trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, drums
B.
fives saxes, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums,
and sometimes guitar
C.
organ, saxophone (or guitar), drums
D.
trumpet, clarinet, trombone, piano, tuba (or string bass), banjo (or
guitar), drums
E.
clarinet, banjo and/or acoustic guitar, gutbucket string bass, blues
harp (harmonica), washboard

4.

In bebop, the primary focus is on

A.
collective improvisation, i.e., two or more musicians soloing at the
same time
B.
elaborate arrangements
C.
each soloist improvising one at a time (in turn) with rhythm section
accompaniment
D.
ragtime
E.
all of the above

5.

The basic performance practice of a bebop ensemble was (is)

A.
collective improvisation, i.e., everyone soloing at the same time
B.
written arrangements with short improvised solos interspersed
C.
the head played in unison by the horns for the first and last chorus
with a lot of improvised solos in between
D.
the head played by trumpet with clarinet melodic embellishment
and trombone afterbeats and sound effects (such as smears and
slides)
E.
all of the above

BEBOP SPOT TEST

6.

An informal, non-rehearsed gatherings of musicians in which they play

together, challenge each other (who can outplay whom), and learn from
each other is called a(n)
A.
gig
B.
rehearsal
C.
engagement
D.
speakeasy
E.
jam session

7.

One of the most famous bebop jam session spots was

A.
Birdland (on Broadway, a few blocks west of 52nd Street in New
York)
B.
Mintons Playhouse (in Harlem)
C.
The Blackhawk (in San Francisco)
D.
Catalinas (in Los Angeles)
E.
The Village Vanguard (in Greenwich Village in New York)

8.

Compared to Swing,
A.
bebop harmonies (chords) are more complex
B.
bebop tempos are often much faster than Swing tempos
C.
bebop heads are more intricate and difficult to play than most
Swing melodies
D.
bebop musicians improvise far more complex solos than those of
the Swing Era
E.
all the above

9.

Which of the following is most correct?

A.
Neither big band swing nor bebop was considered art music.
B.
Whereas big band swing was considered art music, bebop was
considered entertainment (i.e., dance music).
C.
Whereas big band swing was considered entertainment (i.e., dance
music), bebop was considered art music.
D.
Both big band swing and bebop were considered entertainment.
E.
Both big band swing and bebop were considered art music.

10. The two most important bebop musicians, i.e., the primary architects of
the bebop style, were
A.
Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke
B.
Count Basie and Duke Ellington
C.
Benny Goodman and Fletcher Henderson
D.
Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
E.
Miles Davis and John Coltrane
11. Charlie Parkers nickname was
A.
Bird
B.
Satchmo

BEBOP SPOT TEST

C.
D.
E.

Dizzy
Chuck
Pops

12. The type of singing in which the vocalist imitates the style of bebop jazz
solos (as played by instrumentalists) using nonsense syllables is called
A.
vocalise
B.
song improvisation
C.
scat singing
D.
vocal bebopping
E.
vocal jazz
13. The most important scat singer of the bebop era was
A.
Diana Krall
B.
Ella Fitzgerald
C.
Charlie Parker
D.
Billie Holiday
E.
Dizzy Gillespie
14. The demise of the Swing Era big bands was, in part, due to
A.
the World War II draft, i.e., many jazz musicians were called to war
B.
bands raiding each other, i.e., with so few musicians left at home
during World War II, band leaders stole musicians from other bands,
offering them a slightly better deal (e.g., more money); bands that
were intact before the War were depleted
C.
midnight curfews (called brown-outs) during the World War II
years that limited the amount of engagements (gigs) that bands could
get
D.
the fact that during World War II, transportation to reach night
spots outside city limits was difficult due to gas shortages (gas
rationing), tire shortages (rubber rationing), and the dismantling of
urban and interurban railways
E.
all of the above
15. Bebop reflected the culture of the times; like the African American
experience at the time, the music
A.
was difficult
B.
alluded to the blues
C.
explored new directions and uncharted territory
D.
was separate from the mainstream of America
E.
all of the above
16. Cool Jazz came to the forefront of jazz and experienced its most
concentrated development in the years:
A.
1942 - 1948
B.
1949 - 1955

BEBOP SPOT TEST

C.
D.
E.

1956 - 1962
1963 - 1969
1970 - 1976

17. Whereas bebop was hot, i.e., loud, exciting, and loose, cool jazz was
cool, meaning it was
A.
usually softer than bebop
B.
usually more reserved than bebop
C.
usually more controlled than bebop
D.
hipper than bebop
E.
A, B, and C
18. Cool Jazz groups
A.
ranged in size from trios to nonets (nine-piece band)
B.
blended jazz elements with classical music elements
C.
used more written arrangements than bebop
D.
all of the above
E.
A and B
19. The artist who recorded the landmark album, Birth of the Cool, was
trumpeter
A.
Dave Brubeck
B.
Gerry Mulligan
C.
Chet Baker
D.
Miles Davis
E.
Dizzy Gillespie
20. During the Cool Jazz era, cool jazz reflected American culture including the
fact that
A.
keeping cool was an expression of emotional self-control in times
of crisis that was found in American street slang as well as in the
language of army test pilots
B.
after many labor strikes, Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act,
mandating a cooling off period in labor disputes
C.
Americas top choice of entertainment had cooled down from the
nightclubs, dance halls, amusement parks, vaudeville, etc. of prior
generations to television featuring shows about simple suburban life
(e.g., Leave It To Beaver)
D.
due to the newly developed weapon of mass destruction, the
atomic bomb, cool thinking was required at this crucial point in history
E.
all of the above
21. Hard Bop came to the forefront of jazz and experienced its most
concentrated development in the years:
A.
1951 - 1958
B.
1959 - 1966

BEBOP SPOT TEST

C.
D.
E.

1967 - 1974
1975 - 1982
1983 - 1990

22. The two factions (subsets) of hard bop were (are)

A.
free jazz and fusion
B.
big bands and combos
C.
ragtime and Dixieland
D.
mainstream and funky jazz
E.
bebop and swing
23. One of the most important Hard Bop groups in jazz history was the
A.
Dave Brubeck Quartet
B.
Modern Jazz Quartet
C.
Miles Davis Quintet (1950s version)
D.
Miles Davis Quintet (1960s version)
E.
Benny Goodman Sextet
24. Which of the following jazz artists is NOT associated with Hard Bop?
A.
Cannonball Adderley
B.
Art Blakey
C.
Dave Brubeck
D.
John Coltrane
E.
Miles Davis
25. In general,
A.
Cool Jazz was more West Coast and Hard Bop was more East
Coast
B.
Cool Jazz was more East Coast and Hard Bop was more West
Coast
C.
Cool Jazz reflected the fast-paced, driving, complex New York
lifestyle
D.
Hard Bop reflected the image of casual, laid back California
suburbia
E.
Hard Bop was more popular than Cool Jazz

BEBOP SPOT TEST

Multiple Choice Answers

1.
2.
3.
4.

D 1940 - 1955
C small groups (e.g., quartets, quintets)
A trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, drums
C each soloist improvising one at a time (in turn) with rhythm section
accompaniment
5. C the head played in unison by the horns for the first and last chorus with
a lot of improvised solos in between
6. E jam session
7. B Mintons Playhouse (in Harlem)
8. E all the above
9. C Whereas big band swing was considered entertainment (i.e., dance
music), bebop was considered art music
10. D Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
11. A Bird
12. C scat singing
13. B Ella Fitzgerald
14. E all of the above
15. E all of the above
16. B 1949 - 1955
17. E A, B, and C
18. D all of the above
19. D Miles Davis
20. E all of the above
21. A 1951 - 1958
22. D mainstream and funky jazz
23. C Miles Davis Quintet (1950s version)
24. C Dave Brubeck
25. A Cool Jazz was more West Coast and Hard Bop was more East Coast