Read the two articles “Bebop is Nowhere” and “To Be or Not to Bop: Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” and the Culture of Bebop and Rhythm’n’ Blues”, both found in the articles module.
Both articles address a reaction to Bebop as a counter culture phenomenon, one positive and one negative.
Write a 1.5 page response to these articles answering the following questions.
- What where the significant arguments against the validity of Bebop? How does this reflect the generation gap in jazz at the time, in America at the time?
- Bebop seemed to be inspiration for Kerouac’s writings and for a new Counterculture generation. What was this based in, romanticizing rebellion? the mythology of the jazz musician? genuine fan interest? Highlight any artistic similarities or connections in approach or process between bop and beat writing.
- Bebop and the relationship to Beat writing serve as a model for several generations of counterculture movements throughout the rest of the 20th century. What other revolutions of music had connections to other art (visual, film, fashion, writing etc) movements? What, if any, similarities do you find between Bebop as a counterculture catalyst and other later styles of music in their relationships to other arts, to society, to the music industry etc?
Sample Solution
