Be Bop

Like the Rock and Roll that sprang from its loins, this new form of off-the-chart Jazz called Be Bop from the mid-1940s captured the imagination of the youth of America and positively terrified its parents. Not only was the music primarily an African American form, but hep cats known as “Bird” (Charlie Parker) and “Diz” (Dizzy Gillespie) were at its forefront. Gillespie is credited as the composer of this positively space-age tune, although the main riff can be traced back to the piano playing of Count Basie in 1941. This clip hails from the 1947 film “Jivin’ In Be-Bop,” a musical film without a plot, that featured Gillespie’s Big Band playing eight songs including “One Bass Hit,” “A Night In Tunisia,” “Orthinology,” “Oop Bop Sh’Bam,” “He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped,” “Shaw Nuff,” “Grosvenor Square” and this bona-fide classic. Members of the band include Ray Brown on bass, Milt Jackson on vibes and John Lewis on piano.