The Cult of Bebop — Flashcards

Flashcards cover major myths about bebop (as presented by Dizzy Gillespie), social context, religion, politics, and memory of the 1940s in the bebop era, as drawn from the provided lecture notes.

What was Lie number one about beboppers' fashion according to Dizzy Gillespie in 'The Cult of Bebop'?

The claim that beboppers wore wild clothes and dark glasses at night. Gillespie explains that he and others wore stylish stage outfits (e.g., drape suits, berets) and that the wild-fashion stereotype was false.

What was Lie number two regarding beboppers' facial hair, and how did Gillespie respond?

The belief that beboppers wore beards, goatees, and other facial hair. Gillespie explains he wore a goatee and once shaved a moustache; facial hair was common but not universal, and his goatee helped cushion the mouthpiece.

What did Gillespie say about the beboppers' language and slang (Lie number three)?

Be-boppers did use slang and a jocular jargon, including words from pig Latin (e.g., 'ofay') and terms like 'Mezz' for pot and 'eagle' for payday; language developed naturally within Black English and music culture.

What is Lie number four about beboppers' sexual behavior and interracial relationships, and what is Gillespie's view?

The idea that beboppers pursued loose sex and interracial liaisons. Gillespie argues that while patrons included both Black and white people, complex relationships existed, but the stereotype of rampant interracial promiscuity is misleading; he discusses white patrons and the dynamics of support without endorsing promiscuity.

What does Lie number five claim about drug and alcohol use among beboppers, and what is Gillespie's stance?

The claim that beboppers heavily used drugs and alcohol. Gillespie admits some used substances (pot, alcohol, etc.) but emphasizes not all did, that hard drug use increased in late forties, and he personally avoided becoming dependent on powerful drugs.

What is Lie number six about beboppers' patriotism, and what is Gillespie's actual position?

The belief that beboppers expressed unpatriotic attitudes. Gillespie says beboppers sought universal roots beyond a purely American context, resisted racism and exploitation, and didn’t equate patriotism with support for only traditional American life.

What does Lie number seven say about beboppers' religious affiliations, and how did Gillespie answer?

The claim beboppers pursued religions other than Christianity. Gillespie discusses the turn to Islam among some musicians for social reasons and emphasizes that many had religious influences from the Black church; he also notes debates and tensions around Islam in that era.

What is Lie number eight regarding beboppers' impact on pop and blues, and what is Gillespie's view?

The claim beboppers would destroy pop, blues, and old Dixieland. Gillespie says beboppers built on pop tunes by improvising over them, did not destroy them, and maintained close ties to the blues.

What does Lie number nine state about beboppers' attitudes toward 'squares,' and how does Gillespie define 'hip' vs 'square'?

That beboppers despised squares. Gillespie explains a 'square' avoided bebop and preferred established forms; 'hip' denotes being in the know and open to change, while squares resisted new musical and social ideas.

What is Lie number ten about beboppers' views on commercialism, and what is Gillespie's reality?

That beboppers rejected commercialism. Gillespie concedes they disliked exploitation and unfair theft of music, but they did want to make money; they fought against being ripped off, while recognizing business people could profit more than musicians.

What is Lie number eleven about beboppers behaving oddly, and what does Gillespie say?

The claim beboppers behaved weird or foolishly. Gillespie counters that beboppers were not foolhardy; many were serious musicians who interacted with each other and played in various social circles without reckless behavior.

How does Gillespie describe the African heritage of Black music and the removal of drums in America?

He argues that whites removed drums to prevent coded communication across long distances, which contributed to a monorhythmic development in American Black music; he later connected Afro-Cuban and African roots to bebop and sought to recover identity through African music connections.

What role did Kingsley Azumba Mbadiwe and the African Academy concerts play in Gillespie's narrative?

Mbadiwe organized benefits with Charlie Parker and Max Roach, featuring African and Cuban drummers; these concerts helped uncover connections between Afro-Cuban and African music and contributed to discovering their musical identity.

What incident involving Life magazine and Islam does Gillespie discuss, and what did he learn from it?

Life magazine published a misleading piece suggesting Gillespie (and beboppers) were turning toward Islam; Gillespie felt tricked and refused to declare a conversion, reaffirming his critique of sensationalist coverage and emphasizing religious freedom and equality in Islam.

What is the significance of the cabaret card in New York from 1940 to 1967?

A police-issue card required for nightclub work; musicians were fingerprinted and could lose work if cards were confiscated for drug offenses, reflecting racism and class prejudice and disrupting many careers.

Who was Paul Robeson to Gillespie, and why is he important in this context?

Paul Robeson represented moral courage and incorruptibility; Gillespie views him as a political and artistic hero who stood up against oppression and inspired later leaders like Malcolm X.

How did Gillespie describe Louis Armstrong's relationship to bebop and his public image?

Armstrong criticized bebop and its complexity, calling it 'slop' and lacking melody; Gillespie respected Armstrong's foundational trumpet influence but argued that Armstrong's public persona—such as the 'plantation image'—was a product of negotiating racism and not a measure of bebop's artistic worth.

What does Gillespie say about the concept of 'tomming' and how new Black generations adapted to racism?

Each generation developed its own way of 'tomming'—accommodating and resisting unjust contexts—without losing dignity or joy, exemplified by how Dizzy navigated racism and maintained musical identity.

What was the 'Ubangi' reference on Rudy Vallee's show, and what does this illustrate about language and racism?

'Ubangi' was a demeaning label for Africans used by Vallee; Gillespie highlights how such terms were used to demean Black people and how he refused to let it define his identity.

What is the jam session as described by Ralph Ellison in 'The Golden Age, Time Past'?

Ellison suggests the jam session is jazz musicians' academy where tradition and innovation meet, balancing individual competition with communal validation and interdependence; memory and history often conflict in how we remember bebop.

What prerequisites does Gillespie list for a successful jazz musician in the 'To Be, or Not… to Bop' notes?

Mastery of the instrument; distinctive style; musical taste (discrimination in phrases); communication with the audience; knowledge of chord progressions; strong rhythm; facility with piano as a basic instrument; overall musical literacy and versatility.