Bebop

[Sundog]

This has probably been covered before so I apologize in advance, but does anyone know the origin of the word Bebop? I seem to remember a story that Roy Haynes tells about the origin of the word being coined based on someone's reaction to the sound of the first two notes to the Dizzy Gillespie classic "Groovin' High" Sounds plausible to me. Maybe almost too perfect. Hhmmm?

[Chuck Nessa]

Jabberwocky?

[Sundog]

.... Rhythm-A-Ning!

[BeBop]

Don't ask me.

[Stereojack]

The music was also called "rebop" in the early days. Charlie Parker's first date for Savoy was issued under the name "Charlie Parker's Re-boppers".

[Kalo]

The music was also called "rebop" in the early days. Charlie Parker's first date for Savoy was issued under the name "Charlie Parker's Re-boppers".

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So they re-bopped before they be-bopped in the first place.

Them cats was CRAZY!

[JSngry]

I like Langston Hughes' explanation.

[Kalo]

I like Langston Hughes' explanation.

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Could you tell us what it was?

Oh, and thanks in advance!

[JSngry]

“Everytime a cop hits a Negro with his Billy club, that old club says, ‘BOP! BOP!…BE-BOP!…MOP!…BOP!…That’s what Bop is. Them young colored kids who started it, they know what bop is.”

—Langston Hughes, 1949 http://historymatters.gmu.edu/mse/Songs/question3.html

Didn't say that I believed it to be historically accurate, just that I liked it.

[Harold_Z]

I think Louis Armstrong scats it on one of his early records. I mean like the Hot fives/sevens or possibly one of the big band things on Columbia from the early 30s. I don't know if that's the first, but it's the earliest I know of.

[wesbed]

I don't know if there's any truth in these words but this is the story I've read on more than one occasion:

Monk's importance to be-bop music is paramount, in fact he invented the term (originally calling it 'Bip-bop').

http://www.muzikifan.com/monk.html

[AllenLowe]

Actually, Cliff Edwards scatted even earlier than Armstrong -

[Harold_Z]

Actually, Cliff Edwards scatted even earlier than Armstrong -

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I meant Louis scats the words "bebop" (it may have "rebop") on one of those early records - I just can't remember which.

Actually I'd like to get something by Cliff Edwards - any recs ?

[jazzbo]

Harold, he appears on this excellent collection (which you may have?):

and on two tracks on this one, which may be the earliest of "scatting":

[Harold_Z]

Thanks Lon. I'll check out Cliff on those.

I remember him in an old movie that used to get a lot of tv play when I was a Kid. "It Happened One Night" with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert. Ukelele Ike sings "The Daring Young Man On The Flying Trapeze".