cool jazz
A relaxed, understated style of jazz that emerged in the late 1940s as a contrast to the intensity of bebop.
In Depth
Cool jazz favoured lighter tones, lyrical melodies, softer dynamics, and a more relaxed rhythmic feel than bebop. Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool sessions (1949-1950) are considered the style's founding document. West Coast players like Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, and Gerry Mulligan developed the sound further. Cool jazz incorporated classical influences and counterpoint, appealing to a broader audience than the more demanding bebop style.
Dave Brubeck's Take Five, in 5/4 time, became the first jazz single to sell over a million copies, proving that cool jazz could be both intellectual and commercially successful.