bebop

noun

be·​bop ˈbē-ˌbäp How to pronounce bebop (audio)
bebopper noun

Examples of bebop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web America’s great indigenous art had evolved from the exuberant transgressions of the 1920s to the danceable rhythms of the swing era to the prickly cubism of bebop. James Kaplan, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2024 The story is based loosely on the real-life relationship between the pianist Bud Powell—one of the crucial pioneers of bebop—who moved to Paris in 1959, and Francis Paudras, a jazz aficionado who worked as a commercial artist. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 Minton’s in Harlem was where jazz musicians, from out-of-towners to locals performing in nearby big band theaters in Harlem, sought refuge during late-night jam sessions and a new genre, bebop, was born. Mia Jackson, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2024 Comprised of 11 songs, the project pays tribute to the cultural diversity of his adoptive Miami, fusing elements of pop, jazz, funk, R&B, bebop, songo, salsa, samba and Afro-Cuban. Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 13 Nov. 2023 Charles McPherson & Gilbert Castellanos, Sept. 9, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park — Who better to salute the timeless music of bebop pioneers Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie than this dynamic San Diego duo, whose stellar quintet for this concert included ace pianist Gerald Clayton? 6. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2023 Land, who died in 2001 at the age of 73, was a master of bebop, swing, blues, hard bop and more. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2023 Advertisement The concert will celebrate the enduring impact of bebop, the revolutionary jazz style that rose to prominence in the first half of the 1940s. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023 Matthew Healey for The Boston Globe Charles McPherson, the 84-year-old bebop survivor who played on that Mingus song way back in 1960, basked in the warm glow of the audience after his early afternoon set. James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bebop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bebop was in 1942

Dictionary Entries Near bebop

Cite this Entry

“Bebop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bebop. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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