Cool Jazz Explained

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This Jazz Piano Tutorial is about Cool Jazz.
There are two ways to play Jazz - you could either play Hot or play Cool. These two undercurrents or approaches to playing Jazz had been around since more or less the beginning of Jazz, but it was only in the 1950’s that playing ‘cool’ became a genre in itself.
Now, if you ask any scientist they’ll tell you, that hot things have a lot of energy, while cool things do not. And it’s the same with Jazz - Hot Jazz was high energy Jazz, while Cool Jazz, being the opposite of Hot, was low energy.
Cool Jazz arose in the 1950’s as a reaction to Bebop (which was Hot). Bebop was fast, loud, heavy, angular, high pitched, high energy and dense. Cool Jazz tried to do the exact opposite - it was slow, soft, light, lyrical, low pitched, low energy and sparse.
If you enjoyed this Jazz Piano Tutorial on Cool Jazz, please subscribe.

[@spidersjohnson6853]

"See it's like normal jazz except you wear sunglasses and smoke cigarettes"

[@paaao]

and shoot loads of heroin. That helps slow everything down

[@ntsikelelondlovu]

My favourite Jazz style. Bill Evans ❤️

[@tomneedham1937]

One of the best - if not THE BEST - commentary I have heard explaining the nuances and differences between "Hot" and "Cool" jazz. As someone who has been a jazz addict from way, way back in the '50s - particularly of the Cool School such as Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh, Lars Gullin and others - and also an amateur bass player, I think a commentary on Chet Baker - my all time favorite musician - would be much appreciated! If you have the time, that is.

[@WalkThatBass]

I'll have a think about it and see what I can do. Thanks for the comment, Tom.

[@bobstovall5449]

Your videos are not only a pure joy to watch and listen to, they are highly informative. And you appear to have a phenomenal memory given your ability to play virtually any tune in any style on a whim. That is an amazing talent. I'm so happy I found your channel.

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, mate. You're too kind. Hope you enjoy the channel, feel free to ask if you have any questions.

[@ATLS702]

1:30 be prepared for a brilliant analogy

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, mate :)

[@albertolorusso]

The title of your videos should be: "Jazz encyclopedia - explained" Amazing!

[@WalkThatBass]

Haha, thanks Alberto. Though I suspect that won't rank quite as well with respect to SEO ;)

[@kidprodigio1118]

man i love you and all of your videos, You should post more of you playing everyone would love it. Great video

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks. Perhaps I will in the future. Though there are a couple more copyright issues when you're performing a cover of a song, rather than just using it for teaching purposes.

[@BlackonBlack-]

That's a great explanation... Now i understand better.. Cool jazz is the way to go

[@andyokus5735]

Hey bro or " mate ". I really like your style. It's unique. I also like how you explain without opinions. I subbed. So many jazz channels so full of ego and know-it-alls. When I would comment and show them they didn't know it all they would get mad and insult me. Hey I dropped out of college 45 years ago because I knew more about music and could write better than all my professors. You know going to college today to learn jazz is a rip-off. You should be able to test out of subjects thus saving time and a ton of money. In 1975 full time was $175 a semester and books were affordable. The only real advantage of going to college for music is being able to hear your own tunes played by a big band. Plus the comraderie. Just my 2 cents.

[@corneliavicaful]

Thank you for explaining!

[@georgeantonioandrei8570]

Thank you for your wonderful content. You'r videos explaining different genres of jazz are a treasure for me, as a jazz student in college. I think none of them is better or more beautiful, bot hot and cool aproaches of any music genre are cool (you got it) are great in theyr way. Thank you so much man!

[@basedbattledroid3507]

Underrated part of your channel is how expressive your hands are when you're explaining music

[@filiphauangundersen3228]

Tuba was not new in jazz when cool jazz started, it was reintroduced because tuba was and is the bass in Dixie and New Orleans jazz. But tuba was now in cool jazz used as a horn instead of a bass.

[@desdafinado]

tip: you should really consider getting some better audio recording device, your voice is clear and ok but the high frequencies are too stressed in the mixing... anyways, great videos. Love your content

[@laureanoahmad7495]

Best explanation ever heard!!

[@Learning2Sax]

Thanks for the video!

[@TROGULAR10000]

your tutorials are just awesome, and you use a real piano which also makes this series instantly better. subscribed and liked.

[@MomLAU]

It's ALL good!

[@jsmphompho8052]

you are my ''music oxygen'....keep up the good work .

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, mate. Will do :)

[@luisauwu6279]

bro this is accualy really good thanks i have a presentaion on this and this really helped a lot :)

[@lrn_news9171]

I love cool jazz

[@hiddenblade999]

thanks so much for posting this! welcome back!

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, mate :)

[@nbr2737]

youre killing me with this video

[@caiomonteiro4995]

I like your channel so much, and I like how you teach... It's really simple. It's important! Thank you!

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, mate. Glad you like it. Appreciate the comment :)

[@kenmare16]

Very interesting, informative and extremely useful. Thanks.

[@vidlevjidle2994]

Your videos are astonishing, man. Thank you.

[@WalkThatBass]

My pleasure, mate :)

[@GerryMoningkey]

Very useful.. thanks 😊👌

[@thekingoface8338]

Amazing video! so informative. Thanks you so much for what you do.

[@WalkThatBass]

No worries, thanks for the comment :)

[@hsyuting]

Amazing work and nice simple website with all the info! Keep it up =D.

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks, hsyuting. Will do.

[@paaao]

I found an artist I like called Alpha Jones. Not many melodic cool jazz artists out there after the 60s/70s. They all went improv/beebop/non stop solos and scale progressions, or elevator music, the complete other end of the spectrum. If you know any cool jazz artists like Brubeck/Miles/Mulligan, who played after 1975, post em here...

[@DrLogical987]

Question arising: could you do something about practicing playing something ahead / behind the beat? Great video - as is all your stuff. Thanks.

[@nicohauptmentalist]

wow, that was amazing! and yes, please buy some gizmo for sound and video. anyways, beautiful work. ps: no, stay with the tech you have. content is king!

[@Myaccountishacked]

Great music theory.

[@dlphanposting]

Thank you for a very helpful video. Can you make a video explaining Smooth Jazz ? From what I've been listening to, Smooth Jazz is Jazz with RnB vibes, but is there more to it than that ? I hope to hear from you in the next video :D

[@WalkThatBass]

Yep, I plan to eventually get through most of the main Jazz Genres. I'm working on Hard Bop at the moment, but Smooth Jazz is definitely on the list.

[@sgeddegs]

were there any jazz pieces or songs that incorporated both hot and cool elements?

[@TROGULAR10000]

my experience is limited but from the music I know maybe the fast mccoy tyner recordings from the seventies, or roland kirk's fast and boisterous songs? fast and rowdy but classical forms seem to be employed. also I hear some classical-like melodies and arrangements in charles mingus' fast stuff like on the shoes of the fisherman's wife album.

[@tanhongzhi2637]

very organised:-)

[@WalkThatBass]

Thanks :)

[@aburaagekojima4528]

can you share some cool jazz techniques? how to chose notes and scales over chords like paul desmond and lee konitz..why the masters never get lost...

[@albertolorusso]

I was wondering if you plan to do little tutorials on how the Giants of Jazz Piano (Monk, Evans, Peterson etc) were used to play? That would be fantastic (and would indeed complete the Encyclopedia - Jazzypedia!!!)!!

[@WalkThatBass]

Eventually, I would love to. That probably won't be for quite a while though. But I'm slowly trying to plod my way through some more general topics first.

[@junchengchew9790]

Would anyone mind to provide some example of the form of cool jazz pieces that is influenced by classical music?

[@JesusChrist5000]

So if they have cool jazz, do they have nerdy jazz? Or douchey jazz?

[@orokusaki2030]

both are taught at berklee

[@leonsangala]

John Kirby also influenced "cool" according to Alan Axelrod

[@ParsevalMusic]

super

[@elmimba]

Great video!

[@WalkThatBass]

Cheers :)

[@doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog]

_what about low volume jazz_

[@nfosse]

i think you mean "restraint," not "rationalism." There's a rationality to expression and to restraint

[@andrefimenko]

There are cool and bebop. I can't play both. Diverge!

[@bratuha4757]

who can offer, notes for piano to free jazz and cool jazz , (better for beginners, it is possible and for the average level)

[@myingratealbinochild4825]

Nice. but you failed to mention the changing and altering of harmonies that came with the "cool" school.

[@WalkThatBass]

Hi, are you referring to the Tristano 'School' specifically? He was really the most innovative with regards to harmony.

[@myingratealbinochild4825]

Walk That Bass Yes i am referring to Lenny. And Miles also. The harmonies became stranger and ambiguous.

[@WalkThatBass]

I might do a separate video on Tristano, because he's quite unique and interesting. But the Cool School as a whole didn't do anything too revolutionary with chords (that was really waiting for modal and free jazz that was to come). The arrangements were much more intricate and interesting - especially those by Gil Evans (like Moon Dreams). It used a lot of chromaticism, which is interesting. I do eventually plan to do a separate video series on arrangement. But maybe it's worth doing a separate lesson on that. Thanks for the comment.

[@themax80]