west coast jazz: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2specialist, historical, music journalism
Quick answer
What does “west coast jazz” mean?
A style of jazz music that developed in California in the 1950s, characterised by a more relaxed, arranged, and contrapuntal sound than the bebop predominant on the East Coast.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A style of jazz music that developed in California in the 1950s, characterised by a more relaxed, arranged, and contrapuntal sound than the bebop predominant on the East Coast.
The term can also refer to the broader community of musicians associated with the West Coast jazz scene and its aesthetic, which often incorporated influences from classical music and cooler tempos.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Usage is largely identical, confined to jazz discourse.
Connotations
In both varieties, it connotes a specific historical era and a 'cool', intellectual style, often contrasted with 'hard bop'.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, used primarily in musical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “west coast jazz” in a Sentence
[Artist] is a pioneer of west coast jazz.The album is a prime example of west coast jazz.They played a set of west coast jazz.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “west coast jazz” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- He prefers the west-coast-jazz sound to more modern styles.
American English
- It's a classic west-coast-jazz album from the 50s.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Used in musicology and cultural history to describe a mid-20th century artistic movement.
Everyday
Rarely used in everyday conversation outside of discussions about music history.
Technical
A precise subgenre classification in jazz criticism and historiography.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “west coast jazz”
- Using it to describe any jazz from the western United States, regardless of era or style.
- Capitalising all words incorrectly (correct: 'west coast jazz').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
They are closely related and often overlap. West Coast jazz is a regional manifestation of the broader cool jazz style that also had exponents on the East Coast.
Key figures include Dave Brubeck, Chet Baker, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, and Stan Getz (though Getz was from the East Coast, he is strongly associated with the style).
It reached its peak popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s.
It is named for the geographic centre of its development and primary scene, which was in Los Angeles and San Francisco, as opposed to the New York-centred bebop scene.
A style of jazz music that developed in California in the 1950s, characterised by a more relaxed, arranged, and contrapuntal sound than the bebop predominant on the East Coast.
West coast jazz is usually specialist, historical, music journalism in register.
West coast jazz: in British English it is pronounced /ˌwest ˌkəʊst ˈdʒæz/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌwɛst ˌkoʊst ˈdʒæz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of the 'West Coast' of the USA as 'cool' and relaxed, unlike the fast-paced East Coast—this mirrors the 'cool', laid-back sound of West Coast jazz versus energetic bebop.
Conceptual Metaphor
JAZZ STYLES ARE GEOGRAPHICAL REGIONS (e.g., East Coast vs. West Coast). ARTISTIC MOVEMENTS ARE PLANTS THAT FLOURISH IN SPECIFIC CLIMATES (the 'cool' California climate produced 'cool jazz').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is most closely associated with west coast jazz?