Cool Jazz

Cool jazz emerged in the late 1940s, primarily on the West Coast of the United States, when musicians decided that the intensity of bebop needed a bit of a breather, like a literary character who pauses mid-monologue to sip chamomile tea. Characterised by smooth melodies, relaxed tempos, and an air of sophistication, it often sounds like the musical equivalent of a bowler hat—dapper and a touch aloof. This genre gave rise to the myth that jazz musicians were all effortlessly cool, whilst secretly sweating over their bandmates' impeccable improvisation skills.