Want to learn about jazz when it was “cool”? Cool is a term coined by music journalists to describe a jazz genre after bebop with slower tempos, softer phrasing, contrapuntal improvisation from melody instruments, and an incorporation of classical instruments like French horn and vibraphone. Cool has a California connection. Some well-publicized musicians of the period resided in California, and the term “West Coast jazz” now refers to a subgenre of cool that includes work from Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, and Shorty Rogers. Mechanics’ is home to seminal works from the cool school including Miles Davis’ "Kind of Blue" and "Birth of the Cool," June Christy’s “Something Cool,” Dave Brubeck’s “Time Out,” and certain cuts in Chet Baker’s “Deep in a Dream.” Check out these titles from our Cool Jazz music display on the 3rd Floor Balcony A. Included on our display are resources on Bay Area jazz like the two-volume guide to San Francisco Bay Area Jazz & Bluesicians.
