Big horns such as the Trumpet and Saxophone led the charge into the Bebop revolution.  This emergence came out of the big band generation, and consisted of energetic, blazing instrumental runs, moving in the foreground of up-tempo rhythm sections.  Over time, instrument like the guitar, piano, and even vocalists joined in this new style of improvisational jazz. 

First generation boppers such as Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Christian, and Lester Young originated from the big band & swing era.  Bebop Pioneers Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker originated from the big bands of Cab Calloway and Earl Hines, respectively.  Gillespie, influenced by trumpeter Roy Eldredge, was the writer of major bebop numbers “Salt Peanuts”, “A Night in Tunisia” and many more.  When Charlie Parker joined Earl Hines big band in 1943, Dizzy was already on board, and the two of them began practicing almost immediately.  Parker’s interest in melodies and fast, unorthodox rhythm patterns, and Dizzy’s specialty in theory and chord patterns, made for an innovative combination for bebop during that time.  In the fall of 1947, the duo recorded “Bird and Diz at Carnegie Hall”.  They performed such numbers as “Groovin’ High”, and “Relaxin’ At Camarillo”.  Throughout this live performance, interactive shouts and wails ensued between both players and the audience.  Their collaboration was genius, consisting of outstretched improvisations and musically exchanged phrases in an effortless, conversational style. 

The two diverged in the late ‘40’s.  Dizzy (given the nickname by his peers for crazy antics and practical jokes) began focusing on combining latin sounds with bebop.  He mentored a Cuban trumpeter named Arturo Sandoval, and collaborated with other Cubans, such as composer Mario Bauza, and conga drummer Chano Pozo.  This bebop-cuban connection introduced a new rhythm, Afro-Cuban, and played a major role in Dizzy’s music.  Into the 1950’s, latin influences in jazz continued with musicians like vibraphonist Cal Tjader, and pianist Horace Silver.  From this point forward, some of the most important contributions to bebop were from latin musicians.