From left: Scat Away (2016) and Dizzy (2016)
Scat Away
The idea explored in this experiment for Bebop was of vocal scat singing; which involves the vocal imitation of musical instruments. Scatting can sound like nonsense but on closer inspection; there is a beauty, order and a language behind it, and this is what I’ve tried to illustrate. Wire was used as the material, associating it with the metal instruments that scat singing emulates. It also visually demonstrates how a vocalist would likely phrase a scat solo; through the order and flowing construction of the syllables, as well as loud and soft vocal dynamics through varied size and scaling.
Dizzy
This piece acts as a homage to Dizzy Gillespie; a prominent American jazz trumpet player of the era and pioneer of bebop jazz. The intense yellow which dominates the design is symbolic of the virtuosity and vibrancy of his trumpeting. The vectored trumpet has been dramatically cropped to show only parts of the valves, the pipe and buttons; and strategically so to show where much of Gillespie’s skill lay. His breakneck runs of notes in solos as well as his lightning reflexes are displayed through the overlaying of the outlined fingers that press down the solid and shadowed buttons atop the trumpet; this especially expresses the great speed and ease in his playing style.