I want to rock with the Big Bad Wolf

July 17, 2008 2:14 PM

What kind of Jazz is The Three Little Bops and why can't I find anything similar?

I know it must be Jazz. But I listened to jazz albums. I tried be-bop, even. They are all largely instrumental, with wandering riffs. Even the albums put forth by both the singer and the writer of "Three Little Bops" sound nothing like it.

The Three Little Bops, besides being the best Looney Toon ever, has a proto-rock and roll sound to it and so help me, I love it. What kind of jazz is it that has such a clean symmetrical, boogie woogie sound? And singing?

Can you recommend and artists/complilations/albums?

posted by esereth to media & arts (17 comments total)

Check out Lee Morgan (the album and tune called Sidewinder) and any Horace Silver.

I'll post more when I think of it, but those guys will get you going, definitely.
posted by rossination at 2:20 PM on July 17

I think you said it: boogie woogie
posted by evilcolonel at 2:45 PM on July 17

The first piece sounds like Bill Hailey and the Comets. You might be looking for Rockabilly rather than Jazz.
posted by doctor_negative at 3:00 PM on July 17

yup, Boogie Woogie, not Bebop
posted by caddis at 3:03 PM on July 17

You'll notice in the credits that the music is by Shorty Rogers -- I'd check in that direction, as well.
posted by rossination at 3:06 PM on July 17

Check out Louis Jordan, Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway. Ooh, and a little further afield, Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, and the Nutty Squirrels records.
posted by box at 3:14 PM on July 17

Ditto doctor_negative. And maybe Bill Haley & The Saddlemen even (pre-Comets).

You might also really dig something with the same boogie beat but a little more rough around the edges. Lots of jazzy improv and relentless 8 to the bar, pre-Rock & Roll rhythm.

Great cartoon, thanks!
posted by quarterframer at 3:14 PM on July 17

Jump Blues
posted by LionIndex at 3:20 PM on July 17

This isn't an answer and so might be deleted, but just wanted to a/thank you for introducing me to that marvelous short, and b/ share this sad 2004 exchange I found on a board discussing who did the music:


My son and i were grooving to Friz Freleng's way cool Three Little Bops this evening (we hadda watch it twice!). The credits mention Shorty Rogers for the musical credit, but who else played on that short?

I had the complete mag music track for that cartoon back when I was doing some restoration work for WB Cartoons.
Trying to remember who played on that. Famous jazzers. Can't dredge it up right now..

Just mono I assume?

Mono, 15 ips 1/4" tape. Sounded great though. Some dumpster got it I'm sure.
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:42 PM on July 17

You gotta get some Louis Prima and Keely Smith.
posted by wsg at 3:43 PM on July 17

This actually reminded me of some Glenn Miller my mom used to play, Boogie Woogie Piggy, and Three Little Fishies.

Here's a list of Boogie Woogie musicians from Wikipedia (i know that's lame).
posted by gesamtkunstwerk at 4:08 PM on July 17

Certainly Boogie Woogie. Shorty Rogers was a fantastic trumpet and flugelhorn player, and did the music for that cartoon. There is plenty of his music to check out. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if thats Shorty "playing" trumpet in that video.

Also to check out is 40's and 50's Instrumental R&B/Blues
Leo Parker comes to mind.
posted by alhadro at 4:39 PM on July 17

Nthing the Calloway, Prima, Jordan et al, but couldn't let this pass without mentioning Slim Gaillard, an under-appreciated genius if ever there was one. O-vouty o-roonie!!!
posted by chez shoes at 6:59 PM on July 17

"Jump"
posted by sourwookie at 7:12 PM on July 17

nth-ing all that's been mentioned, plus check out Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller.

Here is a holy-crap long article about the history of Boogie Woogie. Can't vouch for its accuracy or authority, but it drops tons of names that you might want to follow up on.

And if you want to turn the whole affair on its head, check out western swing, which is jazz-influenced country & western.

God help me, I could listen to any of this stuff all day...
posted by Rykey at 8:41 PM on July 17

Great thread!
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 8:55 AM on July 18

Ho-lee crap, check out this post on the blue from earlier today. I'm betting anyone interested in the music discussed here will find something (or 10,000 things) they like on the linked site.
posted by Rykey at 8:34 PM on July 24