cool jazz: Meaning and Definition of

cool' jazz'

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. a restrained, fluid modern-jazz style of the 1950s, marked by intricate harmonic structures, de-emphasized dynamics, and carefully controlled phrasing and ensemble playing, often with a slight lagging behind the beat. Also calledCf. bop,
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.