A creative exploration of Bud Powell's bebop vocabulary for modern jazz harmony

This thesis presents a practice-led research (PLR) exploration of adapting Bud Powell's bebop improvisational language for contemporary jazz performance. Through transcription and analysis of Powell's right-hand melodic material, this study employs an iterative framework to identify and transform several core stylistic traits. The initial investigation, focused on creatively transforming two extended melodic phrases, demonstrated success in traditional functional harmonic contexts but revealed a limitation when applied to the more modern, vertical chord progressions. This prompted a methodological shift to a more modular system, whereby a catalogue of 26 short "Vocabulary Seeds" (VS) drawn from across Powell's discography was created. As demonstrated in applications over contemporary compositions, this approach proved more effective, enabling Powell's vocabulary to be flexibly adapted to vertical harmony, characteristic of modern jazz. A final analysis using my own improvised solo assesses the degree to which this material transitioned from conscious practice into spontaneous application. The documented creative process offers a replicable model for musicians, highlighting how traditional bebop language can be used as a generative resource for personal creative explorations in 21st-century jazz.