<P> In 1947, Woody Herman formed a band that included tenor saxophonists Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, and Herbie Steward, and baritone saxophonist Serge Chaloff . The result was the "Four Brothers" sound, in which four strong improvisers could still perform well as a coordinated, blended section . (Jimmy Giuffre composed "Four Brothers," which highlighted this group .) The Herman band's recording of "Early Autumn" launched Getz's career . Meanwhile, between 1946 and 1949, baritone saxophonist and arranger Gerry Mulligan, arranger Gil Evans, and alto saxophonist Lee Konitz were all working for the Claude Thornhill Orchestra, whose instrumentation included a French horn and tuba . </P> <P> In 1948, Miles Davis formed a nonet including Mulligan, Konitz, and Evans from Thornhill's orchestra . Capitol Records recorded the group (at arranger Pete Rugolo's suggestion) in 1949 and 1950 . These recordings, originally issued as 78 rpm records, were later compiled as Birth of the Cool (1957). Gerry Mulligan explained that the idea behind Davis's Nonet was not to get away from bebop, but "just to try to get a good little rehearsal band together . Something to write for...As far as the' Cool Jazz' part of it, all of that comes after the fact of what it was designed to be ." As for Davis, his concern at the time was simply to play with a lighter sound, which he believed to be more expressive . Also his choice of notes suggested deliberation rather than wild exuberance . </P> <P> The Miles Davis Nonet's existence was brief, consisting only of a two - week September 1948 engagement at the Manhattan's Royal Roost and the three recording dates that make up Birth of the Cool . These recordings were not widely appreciated until some years later . However, they prefigured the work of nonet members John Lewis and Gerry Mulligan . </P> <P> John Lewis went on to co-found the Modern Jazz Quartet, who incorporated classical forms, such as the fugue, in their music . Tanner, Gerow, and Megill note that the Quartet "played classical forms quite precisely . For example, the fugues they played were truly baroque in form except that the exposition parts were improvised ." While third stream music would combine classical elements with jazz, the Modern Jazz Quartet used these forms "just to play good, swinging, subtle jazz" and in pursuit of "the joy of collective improvisation and counterpoint ." </P>

Which is not a characteristic of cool jazz