This is where a lot of the concepts of improvising really developed.
The bebop era began to develop in the early to mid 1940s and unlike much of the swing/big band era, it was characterized by much faster tempos and more complex chord changes. This is where a lot of the concepts of improvising really developed. Virtuoso soloists on almost every instrument began to emerge. Compositions were less focused on vocal arrangements and lyrical melodies and more focused on technical facility, syncopation and complex melodic phrasing. This new phase in jazz was started by the younger generation and became synonymous with "hipster" culture of the time. There was more focus on smaller ensembles that started to use the rhythm section in new ways. Big band music required the more steady pumping quarter note swing feel in order to drive the the larger ensemble and sheer volume of the horn section. In bebop, the rhythm section began to play more broken and syncopated rhythms and could be more expressive and interactive in their accompaniment. Some of the more prominent artists of the Bebop era are: