What The spirit behind the bebop artist project
Looking back at our decision to launch the very first Tainan Jazz Festival in 2022, it now feels almost audacious. For a fledgling startup—barely finding its footing—to take on the challenge of organizing a city-level, multi-day music festival (complete with a food and drinks banquet!) seemed, in hindsight, wildly ambitious. And yet, with the help of our partners and the dedication of our hardworking team, we made it happen.
Was it boldness? Was it foolishness? Maybe a bit of both. But that mix, paired with determined execution, is exactly the spirit behind what we now call the Bebop Artist Project.
What Is the Bebop Artist Project?
At its core, it’s our creative arm—focused mainly on music for now—where the Bebop team collaborates with artists to support their growth and evolution. But it’s more than just creative partnerships. It’s also a way for us, as a food company, to explore how we can play a role in shaping culture.
From a branding perspective, sure—you could say this is part of how we build the Bebop identity. And that’s true. After all, what better way to promote a brand named “Bebop” than by promoting jazz? That alone might justify the effort for some of our more practically-minded teammates.
But for some of us, the connection runs deeper.
Why “Bebop”?
When we named the brand Bebop, it was with intention. We saw parallels between what the bebop movement represented in music and what we hoped to do in food—specifically, in plant-based ice cream. Bebop in music broke the mold through exploration, experimentation, collaboration, and the pursuit of artistic freedom. That’s exactly the kind of spirit we wanted to embody.
From the beginning, we thought: how amazing would it be if one day the brand could be meaningfully connected to jazz?
That dream began to take shape with the Tainan Jazz Festival. Through it, we met incredible artists—people who inspired us—and from those relationships, new ideas and collaborations began to emerge.
From a Marketing Budget to an EP
One standout moment came when we approached jazz artist Lo Yen-ting with a modest marketing budget. We simply wanted to work on something together. We didn’t expect her to propose recording an EP—but she did. And that’s how Landforms, the first release under the Bebop Artist Project, came to life.
Today, you can find it on Spotify—and even as a physical CD.
What’s more, the CD evolved into a thoughtful gift for our community and a product that helps fund future collaborations. In the process, we’ve become promoters of Yen-ting’s music, helping new audiences discover her work. (Get your own copy here)
A Powerful Discovery
This collaboration helped us realize something powerful: the potential of cross-disciplinary creativity. That might just be the greatest strength of the Bebop Artist Project. Right now, we’re working on two exciting new projects (we’re not ready to share them just yet) that we believe will take this idea even further.
A Creative Brand at Heart
Before we ever made our first pint of ice cream, many of us—myself included—came from creative backgrounds, especially in branding and design. So it’s only natural that we approach making ice cream the same way we approached our previous creative work: with curiosity, experimentation, and a drive to make something that matters.
Ice cream, jazz, culture, collaboration—it’s all connected in the world of Bebop. And this is just the beginning.
