Home > Hard bop
Hard bop is an extension of bebop (bop) music which incorporates influences from rhythm and blues, gospel music, and blues, especially in the saxophone and piano playing. Its tempo is often slower than bop's, and its bass playing more varied; it is in part intended to be more interesting to audiences unfamiliar with or not fond of bop. It also is, as David H. Rosenthal contends in his book Hard Bop, to a large degree the natural creation of a generation of black American musicians who grew up at a time when bop and rhythm and blues were the dominant forms of black American music and jazz musicians as prominent as Tadd Dameron worked in both genres.
Hard bop musicians include Cannonball Adderly, Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Donald Byrd, Sonny Clark, John ColtraneJohn Coltrane ( September 23, 1926 July 17, 1967) was a famous jazz saxophonist. Early life Born in Hamlet, North Carolina, Coltrane grew up in High Point, North Carolina and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in June 1943. He was inducted into the Navy, Lou DonaldsonLou Donaldson (born 1926) is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. His first recording in 1952 was as a leader. Although he has recorded as a sideman, he has never belonged to any band other than those of which he was leader; he h, Miles DavisMiles Davis ( May 26, 1926 September 28, 1991) was an American jazz composer, trumpeter and multi-instrumentalist and was one of the most influential, innovative and original musicians of the twentieth century. In terms of importance to the history of jaz, Kenny DrewKenneth Sidney (Kenny) Drew ( August 28, 1928 August 4, 1993) was an American jazz pianist from New York City. He first recorded with Howard McGhee in 1949, and over the next two years recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Coleman Hawkins, Milt Jackson, Charlie P, Benny GolsonBenny Golson (born January 25, 1929) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. While in high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he played with several other promising young musicians, including John Coltrane, Red Garland, Jimmy Heat, Dexter GordonDexter Gordon ( February 27, 1923 April 25, 1990) was an American tenor saxophone musician. He is considered the first important hard bop tenor player. From 1940 to 1980, he played with such jazz greats as Lionel Hampton, Tadd Dameron, Charles Mingus, Lou, Joe HendersonJoe Henderson ( April 24, 1937 June 30, 2001) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Born in Lima, Ohio, he studied music at Kentucky State College and Wayne State University before playing in Detroit at the beginning of his career. After being released, Andrew HillAndrew Hill (born June 30, 1937) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Hill was born in Chicago, Illinois. He took up piano at 13, and was encouraged by Earl Hines. He was referred by jazz composer Bill Russo to Paul Hindemith, with whom he studied ti, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean, Charles Mingus, Blue Mitchell, Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan, and Horace Silver.
Hard bop was developed in the 1950s and 1960s and enjoyed its greatest popularity in that era, but hard bop performers, and elements of the music, remain popular in jazz.
Soul jazz developed from hard bop.
