This is the freely browsable version of A Jazz Improvisation Primer by Marc Sabatella. You may also order a printed copy of this book, retitled A Whole Approach To Jazz Improvisation.
Hard Bop
In what has been described as either an extension of bebop or a backlash
against cool, a style of music known as hard bop developed in the 1950's.
This style also downplayed the technically demanding melodies of bebop, but
did so without compromising intensity. It did this by maintaining the
rhythmic drive of bebop while including a healthier dose of the blues and
gospel music. Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers were, for decades, the
most well-known exponent of this style. Many musicians came up through the
so-called "University Of Blakey". Blakey's early groups included pianist
Horace Silver, trumpet player Clifford Brown, and saxophonist Lou
Donaldson. Clifford Brown also co-led a group with Max Roach that is
considered one of the great working quintets in history. Several albums
from these groups are available today and all are recommended. Miles Davis
also recorded several albums in this style during the early 1950's. There
were also a number of groups led by or including organists that came from
this school, with even more of a blues and gospel influence. Organist
Jimmy Smith and tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine were popular players
in this genre.
This document is maintained by [email protected] (Marc Sabatella).