Harold Land (tenor sax), Clifford Brown (trumpet), Richie Powell (piano), George Morrow (bass) and Max Roach (drums). From the album Study in Brown (1955).
Hard bop comes from bebop. In the mid-1950s, this term was used to describe a new style in jazz that included elements of rhythm and blues, gospel music and blues. It’s sometimes called funky hard bop. The word “funky” is added because of the festive and rhythmic feeling of its songs. Hard bop is associated with soul jazz.
It’s considered to originate with the the Jazz Messengers quintet, conducted by pianist Horace Silver and drummer Art Blakey, and some think it is a response to cool jazz and West Coast jazz. Shelly Manne said that simply cool jazz reflects California’s more relaxed lifestyle, while hard bop describes the New York scene.
After the presentation of a rather strange theme, Land makes a short solo at medium tempo. Then Brown comes in smoothly and with a balanced dialogue that lasts longer. Powell then plays the piano in a similar way, with moderation. Then Roach makes his solo measuring his hits on drums and cymbals, and they end up playing the theme again.
© EmArcy Records
