Hard bop

History and character

Hard bop is the style that in the 1950s (the term spread in the middle of the decade) took the language of bebop and brought it back to its African American roots: blues, gospel, and rhythm and blues. The melodies are simpler and more singable, the feel more "funky" and earthy, plagal cadences and church phrases appear, and the sound is fuller and more powerful than that of cool. The emblematic place is Blue Note Records (which from 1952 to 1967 recruited and promoted the new generation) with the recordings of engineer Rudy Van Gelder (first in his parents' living room in Hackensack, then in the Englewood Cliffs studio), but the movement also ran through Prestige, Riverside, and the Detroit scene.

The band considered foundational is Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, formed with Horace Silver in the mid-'50s and a school for generations of musicians (Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, later Wynton and Branford Marsalis): the album Moanin' (1958) is a manifesto. Other leading figures: Horace Silver as a leader ("The Preacher," "Song for My Father," 1964), the Clifford Brown–Max Roach quintet (from 1954), Sonny Rollins ("Saxophone Colossus," 1956), Miles Davis ("Walkin'", 1954, also played at the first Newport Jazz Festival), John Coltrane ("Blue Train," 1957), Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Hank Mobley ("Soul Station," 1960), Lee Morgan ("The Sidewinder," 1963), Dexter Gordon, Jackie McLean, Kenny Dorham, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green.

Soul jazz (more "groove" and organ) and post-bop (Shorter, Hancock, Henderson) derive from hard bop. Its vocabulary is today the foundation of "mainstream" jazz education and of neo-hard bop (Wynton Marsalis, a new generation of Jazz Messengers, Christian McBride, Joshua Redman).

Scales and keys

Blues scale and minor pentatonic

• Minor pentatonic: 1 b3 4 5 b7 — m3 W W m3 W. On F: F Ab Bb C Eb.
• Blues: 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7. On F: F Ab Bb B C Eb. Characteristic note: the b5 (B/Cb) and the b3/3 conflict over dominant chords.
• Use: the expressive heart of hard bop: blues themes (Moanin', Blue Train, The Sidewinder), "gospel" phrases on piano and sax.
• Common mistakes: using the blues scale "as a scale" over every chord; hard bop alternates it with precise bebop lines over the changes.

Major pentatonic with b3 (gospel)

• On F: F G Ab A C D. Characteristic note: Ab → A.
• Use: the piano's "amen" phrases (Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver), the horns' responses.

Dorian and bebop dominant

• Dorian on D: D E F G A B C. Bebop dominant on G: G A B C D E F F#.
• Use: bebop lines over the ii–V progressions of standards and original themes.

Harmonic minor and melodic minor (minor hard bop)

• Harmonic minor on F: F G Ab Bb C Db E. Characteristic note: E (major 7th) with Db (b6). Use: over the V7b9 (C7b9) in minor pieces (Moanin' in F minor).
• Melodic minor on F: F G Ab Bb C D E. Use: minor tonic (Fm6, FmMaj7) and Horace Silver's melodies.

Altered

• On C: C Db Eb E F# Ab Bb (= Db melodic minor). Use: the V7alt of minor blues and fast cadences.

Mixolydian with b3 ("funky" blues)

• On F: F G Ab A Bb C D Eb. Use: dominant vamps and boogaloo (The Sidewinder, Song for My Father with its Latin-funk groove).

How to choose

Harmony

Harmonic function

Bebop harmony (ii–V, substitutions, altered dominants) combined with simpler, "churchy" structures: blues (major and minor), plagal cadences (IV–I, "amen"), dominant vamps, pedals, original 16- or 32-bar themes with written introductions and interludes.

Typical elements

• Minor blues (im–ivm–V7alt–i).
• Gospel plagal cadence (Moanin': the "call" motif and the horns' "amen" response).
• Pedals and vamps in the intros (Song for My Father).
• Tritone substitutions and chains of ii–V.
• Altered chords on the dominants, full voicings.

Voicings

Piano with two-handed "gospel" chords, block chords, light quartal voicings (from 1960); horns in two-part harmony (thirds, sixths, fourths) in the quintet themes, or in unison.

Harmonic rhythm

Medium-fast (1–2 chords per bar); vamps and pedals in the intros and in the more "funky" themes.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

Feel

A heavier, more "forward" swing than cool, with a strong, singable groove; an implied backbeat on 2 and 4 that is strongly felt (hard hi-hat, piano comping on 2 and 4), a "funky" feel in the blues, a Latin or boogaloo groove in some themes (The Sidewinder, Song for My Father, St. Thomas calypso).

Accents and drive

Art Blakey: the press roll on 4 that pushes toward the 1 of the next chorus, strong accents, explosive crescendos. Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Elvin Jones: intense, precise comping.

Shuffle and two-feel

Themes in two-feel (bass in two) that move to walking in the solos; shuffle in slow blues.

Microtiming

Ride "forward" (on top) with the bass; soloists playing behind and ahead of the beat; a "heavy" groove on the mediums.

Drums

Principle

Hard bop drumming is powerful and driving: it holds an intense swing, comments forcefully, builds the crescendos of the solos, and marks the form with accents and press rolls. Models: Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Art Taylor, Louis Hayes, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones, Roy Haynes.

Ride

Decisive spang-a-lang, big dark ride with lots of "wash" (Blakey used large cymbals).

Hi-hat

Strong and crisp on 2 and 4: the "backbeat" of swing.

Bass drum

Bombs and accents to underline the themes; light feathering.

Snare

Intense comping; Blakey's press roll (a compressed roll that grows on 4 and "bursts" on 1); rimshots on the accents of the themes; shuffle in the blues.

Dynamics and velocity

Wide: from controlled themes to the climaxes of the solos; accents 110–127, comping 40–90.

Interaction

Continuous dialogue with the soloist and the piano; the drummer "pushes" the horns in the final choruses.

Sections

Intro (often with a Latin pattern or vamp), theme (written kicks), solos (a crescendo per chorus), trading fours/eights, theme, coda with a stop.

Fills

More present than in cool: triplet rolls, press rolls, fills between toms and snare that lead into the next chorus.

Sounds

Bass drum 20" tuned high, bright 14" snare, 20–22" ride with lots of "wash," heavy 14" hi-hats.

Typical mistakes

"Limp" swing, a timid ride, rock fills, losing the form during the crescendos.

Bass

Sound

Double bass with steel strings, a full, "woody" sound (Paul Chambers, Doug Watkins, Sam Jones, Jymie Merritt, Bob Cranshaw).

Role

Powerful walking, two-feel in the themes, ostinatos in the "funky" intros (Song for My Father), pedals, arco solos (Chambers).

Notes

Chord tones on the strong beats, chromatic approaches, blues licks in the walking, anticipations.

Relationship with the drums

A single pulse with the ride and hi-hat; the bass pushes (on top).

Harmonic instruments

• Piano: two-handed "gospel" comping, block chords, blues phrases (Horace Silver, Bobby Timmons, Red Garland, Wynton Kelly, Cedar Walton, Sonny Clark).
• Guitar (Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery with his octaves).
• Vibraphone (Milt Jackson, Bobby Hutcherson).
• Organ (toward soul jazz: Larry Young, Jimmy Smith on Blue Note).
• Horns in harmony: trumpet and sax in thirds/fourths in the themes.

Melody and vocals

Themes

Singable, "funky" themes, often blues or with gospel call-and-response; two-voice harmonized themes (trumpet and tenor); bebop lines in the faster pieces.

Improvisation

Bebop + blues: precise lines over the changes alternating with "shouted" blues phrases, riffs, gospel quotations; a full, powerful sound (Lee Morgan with his half-valve effects, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins with his thematic development in "Blue 7").

Voice

Rare (a few vocal pieces by Horace Silver, Abbey Lincoln with Max Roach).

Effects

None; natural "Van Gelder" reverb.

Instruments

• Trumpet, tenor sax, alto sax (quintet: trumpet, sax, piano, double bass, drums)
• Trombone (sextets)
• Piano
• Double bass
• Drums
• Guitar, vibraphone, organ (in some groups)

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Piano V — Piano: Grand or upright "Van Gelder" piano: a slightly dark, compressed sound, comping in the middle register.
• B-3 V — Organ: For pieces leaning toward soul jazz (Larry Young, Jimmy Smith on Blue Note): drawbars 888000000, percussion on the 3rd, slow Leslie.

Song structure

Form

• Intro (often written: vamp, pedal, Latin figure: 4–8 bars).
• Theme (head) in two voices or unison: blues 12/24, AABA 32, 16-bar forms.
• Solos: tenor, trumpet, piano (2–6 choruses each).
• Trading with the drums.
• Final theme and coda (often with the same figure as the intro and a stop).
• Length 5:00–10:00 (Blue Note LPs allowed long tracks).

Arrangement

Written intros and interludes, horn backgrounds behind the piano solos, "send-offs" (2–4 bars) that launch the first solo, endings with a vamp and fade.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

The "Van Gelder sound": horns close, present, and full, piano a bit dark and compact, defined double bass, drums with a big ride and a "live" snare, a short, warm reverb. Many Blue Note LPs were in stereo with hard-separated blocks (e.g. drums on one side, horns on the other) or in mono; today a more natural image is preferable. Loudness −16/−13 LUFS.

Drums

Overheads: HP 50 Hz; −2 dB at 400 Hz; ride defined at 3–6 kHz with its "wash"; snare with a present press roll (2–5 kHz); light bass drum. Bus compression 1–2 dB (opto). Pan 60–80%.

Double bass

HP 40 Hz; 90–110 Hz +1/+2 dB; −3 dB at 200–250 Hz; +2 dB at 800 Hz–1 kHz; opto 3 dB. Center.

Piano

HP 50 Hz; −2 dB at 300–400 Hz; +1 dB at 2–3 kHz; slow 2 dB compression; pan 20–40% or narrow stereo.

Horns

• Trumpet: HP 100 Hz; −2 dB at 500 Hz if "closed"; presence 1.5–2.5 kHz; watch 3–4 kHz.
• Tenor: HP 80 Hz; 150–250 Hz body; −2 dB at 400 Hz; presence 2 kHz.
• Opto compression 2–4 dB (hard bop is more "present" than cool); automation for the solos.
• Pan: trumpet and sax at ±15–25% in the two-voice themes; the soloist can stay where they are.

FX

Short, warm reverb (plate or chamber 1–1.5 s, 10–20 ms pre-delay), LP 7 kHz return; higher send on the horns.

Buses and groups

Band bus with 1 dB of glue and a bit of tape (UAD Ampex/Studer, Waves J37) for the '50s–'60s color.

Sidechain

Never.

Master

Chain: minimal EQ – light tape – limiter on the peaks. Target −15/−13 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP.

Common mistakes

Piano too bright and "modern," compressed, flat horns, muddy double bass, long reverb that removes the style's typical presence.

Reference tracks for the mix

Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers — Moanin'; John Coltrane — Blue Train; Horace Silver — Song for My Father; Lee Morgan — The Sidewinder; Hank Mobley — Soul Station.

Reference listening

• Miles Davis — Walkin' (1954)
• Clifford Brown & Max Roach — Daahoud (1954)
• Horace Silver — The Preacher (1955)
• Sonny Rollins — St. Thomas (Saxophone Colossus, 1956)
• John Coltrane — Blue Train (1957)
• Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers — Moanin' (1958)
• Cannonball Adderley — Work Song (1960)
• Hank Mobley — Soul Station (1960)
• Lee Morgan — The Sidewinder (1963)
• Horace Silver — Song for My Father (1964)