West Coast and hard bop were the dominant jazz styles in the 1950s; West Coast was influenced by bop and swing, and hard bop evolved directly from bebop. Hard bop sounds were fast, dark, and filled with clashing textures -- unlike... [more]

West Coast and hard bop were the dominant jazz styles in the 1950s; West Coast was influenced by bop and swing, and hard bop evolved directly from bebop. Hard bop sounds were fast, dark, and filled with clashing textures -- unlike the light tonal colors and calm feel of West Coast jazz. A hard bop horn improvisation was fierce and complex; the drummer's rhythmic pulse was incessant and equally important in each tune. Unfortunately, hard bop was extremely complex and demanded concentration from the audience (as well as from the player), factors that limited its popularity. Sonny Rollins, playing on the tenor sax, defined the hard bop style. He improvised, often in short, staccato phrasing, over fast chord progressions. At times, Rollins would play against or in time with the tempo; sometimes he would play inside the beat or ignore it completely. He skillfully varied the tonal and textural quality of his horn, exploring the sounds of single notes. Meanwhile, drummer Art Blakey changed jazz drumming forever. His 1954 piece, "Night at Birdland," was recorded with trumpeter Clifford Brown and pianist Horace Silver. It reveals a rhythmic facility and virtuosity not previously explored. Blakey deliberately interacted equally with the solo instruments -- bringing the drumming out from behind the steady beat. [show less]