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Hard Bop is an album by drummer Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers recorded in 1956 and originally released on the Columbia label. It was performed by the Jazz Messengers and recorded in CBS Street Studio.

After the dissolution of the original Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey formed a new edition with Jackie McLean, Bill Hardman, Sam Dockery and Spanky De Brest. It’s fitting that their first album would carry the title Hard Bop because that is what they and every subsequent line-up of the Jazz Messengers came to typify.

Beyond Blakey’s always magnificent and contoured drumming, this quintet’s strongest asset was the beautiful, tart blend of Jackie McLean’s alto sax and Bill Hardman’s trumpet. They phrased together with a forward thrust and their brash, peppery tones created a distinctive front-line sound.

Repertoire was always an important factor in the Jazz Messengers’ sound, and this hard-swinging session of December 12 & 13, 1956 mixed excellent originals by McLean and Hardman with jazz tunes by Mal Waldron and Gigi Gryce, two standards and a Gershwin medley. The material was more than enough for one album so five tunes were selected for Hard Bop, another three comprised side two of Blakey’s Drum Suite and Gershwin medley sat in the can until 1980.

In addition to finally gathering this band’s December 12-13, 1956 output in one place at last, we also discovered, by going back to the original session tapes, that these sessions were recorded in an early (and successful from a sonic point of view) form of stereo. We have assembled the CD from those tapes, which also enabled us to issue the full version of My Heart Stood Still, which was edited on the mono LP.

Track Listing:

01. Cranky Spanky
02. Stella By Starlight
03. My Heart Stood Still
04. Little Melonae
05. Stanley’s Stiff Chickens
06. Nica’s Tempo *
07. Dee’s Dilemma *
08. Just For Marty *
09. Gershwin Medley1 *
a Rhapsody In Blue
b Summertime
c Someone To Watch Over Me
d The Man I Love

* bonus track, not part of the original album

Personnel:
Art Blakey – drums
Bill Hardman – trumpet
Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
Sam Dockery – piano
Spanky DeBrest – bass

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Released: October 1957
Recorded: December 12–13, 1956
Studio Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City
Label: Columbia
CL 1040
Producer: Alan Douglas