hard bop

American  

noun

1. an aggressive, driving, hot style of modern jazz developed by East Coast musicians in the late 1950s as a rejection of the more relaxed, cool style of West Coast jazz.

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hard bop British  

noun

1. a form of jazz originating in the late 1950s that is rhythmically less complex than bop

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Compare meaning

How does hard-bop compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• hard bop vs. bebop

Example Sentences

He adds a funky countermelody, reminiscent of Horace Silver or Lee Morgan, and remakes “Billy Joe” into a remarkable slice of hard bop, a 12-minute roller-coaster ride.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

Heath, who was known as Tootie, was primarily a bebop and hard bop drummer but was adept in a range of styles.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 12, 2024

“His music has the complex harmonies of bebop and hard bop, but it also has a sincere, down-home, churchy feel,” the reporter Corey Kilgannon wrote.

From New York Times • May 24, 2023

He drew a considerable and supportive audience as a committed experimenter testing the boundaries of R&B, electric jazz and hard bop styles.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2022

Across the recordings, most of which were first issued posthumously starting in the mid-1980s, Pepper and band jump from amped-up hard bop to seductive, breathy balladry.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2019