Hard Bop Albums with Blues, Swing and Personality

In the mid-1950s, a new generation of musicians steered modern jazz back toward melody, physical swing and the blues. Rather than competing in the dizzying, high-speed harmonic gymnastics of early bebop, hard bop bands built their music around memorable themes, soulful call-and-response patterns and infectious rhythm sections that invited listeners in from the very first bar. Curated from the listening room of a New York mathematics teacher who shares jazz with newcomers by highlighting things anyone can hear, this selection focuses on twelve landmark albums overflowing with group character. From Art Blakey's thunderous drum commentary and Horace Silver's jaunty piano vamps to the strutting blues walks of Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, these records prove that sophisticated jazz can be immediate, joyful and human.