A Return to Roots

Hard bop, funky, and gospel jazz shifted jazz to an active, engaging style that was full of vitality and accessible to a wider audience. Hard bop returned to the elements and more improvisational emphasis of the bop style. However, hard bop was more emotional and driving than the previous bop era. Funky jazz involved a rollicking, rhythmic feeling. Gospel jazz shared characteristics with funky and also included elements of early gospel music. Both styles share an emotional intensity. The term funky was often used interchangeably with soul during this period. The term soul was connected to church and speaks of the emotional content of the music while the term funky had a more earthy association.

Still, funky music borrows musical characteristics from African American church music. It used scales that were used in early blues (blue notes) that resulted in a gospel blues sound. Funky music created a happy, danceable sound through highly rhythmical melodies and less complex harmonies than those used in bop.

The Performers

Funky was first introduced by pianists and later adopted by all instrumentalists. Pianist and composer Horace Silver (1928– ) brought the style to public notice. Silver was also a pioneer of hard bop. His quintet served as a model for small jazz groups during the 1950s and 1960s where he trained many young players. Drummer Art Blakey (1919–1990), with his group The Jazz Messengers, further developed the hard bop style. Blakey’s name became synonymous with hard drive and pulsating excitement.

Wild Bill Davis (1918–1995) is considered the “Godfather of the Jazz Organ.” He performed on a Hammond organ and also played piano and guitar. Davis led an organ trio group and worked with Ellington, Lionel Hampton, and Count Basie. He played throughout the U.S. and also worked extensively in Europe. Tenor saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins (1930– ) is known for his melodic style of improvisation. Rollins also studied piano and alto sax. His playing style shows the influence of cool and bop. His recording of Blue 7 is an example of the way he is able to dissect a melody.

Bassist, pianist, composer, and bandleader Charles Mingus (1922–1979) developed a strong and highly individualized approach to composition and performance. His musical influences include Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, gospel music, and Mexican folk music. Pianist Bill Evans (1929–1980) fulfills the piano legacy begun in the early days of jazz by placing the piano in the middle of the developing jazz tradition. Evans added a new improvisational authority to this legacy. He gained status in the jazz community when asked to join the Miles Davis group. Evans created a new sound for the piano that took the traditional chords and reshaped them with his own trademark voicings.