Post Bop

Post bop on vinyl: Wayne Shorter, Mingus and the modern jazz of the sixties

In short: Post bop is the jazz that went beyond hard bop in the sixties: freer forms, modal harmonies and new compositions, but still with a firm swing. Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Charles Mingus and Miles Davis’ second quintet shaped it. The Vinyl Room currently has 239 post bop records.

What is post bop?

Many classics were made at Blue Note: Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” and Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”, for example. Shorter and Hancock also played in the second great quintet of Miles Davis. Charles Mingus wrote pieces that move between big band, blues and free playing. Europe developed its own post bop too – for example the English Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet, whose originals are sought-after collector’s records today. From the seventies, labels such as SteepleChase from Copenhagen carried the style forward.

What to look for

With US originals of the sixties, label, catalogue number and runout help, with Blue Note also the label address and runout engravings. Some English jazz records of the sixties were pressed only in small runs; well-preserved originals of such editions are sought after.

From our stock

First pressings

Post bop on Blue Note

Post bop on SteepleChase

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→ Jazz on vinyl · Blue Note · SteepleChase · How to spot a first pressing · Grading explained

FAQ

What is post bop? Modern jazz from the sixties onwards that builds on hard bop but uses freer forms and modal harmonies.

Which post bop records should you know? For example Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil” and Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage”, both on Blue Note.

Is there post bop from Europe? Yes, for example from the English Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet or on the Danish label SteepleChase.