The purpose of the Minnesota Hard Bop Collective is to increase public awareness by supporting the preservation of Hard Bop Jazz Music through non-partisan educational live performances and/or workshops/clinics.

American Jazz evolved from African rhythms and European harmonies in the first half of the 20th century; a series of sub genres have evolved, including Hard Bop Jazz. Hard Bop Jazz comes from a group of African American performers in the 1950s as a way to express their civil rights. The music is hard-driving, often uptempo, with extensive communication between the musicians and their audience. It’s physical, gripping, and sometimes joyfully relentless! This makes the music difficult to play but fun for the performers and the listeners. Live music is often used as background to other activities such as dining, so Hard Bop Jazz is rarely performed outside niche jazz clubs that require a cover charge, especially during the winter months when outdoor performance is more difficult in this climate. To remedy this problem, The Minnesota Hard Bop Collective was formed by Twin City professional jazz musicians in 2016 with the sole purpose to introduce a new generation of musicians and audiences to this music at area venues that don't require a cover charge. We have successfully been awarded three Metro Regional Arts Council grants and one Saint Paul Cultural Star Grant and we have been featured performers at the TC Jazz Fest, The Dakota, FM 88.5 "Jazz88" and several other area jazz venues.