"hard bop" jazz heads....

Phase, well to start with, all the artists that Albert mentioned plus : all of Dexter Gordon om Blue Note.the Wardell Gray double album originally on prestige,and one of the Charlie Parker box sets for background in where the style evolved from.

Here,a few personal favorites:

--Sonny Rollins, Horn Culture,Don't Stop the Carnival
--John Coltrane, Giant Steps,My Favorite Things
--Art Blakey,A Night in Tunisia
--Charles Mingus,Let My Children Hear Music,The Jazz Workshop Sessions(with Eric Dolphy)

A few pianists that are often overlooked:

Sonny Clark
Mal Waldron
Kenny Drew
Bobby Timmons

Also, check out Jimmy Smith's Blue Note work.

My favorite "hard bop" is Art Blakey & The Jazz Messangers. To me, they difine this sub category of jazz. Some recording to consider by Art are:
--Moanin'
--The Freedom Rider
--Indestructable
--Free For All (this is heavy metal jazz!)
--Mosaic

You can't go wrong with any of these.

My favourite is The Cannonball Adderley Quartet "Live in San Fran at the Jazz Workshop" and I have a few by everyone AlbertPorter mentions. Nothing grooves live this session.