Blakey, Art [Import]

Product Description
Japanese Release featuring 20bit Mastering and Five Exclusive Bonus Tracks: Wiredor, Ille Windows, Late Show, Deciphering Message, and Carols Interlude.

Blakey, Art,Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers,Sony,Hard Bop,Jazz,United States of America

Jazz

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jazz

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Average customer rating: Smooth Jazz An Outstanding Drummer YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION An almost unnatural phenomenon~ definitive

Moanin' Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bebop | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Somethin' Else The Sidewinder Song for My Father Mingus Ah Um Speak No Evil ASIN: B00000I8UF Release Date: 1999-03-23

Tracks:

1. Warm-Up And Dialogue Between Lee And Rudy
2. Moanin'
3. Are You Real?
4. Along Came Betty
5. The Drum Thunder Suite: First Theme - Drum Thunder/Second Theme - Cry A Blue Tear/Third Theme - Harlem's Disciples
6. Blues March
7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
8. Moanin' (Alternate Take)

Amazon.com essential recording

This is truly one of the great classics of hard bop, with drummer Art Blakey leading arguably his greatest Jazz Messengers lineup through a driving program that never lets up. Tenor saxophonist Benny Golson (whose composition "Along Came Betty" is heard here, subsequently becoming a jazz classic), brilliant trumpeter Lee Morgan, and funky pianist Bobby Timmons (who wrote the hit title cut) each take some of the best solos of their great careers, and Blakey was never greater. No jazz record collection should be without this disc. It remains one of the premier items in Blue Note's catalog, and rightfully so. As part of Blue Note's 1999 60th anniversary celebration, original session producer Rudy Van Gelder's done a smash job remixing Moanin', adding warmth in the low end and far greater color across the spectrum. And the booklet opens like a gatefold LP with vintage black-and-white photos of the original session. --Skip Heller

Customer Reviews:

Smooth Jazz.......2007-06-20

I purchased this album on a whim as you do sometimes sight unseen. Can't say that I had even heard of Art Blakey or the track Moanin'. Guess some jazz enthusiasts might shudder in horror at that admission. Never the less I put it on when I picked it up from the mail and had a listen. This is a fantastic recording and the music is smooth and classy from the start to the finish. I think that this album will become one of my favourite albums as it gets better each time I hear it.

An Outstanding Drummer.......2007-06-18

I have always thought of Jazz as a part of music that always seemed tucked away in the underground. I mean, even though Musicians like Miles Davis and John Coltrane had sold millions of records, it still was without the help of FM radio play. I still believe this today, even though we have "light jazz" stations, they are nothing more then glorified elevator music. Art Blakey might not with the same populatiry of Coltrane and Davis, but he still wails, and believe me this guy in an amazing drummer. Its funny when you think of all the drummers from all different generes of music that have paved the way of rock of roll such as Neil Peart of Rush, Bonzo from Zepplin, Moon from The Who, and to the more underground drummers of Thrash/Death Metal such as Lombardo from Slayer, Flo Mourier from Cyrotopsy, and Ulrich from Metallica, but way before these drummers there were Jazz drummers who could tear the skin off the drum. Blakey is one of them. The Jazz Messengers are a tight knit group on their own, but if you are a fan of rock or metal, listen to what Blakey is doing. Sound Familer? I hear such influence epsically in Death Metal, because even though Metal uses alot of Double Bass (which Jazz typically avoids) the speed of jazz drummer is insane, sometimes even a bit faster with the way it swings then some of faster Death Metal band (does it suprise you that Flo Mourier of Cryotopsy, easily the best drummer in Death Metal, is trained with a jazz background) I cant stress enough that if you arent a jazz fan, then you should really be getting into this Music, and Blakey is a great place to start. You wont hear shredding guitar work and gutteral vocal here, but you will hear some great musical ablity that seemed light years ahead of its time. ENJOY

YOU MUST HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION.......2007-06-03

October 30, 1958. Those great days at the Rudy Van Gelder studio in his parents living room in Hackenack, New Jersey. This is ESSENTIAL JAZZ. So many people have given this a 5 star review, so I guess there isn't much more I can say about it. But Lee Morgan on trumpet and BENNY GOLSON on Tenor Sax will blow you away. Blakey of course is the KING as far as I'm concerned. I rarely missed the gigs he did at the Village Vanguard in the Seventies. Everyone plays better when Blakey is pushing them. Bobby Timmons is so great, and the great song "MOANIN'" by Timmons, really shines on here. 4 cuts written by Golson, the whole CD is up there with the greatest. This is ESSENTIAL jazz at its best.

An almost unnatural phenomenon~.......2007-05-07

This is an absolutely stunning set.
One of those moments when a group of musicians takes the music to an unrealised place.
Pure passion and soul.
The recording was one of masterful precision.
A jazz classic in the highest regard.

definitive.......2007-04-29

From the mid-1950s until the famous drummer's death in 1990, Art Blakey's "Jazz Messengers" was the trade name of various groups of musicians that worked and recorded under Blakey's leadership. Two tracks on this 1958 recording went on to become classic Blakey anthems, "Moanin'" and "Blues March". Each incarnation of the Jazz Messengers has played these two tunes, and countless jazz musicians consider them to be standards.

Several artists appear in this Jazz Messenger group, including Benny Golson (ts), Lee Morgan (t), Bobby Timmons (p) and Jymie Merritt (b). Of these four Lee Morgan easily shines the brightest, with amazing solos throughout and in particular on "Moanin'". Blakey was the ultimate mentor throughout his career; a man filled with such life-force and vigor that he attracted the best talent, bringing out the very best in them. This particular reissue is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Edition series, treated to 24-bit digital remastering that offers listener's big sound. Simply put "Moanin'" is easily the single most significant album recorded by Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers, so dragging your feet will not be tolerated. Buy it today.

Average customer rating: Good Music very good sound voices in the room Excelent Good jazz SACD sampler

Concord Records SACD Sampler 1 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD) Various Artists Manufacturer: Concord Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music Brazil | South & Central America | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music Mambo | Latin Music | Styles | Music Big Band | Latin Music | Styles | Music Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Brazilian Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Swing General | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music Traditional Jazz General | Traditional Jazz & Ragtime | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music Soul-Jazz & Boogaloo | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Pop | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music Jazz Funk | Funk | R&B | Styles | Music Similar Items: Concord Jazz Sampler Vol.2 Telarc SACD Sampler: Sound and Vision Dark Side of the Moon 30th Anniversary Edition Telarc SACD Sampler: The Absolute Sound Telarc & Heads Up SACD Sampler 5 (Multichannel Hybrid SACD) ASIN: B0000BWVCO Release Date: 2003-09-09

Tracks:

1. Beija-Flor - The Jim Hall Quartet
2. Come With Me - Tania Maria
3. Straighten Up And Fly Right - Rosemary Clooney
4. Watermelon Man - Poncho Sanchez With Special Guest Mongo Santamaria
5. Listen Here - The Gene Harris Quartet
6. My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More - Carmen McRae
7. Airegin - Tito Puente
8. Blood Count - The Stan Getz Quartet
9. Love Walked In - Mel Torme, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass
10. Serengeti - Cal Tjader
11. In Walked Bud - Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers
12. O Nosso Amor - The Charlie Byrd Trio With Special Guest Ken Peplowski
13. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year - Michael Feinstein With The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra

Customer Reviews:

Good Music.......2007-06-08

I rate 5 star for the music, 5 star for sound quality and 4 star for surround mix. I'm not disappoint when listen to this album, each track on this album is very well selected.

I enjoy even when I listen with red book player. The CD layer also very good when compare to SACD layer.

One of my favorite album.

very good sound.......2007-01-03

I am very pleasure when I heard this SACD, all the sound is clear and the multichannel works like a different instruments places around my room.

voices in the room .......2006-03-14

Nice jazz sampler should appeal to most tastes in mainstream jazz since it's not too funky or free-style. What's the real kicker here is the SACD quality. Certainly not what I would call a great test cd but still good for amazing friends with the detailed sonics and tight bass lines and realistic voices in the room effects.

Excelent.......2006-01-02

very good compilation.
sound quality on SACD is first rate.

Good jazz SACD sampler.......2005-06-06

I'm not a jazz fan, but purchased this SACD for testing the performance of my new SACD & DVDA player. I own a lot of DVD audio discs, but this one is my first SACD.
Sound is good and well separated on the analogue 6 channel output designed for playing such a disc. But the music taste of the disc producer is strictly a jazz taste which doesn't meet that of a lot of music listeners. Beija-Flor, Come with me and Watermelon man are fantastic.
As a conclusion, it's a reliable SACD sampler but not comparable to DVDA which has almost the same sound fidelity, and include further videos, lyrics, photos and interviews.

Average customer rating: A Stand Out! Going Free True Art never bores, opens pores My favorite album ever--PERIOD this is the one!

Free for All Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Indestructible A Night in Tunisia Moanin' Buhaina's Delight The Jazz Messengers ASIN: B0002KQNZO Release Date: 2004-08-10

Tracks:

1. Free For All
2. Hammerhead
3. The Core
4. Pensativa

Album Description

The swan song for the band with Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller and Cedar Walton. The title tune has to be heard to be believed. From a whisper to a scream, each soloist seems to be bursting at the seams with ideas and emotion. Their version of Clare Rischer's "Pensativa" is another highlight.

ART BLAKEY, drums; FREDDIE HUBBARD, trumpet; CURTIS FULLER, trombone; WAYNE SHORTER, tenor sax; CEDAR WALTON, piano; REGGIE WORKMAN, bass

Recorded on February 10, 1964 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Customer Reviews:

A Stand Out!.......2006-10-03

In terms of hard bop,this is a genre defining piece of music... gold standard... transcendent... a timelesss piece of art, yet a spirit of the times then too.

I was born and raised on the soulful Southside of Chicago. Along with this, Hank Mobley's "No Room for Squares", Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", Otis Redding's "Dictionary of Soul" and "a little help from me friends", this music insured I survived college in Moorhead, Minnnesota on a conservative Lutheran campus in the late 1960's. God is good!

If you have a functional pulse rate,there's absolutely no way to lose with this one.

Going Free.......2006-08-28

All the elements are here: The undeniable blue note sound, the terrific Art Blakey smashing drums and a fantastic trio like a dream team of a rythim section: Shorter/Hubbard/Fuller.
"Free for all" shows a renewed fresh Messengers album with all the traditional elements of Blakey's hard bop, but forwarding upcoming free jazz tunes like others contemporanies. Ok, the title track is not exactly free when we use ithis term to describe other musicians like Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry, Sum Ra and the pioneer Ornette Coleman, but free for all is going in the same directions as John Coltrane tunes. No wonder this album was released in the same year "A Love supreme" was.
However, we have three different directions on the album, something more free and modal in "Free for all", the essential hard bop in "the core" and "hammer head" and the last track "pensativa" a hommage to bossa nova, that differ from the others quit a lot.
The major point is really the incredible team Blakey came up with specially the 3 metal genious Shorter, Hubbard and Fuller as I said before.
4.5 stars

True Art never bores, opens pores.......2006-05-06

Hard bop, soft bop, shoobop a doolop. I don't know where one style ends and another begins and I don't care. I do know that this is not that dinnertime, does-the-cheese-go-good-with-the-wine? kind of jazz. And I know that Art et al takes your ear hairs and wraps them up in knots with this blistering set. "Free For All" is raw yet contemplative, like the thoughts bubbling through the mind of the man saddled with the task of cleaning up the blood after a boxing match; it's like acid eating through the petri dish and it's the mood crystallized and cast in neon on the side of the highway, dripping into the gutter and leaving goodies for you to pick up and ponder in the daylight. It feels like cloth on flesh melting. It's that moment, if you will, where the Hulk realizes where he is and what he's done ... before he starts shrinking back down to human-size.

My favorite album ever--PERIOD.......2006-03-05

In 1964 Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers stepped into Rudy van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and probably melted the inside of the building. With great material and truly special inspiration, they created a record of the most uncompromising, in-your-face hard bop recorded to date. Musical director Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone contributes two high energy originals and probably the best playing of his five year Messengers tenure, Freddie Hubbard contributes the other two tunes, one original and one arrangement, and also blows his brains out on trumpet, Curtis Fuller adds a rich third voice and some great trombone playing, Cedar Walton plays some great and tasteful piano, both in accompaniment and solo, Reggie Workman really pushes the sound of the band into a more advanced rhythmic feel, and Art Blakey of course plays like a man on fire, creating volcanic energy that kicks the band up to a superhuman level. Fine, this description may sound like Leonard Feather-esque hype, but it's really not. This album is incredible.

The whole album is great but there are two standout tracks. The first is the eleven minute title track. A perfectly formed Wayne Shorter original, it is voiced in rich three part harmony over an insistent rhythmic figure (though not rigid--Reggie Workman's embellishments and displacement of time makes it a very free-flowing feel) and a bridge whose release and buildup of tension sounds a lot like a train getting closer. The solos from the horns and Blakey are very intense and Shorter and Hubbard shred in particular. The high energy level is maintained throughout this tune, then the next two are almost as intense ("Hammerhead" drops the tempo without losing any of the energy) before culminating in the perfectly placed "Pensativa." It is a beautiful Clare Fischer medium-up Latin tune gorgeously arranged by Freddie Hubbard. I took four hours once to transcribe the arrangement and its absolutely brilliant use of tension in the horn voicings. This tune keeps the energy of before but the intensity level backs off and it's the perfect close to a great album.

This album will appeal to those who enjoy "Mosaic," an earlier Messengers outing with similar personnel. This album is in a similar vein but better. In terms of Art Blakey newcomers, "Moanin'" or "The Big Beat" is a better place to start, but once you're ready for this album, it will blow your mind.

this is the one!.......2005-08-07

the first time i heard the jazz messengers i was in my car listening to some public radio jazz show. a minute into the tune "free for all" and i began to stare at the radio in disbelief. i actually became nervous because the song i was hearing was so great i was sure that the dj would not bother to mention who i was hearing or would mumble something incoherent like, that was owhiubuigwugw. add into the mix my wife and three kids along for the ride, were all babling away. so the song ends, and about three more other songs were played. finally the dj starts mumbling like i knew he would and i kept hearing all these names - cannonball adderly, thad jones/mel lewis orchestra and a couple of other artist i dont remember, and im yelling at my wife write that down! write that down! so i took that napkin list to the cd store and bought all of them. just because free for all is such an amazing tune. but wait! the rest of the album is just as good! as a matter of fact the tune "the core" actually matches it in intensity. all of the musicians on this cd are just amazing, in fact i was so smitten with the trumpet playing by freedie hubbard on this cd (the trumpet solo in the core is just stunning)i went and picked up a whole bunch of his cd's and now im getting into wayne shorter as well. and of course let me not forget the awesome drumming of art blakey and the stellar musicianship of bassist reg workman, pianist cedar walton and trombonist curt fuller. just a terrific album and the others i had to buy with it were great as well! as a side note if you like the last song on this cd "pensativa" you can hear an absolutely killer live version of it on freddie hubbards the night of the cookers cd. its 22:15 long and contains one of the most awesome trumpet duals between freedie and lee morgan! lee of course was the trumpet player for the jazz messengers after freddie. also i would like to add that for all the intensity this collection of tunes has, it is one of the most melodic jazz cd's i have ever heard. i frequently find myself whistling these tunes to myself. just a great, great cd. highly recommended.

Average customer rating: This is great Jazz dig those drums IF this doesn't blow you away check your pulse Mr. There Wow, title track lights a fire up your ass

A Night in Tunisia Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Moanin' Free for All Somethin' Else Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers Soul Station ASIN: B00079ZA0Y Release Date: 2005-02-15

Tracks:

1. A Night In Tunisia
2. Sincerely Diana
3. So Tired
4. Yama
5. Kozo's Waltz
6. When Your Lover Has Gone
7. Sincerely Diana ( Alternate Take)

Amazon.com essential recording

Throughout his long career, Art Blakey built a tremendous reputation for aggressive bands that featured the most gifted young musicians. Few of his later bands, however, could stand comparison with this 1960 edition of the hard-bop juggernaut. Its members combined strong writing skills with distinctive solo voices, including the creative seeking of tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter; the edgy, sometimes blistering, trumpet of Lee Morgan; and the soul-drenched piano of Bobby Timmons. Blakey's drumming contributes an explosive drive to this CD's version of Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," a coiling snake of bop exoticism, while "So Tired" is a Timmons essay in deep funk, like his better-known "Moanin'" and "Dat Dere" an elemental tune with subtle underpinnings. --Stuart Broomer

Album Description

Even in 1959, when this album was recorded, Dizzy Gillespie's "A Night In Tunisia" was the subject of endless recorded versions, most of them dull. With one of the greatest editions of the Jazz Messengers, Blakey found new inspiration in the tune and recorded this explosive, masterful version.

Members Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Timmons contribute originals to the album and Timmons's "So Tired" might have been a soul jazz hit were it not for the overwhelming power of the title tracks. Two bonus tracks have been added to the original album.

ART BLAKEY, drums
LEE MORGAN, trumpet; WAYNE SHORTER, tenor sax: BOBBY TIMMONS, piano; JYMIE MERRITT, bass

* Bonus tracks, not part of the original LP

Recorded on August 7 (#2, 4, 6 & 7) & August 14 (#1,3,5), 1960 at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

Customer Reviews:

This is great Jazz.......2007-06-27

Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers light up my CD players. In my home and in my car. I have been listening to Jazz since I was small and my Uncle played with many name bands. Good Jazz has always been a feeling for me more then a sound. Art Blakey and his band make me feel it baby.

dig those drums.......2007-03-19

bah! da da da da dish bah...

art blakey made the tune a night in tunisia his own, his solo opening the selection is so spectacular i wanted the drumming to go on. but then i would had missed the straight out tenor playing of wayne shorter, followed by lee morgan.

to call something a waltz outside of european based concert music is risky, the ear wants to make comparisons to hear if what is called a waltz is really a waltz or just someone saying something is a waltz. fortunately, for jazz there's fats waller's jitterbug waltz as the first jazz waltz. lee morgan's koko's waltz is in the tradition of the jazz waltz.

blakey's a night in tunisia is a filler in your jazz collection. you can't claim to like jazz or talk about jazz unless you've at least heard tunisia. and for the ridiculously low price it's being offered, less than eight dollars, at this writing, you really shouldn't pass it up.

IF this doesn't blow you away check your pulse.......2006-05-20

I do believe this is the most powerful, visceral recording in the Messengers catalogue. The title track alone never ceases to astound me but the entire set is fabulous. Lee Morgan never sounded better and Wayne Shorter adds a definite hip edge to the whole affair. Art Blakey's drumming on this clearly demonstrates what an incredible powerhouse this guy was. Not to be missed!

Mr. There.......2006-03-04

I came to this album very early in my jazz listening career (taking baby steps out of the Ken Burns cradle). I bought it right after "Moanin'" because that seemed like the logical thing to do. Let me tell you, this album is a HUGE shock after "Moanin'" if you're not prepared for it. While "Moanin'" was an excursion in groove, swing, and in-the-pocket hard bop, "A Night In Tunisia" is a forward-looking powerhouse that isn't as accessible but just as amazing. The reason for this change can be traced primarily to the passage of two years and the presence of Wayne Shorter who was, is, and always will be ahead of his time. Though he contributed only one tune to this session, "Sincerely Diana," that tune and his others like it moved the Jazz Messengers much closer to the cutting edge of the new harmonic language that would become post-bop. His szxophone playing is also much drier and more angular than his predecessor, Benny Golson. Initially, this was a turn-off to me, as it will be for the casual jazz listener. Wayne Shorter takes time to appreciate but he truly is one of the greatest geniuses jazz has ever known.

As the other reviewers have said, the title track is a long, intense affair that highlights Art Blakey's drive and power on the drums. But it features great playing from all of the group, and Lee Morgan's cadenza near the end with Art cheering him on is one of the great moments of Jazz Messengers history. The other tunes, "So Tired," "Yama," and "Kozo's Waltz," are definitely in the hard-bop vein but they do predict the innovations to come in the following years. Since this album is not as immediately accessible as "Moanin'" and some others, get "Moanin'" first, then get "The Big Beat," also with Shorter present. Then check out "Like Someone in Love," from the same session as this one. If you like all of those albums, then get this one. The level of musicianship is superb and Art Blakey's drumming is superhuman in its drive.

Wow, title track lights a fire up your ass.......2006-02-09

Whoever said that the Night of Tunisia is not a good version has a bad ear...
The fact that it is almost out of control and frentic makes it my favorite version by far. You can't guess what is gonna happen next and it sounds like every band member is on the edge of their seats...that is what jazz is all about. As a musician myself, you crave for the edge of your seat frentic feeling when the tempo is up and you can barely keep up. In fact, it's much more dynamic than some of Blakey's more well known, but more straightforward albums...

Average customer rating: The Best! Truly the best of the great Art Blakey Jazz Messengers albums Glorious and Inexhaustible: An Embarrassment of Riches Hard bop=Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers It's Bopalicious

The Jazz Messengers Art Blakey Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Jazz General | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Bebop | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Bebop | Jazz | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Jazz | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Moanin' Free for All A Night in Tunisia A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 ASIN: B000002AIT Release Date: 1997-08-26

Tracks:

1. Infra-Rae
2. Nica's Dream
3. It's You Or No One
4. Ecaroh
5. Carol's Interlude
6. The End Of A Love Affair
7. Hank's Symphony
8. Weird-O
9. Ill Wind
10. Late Show
11. Deciphering The Message
12. Carol's Interlude (Alternate Take)

Customer Reviews:

The Best!.......2006-12-07

This is, by far, the BEST jazz CD or recording of all time (In my humble opinion). You would be hard pressed to find a group of guys that "clicked" as well as BLAKEY and the Messengers. The melding of horns, bass, brass, drums,.... PERFECTION! This CD is timeless,... and the recordings are crisp and crackle- free.

Truly the best of the great Art Blakey Jazz Messengers albums.......2006-06-12

Nearly every serious jazz lover knows "Nica's Dream." But till you've heard this version, with composer Horace Silver on piano and Donald Byrd and Hank Mobley on the front line, you haven't lived! Trumpeter Byrd carries the capricious lead so solidly that his phrasing has set the standard for most other renditions. Tenor man Hank Mobley's obligato second part transforms the whole performance from just a nice tune into a masterpiece. The soloing of all three on this cut is nothing short of awesome, as is mostly true of the other cuts as well.

My biggest regret is that I have only recently discovered this classic of classics, an album recorded when I was in high school, and of which I know I must have heard at least an occasional cut played on the radio. In fact it was hearing Nica's Dream played on the radio less than five years ago that made me check out the whole album.

Better late than never!

Glorious and Inexhaustible: An Embarrassment of Riches.......2006-05-03

I had collected over 20 sides by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers before recently noticing this 1956 release on Columbia. It's second to none--a recording that captures the then nascent Messengers at their zenith but also sets a standard approached by very few other quintets. Maybe Miles--but one would be hard pressed to find a tighter, fuller, more expressive ensemble together with more lyrical, inspired solos. The presence of Doug Watkins' bass merely clinches the deal.

Donald Byrd has never sounded better to me, demonstrating why this Detroit preacher's kid is said to have caused such a stir when he made his initial appearances. He almost matches the ceaseless invention and flowing lyricism of Hank Mobley, who is simply untouchable on the date. Despite the breathless tempo of Hank's "Infra-Rae," the saxophonist is utterly relaxed and in control. Another Mobley original, "Late Show" (aka "Hank's Other Tune"), features an inspired, authoritative tenor solo that I doubt Hank himself or any other tenor saxophonist has ever topped.

As for the ensemble choruses, listen to the two horns on Silver's "Ecarole," and you'll wonder why Blakey ever expanded to a sextet--or, for that matter, why some listeners miss big bands. The shadings, dynamics, nuanced textures--the expressive colors that are missing on most of the flattened acoustics of the Blue Note recordings--they're all here. This is a "musician's record." After listening to this edition of the group and this recording, I doubt I could force myself to play the "highly funkified," popular but overrated "Moanin'" session again or, for that matter, Silver's formulaic and stiff "Song for My Father" session. Even the Blue Note recording of Horace's lovely "Nica's Dream" pales when compared to the rich and evocative treatment it receives on this earlier version of the tune.

There are twelve rich and varied tunes on the disc--a couple of standards plus a generous supply of vintage Silver and, especially, Mobley contributions. (If you find a CD with more music for the price, I'll refund your money.) The original liner notes by George Avakian are supplemented by detailed, informative descriptions of the music on the record by drummer Kenny Washington.

Shame on Columbia/Sony if it gets lazy about promoting this edition--or the American public, if it allows such a treasure to languish in the archives.

Hard bop=Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers.......2005-03-15

Recorded in the spring of 1956, this Messengers unit consists of Donald Byrd (trumpet) Hank Mobley (tenor) Horace Silver (piano) and Doug Watkins (bass) with Blakey on the drums. Blakey liked to go full throttle at all times, and this is no exception. "It's you or no one" is the best of the up-tempo cookers; no tune is done slower than medium tempo. "Nica's dream," "Ecaroh" (Horace backwards), and "Carol's interlude" are all top-notch Blakey performances. Highly recommended.

It's Bopalicious.......2002-10-11

And a good value, too--something like 77 minutes of top-flight, swinging hard bop. One of the easiest decisions I ever made.
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Average customer rating: A great night for jazz Pressure Cooker Bebop transforms into hard bop Hard Bop Genesis My favourite Art-Blakey set

A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 Art Blakey , Clifford Brown , and Horace Silver Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bebop | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 Study in Brown Moanin' Somethin' Else A Night in Tunisia ASIN: B00005MIZ9 Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

1. Wee-Dot
2. If I Had You
3. Quicksilver
4. Now's The Time
5. Confirmation
6. The Way You Look Tonight
7. Lou's Blues

Amazon.com

The second volume of recordings from this seminal hard-bop date (February 21, 1954) picks up where Volume 1 leaves off, and is no less thrilling. Trumpeter Clifford Brown positively smokes through "Wee-Dot" and a supercharged reworking of the standard "The Way You Look Tonight." Alto Lou Donaldson earns his "Sweet Papa Lou" moniker with a tender reading of "If I Had You," rippling off a flurry of notes without ever upsetting the gentle nature of the tune, and evidencing a strong Bird influence in the process. Speaking of Bird, the two closing tunes come from Parker's pen, most notably "Now's the Time," which here receives a superbly slowed-down and funked-up rendition. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

A great night for jazz.......2005-03-15

This second volume of the Art Blakey Quintet live at Birdland (2/21/54) is just as good as volume 1. Clifford Brown, alto man Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver, and Curly Russell join Blakey for some swinging hard bop performances. "Wee-dot" is a fast blues, as is "Lou's blues," which might be just a tad too frantic. All the playing is exceptional, though, on every track. Should be had with volume 1, and both CDs are must-have deals.

Pressure Cooker.......2005-01-22

Be careful folks, this one can scorch your knickers! Everyone here is in tip-top shape and there are times when this one is a full-blown show of pure firepower.

It also slows down nicely though when it does pull back to the mid and slow tempos. Actually the mid-tempo stuff here is my favorite. Lou Donaldson purely shines here. He really should be more well-known. His playing is an absolute joy from beginning to end and, at least for me, he is the true star of this release. Of course there is also no lack of material here to please the Clifford Brown crowd, either. Sometimes upper-register pyrotechnics types of trumpet players seem to kill my ears. It's not my most favored style, but I still can't help but marvel at the lines Brownie blows here. When listening to him, I get the feeling that audience members probably broke out into a sweat just from hearing and seeing him play.

Even though Jazz at Massey Hall (whether partial or the complete one) is often viewed as a high-water mark in bebop, I'd tend to go with this disc as a better example of what it's all about. The sonic quality of this recording is fuller, richer, and I just think the performance is better, too. This disc has hard-bop-lengthed solos, but bebop style and freneticism... along with the killer slower stuff, as I mentioned earlier.

Bebop transforms into hard bop.......2004-10-05

The second album produced of a concert done in 1953 at Birdland by Art Blakey, this is actually better than Volume 1, in my opinion. I'd give it 4 stars for material and soloing, but 5 for importance, because there are several things are interesting about this cd:

1. This was the first live recording ever made that is not bootleg, but recorded for the specific purpose of commercial release.

2. Art Blakey is known as the god of hard bop, but this is really a bebop album, with blistering tunes and elongated, flowing lines by all the soloists. But you can begin to sense the elements of hard bop coming in, especially with Clifford Brown's solos, so in this way this is a great historical document.

3. The line up of Brown, Blakey and Silver, the three fathers of hard bop, all playing on the same stage is just a joy.

The album is deffinitely worthwhile, as Clifford Brown and Horace Silver (who I've always loved as a composer but less as a soloist) contributing excellent solos, especially Silver on Quicksilver, and Brown on Now's the Time and especially Confirmation. Altoist Lou Donaldson is a solid, adept player in the Bird tradition. While not the equal of Brown, he has two nice moments early on: he steals the show on the tune Wee Dot, and of course is featured on the ballad If I had You. Art Blakey is as brillaint on the drums as always, rarely taking a solo but shining when he does. This really is jazz history right here, and thus EVERY jazz fan should have it, especially lovers of Blakey, Brown and Silver.

Hard Bop Genesis.......2001-12-19

This 1954 live recording is a momentous one in jazz history -- it's one of the first recordings in a style that would be known as hard bop. Blakey's quintet, a clear forerunner of his Jazz Messengers, approaches the classic bop style, mixes in some soul and gospel, and cranks up the energy. Art Blakey's turbocharged drumming, Horace Silver's funky, blues-drenched playing, and the formidable frontline of trumpet wizard Clifford Brown and Bird disciple Lou Donaldson set the mold for the style.

Highlights of Volume 2 are a blistering interpretation of the Kern-Fields classic "The Way You Look Tonight" and two Charlie Parker tunes, "Confirmation" and "Now's The Time". Clifford Brown really burns on these tunes. If you like this CD, be sure to buy Volume 1 as well as the two Bohemia recordings of Blakey a year later.

My favourite Art-Blakey set.......2001-08-15

These live recordings were the first jazz albums I ever bought. Now, after having listened to many more I still think that this live set is one of the most amazing recordings I have. The Art Blakey Quintet was in great form on that particular night, about 50 years ago. The material is bebop as well as early fast hardbop - a nice mix of classics and songs mainly by Horace Silver. I highly recommend this live set to anybody interested in jazz!

Average customer rating: What can I say about this album... Hard Bop 101 So much began here This is it!!! Two words: Clifford Brown

A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 Art Blakey , Clifford Brown , and Horace Silver Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Bebop | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Live Albums | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bebop | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 Moanin' Study in Brown A Night in Tunisia Song for My Father ASIN: B00005MIZ8 Release Date: 2001-08-07

Tracks:

1. Announcement By Pee Wee Marquette
2. Split Kick
3. Once In A While
4. Quicksilver
5. A Night In Tunisia
6. Mayreh
7. Wee-Dot (Alternate Take)
8. Blues (Improvisation)

Amazon.com essential recording

For all intents and purposes, the style of jazz known as hard bop came of age at this February 1954 live date from the famous New York club. By adding vibrant elements of blues, funk, soul, and gospel to the technically challenging and highly cerebral bebop form, hard bop became the dominant jazz style and to this day represents what is typically referred to as mainstream jazz. The lineup here resembles the '27 Yankees of the genre: trumpeter Clifford Brown was quickly becoming the red-hot alternative to Miles Davis's cool stylings (his work on the ballad "Once in a While" is worth the price of admission alone); pianist Horace Silver's driving, urgent sound epitomized the funky hard-bop aesthetic; alto Lou Donaldson and bassist Curly Russell had already graced countless essential recordings between them. From this seed grew three of the greatest hard-bop outfits in history: Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Silver's Quintet, and the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. This short-lived ensemble might have them all licked. For a complete snapshot of the Birdland event, pick up A Night at Birdland, Volume 2, easily on par with Birdland, Volume 1 for sheer artistry. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

What can I say about this album..........2007-03-09

that hasn't been said already? ...I can't think of anything. Simply awesome, would suggest it to anybody that enjoys Clifford Brown or Horace Silver or Art Blakey (in other words, any listener of jazz)

Hard Bop 101.......2007-03-05

This recording is worth five stars alone just to hear Mr. Clifford Brown's performance. No amount of hyperbole can do this man justice. He is simply the best. It is almost bittersweet hearing Brownie sound this great knowing that he had so many of these unbelievable performances still left in him before his untimely and tragic death. This is definitely one of my top five favorites of any album he ever did. This is also one of my top ten favorites of any live album period! It is an amazing performance by the whole group of all-stars - Lou Donaldson, Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Curly Russell.

If you are a fan of Clifford Brown then this is essential! If I was teaching a jazz class this would be the first album I would play to the class as an example of hard bop at it's absolute finest.

So much began here.......2006-11-14

If you love hardbop and/or Horace Silver and/or Art Blakey, you need this album. It is just a joy to hear the band setting the course that so many others would follow over the years.

This is it!!!.......2005-06-13

This CD, with its partner Volume 2, is one of the greatest live recordings of a club date in jazz history. The hard-driving Blakey with his best group ever; Brownie is incredible. And unlike a studio date, there are no retakes, no editing, just raw improvisation at the highest level.

Two words: Clifford Brown.......2005-05-15

Some of the best Trumpet playing I've ever heard is on this album. The entire band rocks - but Cliffor Brown is on fire. I've listened to all the greats - but nothing stands up like this!

Average customer rating: a real delight as predictably good as hot chocolate after sledding Art Blakey's powerhouse album Bu at His Baddest A Breather

Buhaina's Delight Art Blakey Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Free for All Indestructible Mosaic A Night in Tunisia The Jazz Messengers ASIN: B0002A2VL4 Release Date: 2004-06-29

Tracks:

1. Backstage Sally
2. Contemplation
3. Bu's Delight
4. Reincarnation Blues
5. Shakey Jake
6. Moon River
7. Backstage Sally (Take 15)
8. Bu's Delight (Take 37)
9. Reincarnation Blues (Take 36
10. Moon River (Take 4)

Customer Reviews:

a real delight.......2007-05-05

Art Blakey was like a holy guru to aspirant young jazz musicians, taking generations of young jazz talents through the ins and outs of jazz music with his various incarnations of The Jazz Messengers. Getting the chance to play with Blakey was like a young boxer getting the chance to train under Mohammed Ali in his prime. You knew you were going places when Blakey was leader.

The title track, shortened to "Bu's Delight", has some shuffling Blakey drum solos from about 3:25 onward. "Reincarnation Blues" is a fantastic cooperative effort with each performer contributing, Wayne Shorter standing out especially. This reissue is part of the Blue Note Rudy Van Gelder Edition series, so it has been digitally remastered at 24-bits at high resolution by Van Gelder himself. Be sure not to miss out on this title and grab it during your next purchase here at Amazon! You'll thank me.

Personnel:

Art Blakey (drums)
Freddie Hubbard (trumpet)
Curtis Fuller (trombone)
Wayne Shorter (tenor sax)
Cedar Walton (piano)
Jymie Merritt (bass)

Producer: Alfred Lion
Label: Blue Note
Dates: November 28 & December 18, 1961
Location: Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ
Edition: Rudy Van Gelder Edition (24-bit digital remaster)

as predictably good as hot chocolate after sledding.......2006-12-10

If you know nothing about a particular jazz CD but see Art Blakey on drums, you can bet it'll be a good one (you can say the same thing about Jimmy Cobb). This lineup features big names Freddie Hubbard and Wayne Shorter, and also well-regarded Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, and Jymie Merritt. The lineup's promising, and the songs are very solid. They seem pretty even to me, I don't want to name the best and worst songs, because my opinion is hardly set into stone. There are also bonus versions of four of the six songs. The original album at 40 minutes is a decent length. The thing that makes this a 4-star CD is that there aren't any GREAT songs, they're merely all good. If it had a song like "The Egyptian" or "Moanin'", it'd be a 5-star CD.

Art Blakey's powerhouse album.......2006-06-26

From the start of Backstage Sally, you know this is another classic messengers session. Recorded in 1961 Blakey and his men focus on tunes displaying the energy and talent of Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, and of course Blakey himself. Wayne Shorter wrote most of the tunes contained in this album. Shorter wrote "Backstage Sally" the beautiful ballad "Contemplation" and "Reincarnation Blues." In each of these pieces Shorter wrote all of them away from the piano. He found working without a piano you get a different approach, a broader outlook. You'll notice that in each piece it gives the instrumentalist a freer approach to express themselves note from note. The highlight for Blakey fans would "Bu's Delight" an excellent tune written by trombonist Curtis Fuller for Art Blakey which gives him a excellent thunderous drum solo! This is supersonic hard bop at its best! Not to be forgotten on this cd as well is Cedar Walton's "Shaky Jake" and Wayne Shorter's arrangement of Hank Mancini's "Moon River", conceived as a slow ballad Shorter makes it swing Art Blakey style. This album is one every jazz messenger fan should own!!

Bu at His Baddest.......2006-04-20

This session practically validates Wayne Shorter's initial refusal to leave Blakey's group when Miles Davis began courting the emerging tenor star (his talents on soprano would not become apparent until Weather Report). Shorter plays with a straight-ahead, hard-edged, definitive boppish assurance that's frankly quite refreshing after hearing much of his later, more tentative and experimental work.

I've never been crazy about the Blakey ensembles that exceed five players--too much solo space is sacrificed to ensemble effect. But Curtis Fuller is especially nimble on this date and moreover contributes the title number--sufficient reason in itself to pick up this recording. More than a "throwaway" head for a drum feature, "Bu's Delight" is a contagious melody, resembling an operatic aria in its sweeping contours and sustained phrases that are picked up and completed by Blakey's percussive extensions. His solo is a thing of beauty--not so much because of technical wizardry or a panoply of various percussive instruments and tunings--but because of his ability to keep it swinging. The high hat is rock steady despite the fast tempo and the absence of the other instruments. Bu maintains the musical continuity of the original composition rather than using it as a mere set of book-ends for a drum exhibition.

Shorter's arrangement for "Moon River" works surprisingly well as a driving, hard-bop vehicle, though it strikes me that some of the alterations, while making the tune less of a harmonic obstacle course, detract from the more tuneful, infectious qualities of one of Mancini's better songs.

A Breather.......2006-03-05

Recorded in late 1961, this album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers actually takes a step back from "Mosaic," the brilliantly intense but somewhat cold debut of the most explosive and arguably the best edition of the group. This album features the same personnel: Freddie Hubbard plays trumpet, Wayne Shorter is the tenor saxophonist, Curtis Fuller plays trombone, Cedar Walton is the pianist, Jymie Merritt plays bass, and Art Blakey leads and pushes from behind the drumset. Whereas "Mosaic" features mostly uptempo tunes, "Buhaina's Delight" is made up of medium swing grooves more reminiscent of the group that preceeded this one (with Lee Morgan in place of Hubbard, Bobby Timmons instead of Walton, and Fuller omitted), though the compositions, with Wayne Shorter as musical director, definitely have a more modern harmonic approach. The medium tempo selections swing hard (nobody was better than Art Blakey at medium tempo) and feature excellent soloing from the talented band. In addition to the swingers, this album features a rare ballad, Shorter's beautiful "Contemplation," my favorite Messengers ballad performance. There is also a beautiful uptempo arrangement of "Moon River" and an extended drum feature, "Bu's Delight." Given that Art Blakey's solo vocabulary was somewhat limited, the latter can be a bit predictable at times if you've heard other Blakey features, but his time and swing are perfect. Drummers take note.

All in all, this is a very accessible album and a relatively tame way to get introduced to this edition of the Jazz Messengers. It stands in the shadow of "Mosaic" (though I prefer this one) and the absolutely brilliant "Free For All" that would follow in three years, but it is still a great session all around.

Average customer rating: generous offering Hard, hard bop Seeds of a masterpiece by a fantastic group

Mosaic Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Free for All Workout Buhaina's Delight Moanin' The Gigolo ASIN: B000E1IGAQ Release Date: 2006-02-21

Tracks:

1. Mosaic
2. Down Under
3. Children Of The Night
4. Arabia
5. Crisis

Customer Reviews:

generous offering.......2007-07-04

a generous offering by art blakey. the six selections are written by four of the sidemen. the way blakey plays he can afford to be generous, his solo on mosaic, the title track, is one of the best drum solos i've heard, even the metronomic cymbal he uses during his solo caught me between being distracted and wondering if someone else was playing a percussive instrument. the solos, particularly by curtis fuller and freddie hubbard, are spectacular. all selections are moderate to up tempo. my favorite piece is arabia by curtis fuller, for reasons previously mentioned, the soloing. and the ensembling.

Hard, hard bop.......2007-05-21

This album deserves five stars. This is the hardest, meanest hard bop band ever, period. If you enjoyed 'Free for All' arguably the best hard bop album, you will love this one too. The same hard swinging, in your face, hard bop jazz is found here. Blakey' solo on Mosaic is worth the price of admission. Highly recommended.

Seeds of a masterpiece by a fantastic group.......2006-03-05

This is the most recent reissue of "Mosaic," the first album by what is arguably the greatest edition of Art Blakey's jazz messengers. This band features Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass (he had not yet been replaced by Reggie Workman) and Art Blakey on drums. It was recorded in 1961.

The differences between this edition of the Jazz Messengers and its predecessor (the other greatest edition, featuring Lee Morgan on trumpet and Bobby Timmons on piano, in addition to Shorter, Merritt, and Blakey) are evident from the very start of this album. Though the previous group had a lot of energy, this group takes the intensity up a level, both through their fast, advanced playing and their more modern compositions, courtesy of Wayne Shorter's new position as musical director (consequently Shorter would be instrumental in moving jazz forward over the next two decades). Whereas the meat of the older messengers is in groove and deep swing (albeit with sophistication), this group comes out and beats the crap out of you, especially on the turbo-charged title track. They do prove that they can still groove on the medium tempo number, "Down Under," but the energy level is always high and most of the numbers are medium up to way uptempo.

I have been a Messengers fan since I first got into jazz about seven years ago, but I have never been able to warm up to this particular album. The title track amazes me but doesn't move me, and I feel the same way about the other tunes, with the exception of "Crisis." "Children of the Night" is also a good tune but for some reason it's not as memorable as Shorter's other contributions to this band. The musicianship is at a very high level but there is still something rough with this explosive new group, like they haven't quite found a new voice yet. The next album, "Buhaina's Delight," actually took a step back into the medium tempo groove world of the previous group, but this band reached its pinnacle on "Free For All," which gets honors as my favorite album EVER. That album features musicianship and energy every bit as high (and higher) than it is here, but with a much more together musical vision. I believe this album is critical to understanding "Free For All," which is worth understanding, and it is a good album, but not the best this group would record. Get it anyway; it's an important link between the two best editions of the Jazz Messengers.

Average customer rating: Indestrucible lineup! Solid! But not indispensable Essential hardbop at its best! Prime Blakey, Prime Blue Note

Indestructible Art Blakey Manufacturer: Blue Note Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music Hard Bop | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music General | Jazz | Styles | Music Blue Note Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music Similar Items: Free for All A Night in Tunisia Buhaina's Delight The Witch Doctor Moanin' ASIN: B0000AC8N3 Release Date: 2003-08-05

Tracks:

1. The Egyptian
2. Sortie
3. Calling Miss Khadija
4. When Love Is New
5. Mr. Jin
6. It's A Long Way Down

Customer Reviews:

Indestrucible lineup!.......2007-03-30

Call it a labor of love, but trying to fatten the collection of one of your favorite artists, especially in the prolific world of jazz, is exausting at the least. Being a huge Blakey fan, I struggle knowing that I have only 4 of his releases in my collection, and even worse is that my ears haven't been privy to the remainder of his catalog. I'm working on it though, and AB's smoking 1964 sextet session "Indestructible" is my latest addition. The thing I love about Blue Note releases is exactly why I picked this up. The lineups are as varied and interchangeable as puzzle pieces. Masters of their respective instruments. Blakey has put together a powerful cluster featuring a rare 3 horn overtone. Therein lies the swing as AB and the brass section provide the backbone for the uptempo tracks. Especially the opener "The Egyptian." Don't sleep on Cedar and Workman (who is absolutely one of my top 3 Bassists) as both contribute heartily as well. I still don't think I've found or heard that ultimate Blakey piece yet. (Roots And Herbs being my current #1) But unless I win the lottery tomorrow, I'll have fun searching til then.

Solid!.......2007-02-02

Some of the most ambitious hard bop albums of the 1950s-60s were produced by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers; although perhaps not quite as good as some of his earlier albums, this release from 1964 offers some exciting and demanding hard bop performances. Blakey always managed to assemble the best players in his various Messenger bands, and Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, and Wayne Shorter are at the top of their game here. Trumpeter Morgan is especially fine. His solo on his own blues waltz CALLING MISS KHADIJA is superb, and the short solo he takes on the Wayne Shorter feature WHEN LOVE IS NEW almost steals the show from Shorter. The agitated theme on THE EGYPTIAN is reinforced by a relaxed 16-bar release that makes for very compelling music. Blakey, as usual, is solid on the drums and draws out the best from everyone. A most enjoyable set from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers.

But not indispensable.......2006-09-15

The Blue Note studio was especially hospitable to Art during the early sixties, and the cast assembled for this session seemed to strike a responsive chord with listeners over the course of a dozen or more albums, with the main variable being the trumpet chair, alternating between Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. Frankly, I could hear this one in my head before I played it--the predictably confident playing of all the principals, the trendy modal harmonies of the arrangements, the punching textures of the 3-horn frontline, the backbeats and drum breaks, the Van Gelder sound. With nearly 50 Messenger recordings in my collection, I didn't need this one, but I'll confess I'm short on the Shorter groups, and Amazon is offering a number of these RVG editions at extremely attractive prices--and the photo of Art on the front cover, not to mention the title, is cool.

As for the sounds, the first tune, "The Egyptian," is a period piece, indistinguishable from hundreds of other A Dorian tunes (many written by college students) being played by combos in the '60's. It does feature perhaps Shorter's best solo turn on the album, demonstrating his indebtedness to Coltrane but also inviting comparisons that are not altogether flattering. I know that many listeners think of Coltrane's heated, incantatory altissimo solos as a form of protest music or even primal scream. But to listen to him for any length of time is to experience the "open-throated," effortless quality of his playing made possible by a complete mastery of embrochure and breathing. Hearing even his first note is like being connected with an unobstructed pipeline to the divine. By comparison, Wayne's sound is "close-throated," forced and pinched, capturing a far more limited expressive range that doesn't take long to become grating. At the same time, his composition "Mr. Jin" is the freshest, most engaging tune on the session (programming it first rather than last would have been a good move).

Compared to some other Messengers sessions from the early '60's, "Indestructible" to my ears doesn't measure up to "Three Blind Mice" or "Buhaina's Delight"--in terms of compositions, programming, or solo excitement. In fact, none of the recordings I've heard from this period compares favorably with either the Silver-Mobley-Golson, etc. ensembles that preceded them or the editions that would follow, especially the ones featuring Walter Davis Jr.'s challenging, strikingly original, even visionary writing (you'll need to expand your horizons beyond Blue Note and keep your old turntable in good working order to hear most of this music).

Both on record and in person, I never quite "got" Art's attraction to a third horn, regardless of who the trombonist or extra saxophonist was (maybe I'd have felt differently had it been J.J.). The extra instrument encroached on the playing time of the other soloists and, moreover, added little in the way of compositional interest or textural color. (Listen to "Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers" on Columbia to hear how it's possible to make a mere two horns sound like a miniature big band, capable moreover of covering the whole dynamic spectrum.) Even in spacious Carnegie Hall, I once witnessed Bu's five-piece ensemble blow away the larger groups on an all-star program, giving me goose bumps in the process, while a six-piece group he brought into Joe Segal's room, The Jazz Showcase, seemed comparatively tame.

This is a solid album (3 stars is a positive rating) but one I'm unlikely to play beyond another time or two--at least not until I tire sufficiently of "At Birdland," "At the Jazz Corner of the World," "At the Cafe Bohemia," "Backgammon," "Gipsy Folk Tales," and "In My Prime" to make room for it (which is unlikely to happen in this lifetime--good thing it's indestructible).

Essential hardbop at its best!.......2005-03-08

There were two versions of the Messengers, a Quintet and Sextet. The Quintet of Shorter, Morgan, Timmons, Merrit, produced many great albums, but did not have the incredibly powerful drive that the later sextet sessions would produce. The Messengers classic sextet version yielded 7 or so studio albums 3 for the Prestige/riverside unit and four for Bluenote. The first for the sextet of Hubbard, Fuller, and Shorter, was "Mosaic", then Followed by "Buhainas delight". The group made three prestige albums "Caravan", "Ugetsu" recorded live at birdland, and "Kyoto". The Thunderous "Free for all" on bluenote was the 'new' sextets Bluenote Debut and featured Blakeys Volcanic playing. "Indestructable" was The Messengers last for bluenote and featured the same sextet except Lee Morgan went in for Freddie Hubbard. "Indestructable" is not as hard driving and volcanic as "Free For All" or "Mosaic" but is still a very prolific recording and the group is very solid. The material is all original, two each by Fuller and Shorter; and one each by Morgan and Walton. The opener, "Egyptian" by fuller, has a feeling that makes it "Indestructable". "Sortie" Also by fuller, features Lee Morgans bright, hip trumpet playing. "Calling miss Kadija" is a 3/4, 24 bar blues or 6/4, 12 bar blues by Morgan who has written many similar pieces. "When Love is New", a Walton tune, seems like the title of a standard but is a quite original ballad. The latter two tunes, "Mister Jin" and "It's a Long Way Down" are Shorter originals and have very unique Harmony and balance. Every single player is in top notch form and the only flaw is that the bass could have been recorded better. "Indestructable" lives upto it's title.

Prime Blakey, Prime Blue Note.......2004-12-20

Not that one can ever really go wrong with an Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers recording, but some are stronger than others; this is among the very strongest. The lineup 'Bu' worked with here for his final Blue Note outing was probably the most prominent overall group of Messengers, with Shorter, Morgan, Workman, and Curtis Fuller on trombone. It's Fuller who contributes the first two tracks, 'The Egyptian' and 'Sortie', and along with Shorter's 'Mr. Jin', they are the strongest, most original and compelling songs on the disc. A typical Morgan romp ('Calling Miss Khadija'), a typically expressive Walton ballad ('When Love Is New'), and a bonus Shorter cut ('It's A Long Way Down', not his most memorable composition) round out the contents. The tracks are appealingly varied, though tied together by the manifest quality of the writing and playing; needless to say, Morgan, Shorter, and Fuller are consistently brilliant, imaginative soloists, and the music doesn't drag for a split-second in the album's entirety. As soon as you hear the first minor chords ring out on Walton's piano after a brief intro from Blakey in the first seconds of the opening track, there is no doubt this promises to be an exciting listen in the most classic vein of hard-bopness.

Jazz Music:

1. Blue Night [Import]
2. Brassy and Sassy
3. Bringing It Together
4. Chicago Revisited: Live at Joe Segal's Jazz Showcase [Live]
5. Christmas with Travelin' Light
6. Coleccion Estelar de Latin Jazz
7. Come Join in Dance
8. Common Chord
9. Countdown
10. Dedicated to Diz [Live]

Jazz Music

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