Art Blakey: The Backbone of the Classic Blue Note Sound

For me, Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers were the back bone of the Blue Note Sound, and honestly it's written in stone.

Every record they created for the label is worthy of having in your collection.

Artists like Donald Byrd, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, and Stanley Turrentine were as prolific recording albums, and house arrangers like Ike Quebec and Duke Pearson meant a lot.

When I think about Blue Note, and even hard bop music for that matter, I think BLAKEY.

The title track to the album below, Free For All, it was a real game changer for me when I discovered jazz.

"Free For All" kicks ass! (See video below) No delicate way around it, nearly 20 years ago, the title track changed my concept of what jazz was.

 I came to jazz music through the jazz rock door, Miles 70's fusion work, Corea's Return to Forever, McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, I was a rock guy, plain and simple.

Free for All made me realize my notions about jazz were all wrong, I had this old fashioned vision in my head of Louis Armstrong singing "Hello Dolly".

I never liked instrumental jazz either, could not stand scat singing at all, still don't much care for it,  but after Free For All, and Blakey's Night in Tunisia album, I was off to discover Miles' Prestige and Columbia output.

I was blown away at the variety of jazz, and the complexity of it, a real thinking person's music. Don't get me wrong, there is still a pulse, or a beat there to tap your toe to for those that need that subtle swing.

Well, thankfully Blakey and this band did punch me in the face, because it did the trick, I never looked back. I couldn't imagine my life without modern jazz. Blue Note jazz is the foundation of what jazz is for me.

Free For All is That Good

Art Blakey's best album outside of Moanin' in my opinion is Free For All. Heavy metal jazz, POWER is the word! It's one of my favorites, but Moanin' really should be the first Blakey you get.

The title track on Free For All is an absolute freight train of a piece, in fact if you listen close, the microphones used for the date barely hold up to the power.

Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, and Cedar Walton ride this mother like their lives depended on it.

 Of course these guys weren't exactly raking in the dough back then, they did have to earn their survival. Free For All is one of those bop albums that lives up to the moniker "hard" bop.

Moanin'

Boy do I love Benny Golson, no doubt he is the star of the show on this self titled Jazz Messengers album nicknamed Moanin'. Benny gets forgotten sometimes when mentioning the best jazz composers and saxophonists.

His compositions "Blues March", "Along Came Betty", "Are You Real", and "Drum Thunder Suit", easily make this well rounded album not your ordinary hard bop album.

The most famous tune, "Moanin'" for which the nickname comes from, is easily one of the greatest themes of post WWII jazz,"Moanin'" is pianist Bobby Timmons' composition.

My favorite track on the album is "Along Came Betty" I just love the soft strut, and lilting theme.

Betty must have been one fine lookin' lady that's for sure. The other Golson tracks are also very good, "Blues March" and "Drum Thunder Suite" really had some hard bop power to balance out the softer standards.

Benny Golson is the man, and I think he his underrated as a player and composer. If you like Moanin', you must check out Lee Morgan's Volume 3 as well.

Note: The Blue Note 4003 LP Cover  was my own, one of my better record shop finds. You can read the story about that great find, and what ultimately happened to it here.

The First 5 Blue Note Jazz Records You Should Add to Your Collection

If you're new to jazz, but are reading this post, it's very likely that you've already had your first experience with jazz.

Perhaps like me, your preconceived notions about the music were wrong?

I didn't understand the scope of styles, dozens of sub-genres within jazz to discover, some better than others of course.

Everyone has their own tastes. Blue Note jazz of the 50's and 60's is the epicenter of instrumental jazz, so you'll need to investigate

 So many classic records on all labels, but Blue Note is the one label I couldn't live with out. Outside perhaps Miles Davis and his Columbia output, you won't find better small group jazz than on Blue Note.

Below I have chosen my 5 favorite from the label that fit into the traditional hard-bop style. The avant-garde/post bop style is also a passion of mine, but if you're just getting into jazz I think these 5 below are the best choices.

You won't stop at this five I am sure, so you can find many more classic in this blog, and a great articles with 25 albums that should be in every jazz collection.

Art Blakey: Moanin' - Blue Note 4003 

Blue Note 4003 recorded in 1958 may be the greatest jazz record of all time, hyperbole? Well, perhaps, but it is a darned good album.

Dominated by the great tenor saxophonist/composer Benny Golson, who wrote 4 of the tunes on the album.

"Along Came Betty", "Are You Real", "The Drum Thunder Suit", and "Blues March", were all written by Golson, they are all standards today.

Pianist Bobby Timmons'  contributes the best known standard here "Moanin", a jubilant blues call-and-response anthem that embodies the Blue Note Sound. Perhaps only John Coltrane's title track for his lone Blue Note Blue Train comes close?

John Coltrane: Blue Train - Blue Note 1577

John Coltrane's 1957 masterpiece was his only one recorded for Blue Note records, it's a classic. You'll hear Coltrane, trumpeter Lee Morgan, and trombonist Curtis Fuller as seriously kick-ass front line of horn players.

They do not hold back, the title track is one rapid-fire blowing session style solo after another. The title track, Locomotion, and "Lazy Bird" are also fine hard-bop pieces.

Dexter Gordon: One Flight Up - Blue Note 4176

One Flight Up is my personal favorite Dexter Gordon album, and the album's centerpiece is the Donald Byrd composition "Tanya".

 "Tanya" is breathtaking in how effective it is, for 17 minutes Gordon and Byrd both play some fantastic solos, with an easy strutting blues that sounds like Blue Note.

 The ballad "Darn that Dream" proves as well as any other tune, that Dex was the best ballad player of all the tenor men.

Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage - Blue Note 4195

Maiden Voyage from 1964 is little more advanced musically than the previous hard-bop albums highlighted here. More subtlety, and many different textures than on the typical hard-bop Blue Note date.

The title track, "Dolphin Dance", and "Eye of the Hurricane" are classics that push the hard-bop style ahead. I promise you, if you're new to jazz, and haven't ventured to far outside of safer styles, Maiden Voyage is a great start.

Lee Morgan: Vol: 3 - Blue Note 1557

Lee Morgan's Vol 3 is an underrated classic that doesn't get much pub.

Volume 3's claim to fame is that it's yet another classic example of Benny Golson's greatness.  He composes all 5 tunes on this wonderful album.

My favorite tune is "Hasaan's Dream" the Middle Eastern vibe is irresistible. I like this version of Golson's standard "I Remenber Clifford" too, Volume 3 is one of the better Blue Notes, and one of the most expensive to get as an original first press vinyl copy.

A Night At Birdland Vol 1 - Jazz Corner of the World With Art Blakey.

Look at the names on that cover: Art Blakey on drums, Clifford Brown on trumpet, Lou Donaldson on Alto, Horace Silver on piano, and Curly Russell on Bass.

Blue Note 1521 is a stone classic, one the real masterpieces of hard-bop. recorded in 1954, this music still has the transitory style, sort of one foot in be-bop, and perhaps not quite full blow hard-bop?

Personally I love this style, Joe Lovano has an album from the year 2000 that reminds of this style, 52nd Street Themes.

Again the highlight on this and many other Blakey albums is the Dizzy Gillespie standard "A Night in Tunisia". This time the track is taken at straight ahead bop pace, no explosive drum pyrotechnics, but it is Blakey of course. Some very Parker-like  Lou Donaldson alto work stands out.  Of course the stellar trumpet work of Clifford Brown who would be killed in a car accident just 2 years later at the age 26, shines very brightly on this incredible record.

The early Blue Note sound, and practically every variation of it to follow, seemed to follow the lead of drummer Blakey and Perhaps pianist Silver with his own bands?

The 50's and 60's style that ruled the label for so long undeniably has Blakey's imprint. Only fusion and the avant-garde could remotely wrestle that influence away in the late 60's under Lion's ownership. I suspect this has a lot to do with the Blue Note label owner Alfred Lion being a fan of music that swings, and nobody swung harder than Blakey. After Lion sold the label to Liberty all bets were off, and soul-funk fusion was the main vibe on Blue Note.

Quintessential Hard-Bop Tracks on Vol 1:

Horace Silver's "Quicksilver" is my favorite from Vol. 1. Such a fine example of 50's hard bop. Man this thing charges out the gate as the name implies. Cookin' is the word, and this thing oozes that late 40's manic bop sound.

Donaldson and Brown rip it up over the top of the comping piano and pulsating bass, with Blakey propelling the music to explosive heights.

 Brown, still today, 60 years after his death is considered one of the best ever, and he proves it here. Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard were direct descendants to Brown.

Another Silver vehicle is the lead off track "Split Kick" which also has the classic introduction of the band by disc jockey Symphony Sid.

Another one of these classic bop/hard-bop hybrids, I wish I could sit right down in that audience I know that.

You can get access to this music a few ways: 

1. Brownie Speaks: The Blue Note Albums
2. A Night at Birdland Volume 1

Check out the Lead off track below from Vol.1: Also Vol. 2 shouldn't be missed with a killer performance of Parker's "Confirmation" .

 

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Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers A Night in Tunisia: Another Powerful Blue Note Kick in the Teeth

Recorded and Released in 1960, A Night in Tunisia on Blue Note Records is one of those ass-kicking albums in the Blakey discography that should be in every music collection.

The title track, a cover of Gillespie's "A Night in Tunisia," which features some of the most raucous drum playing you're likely to hear,  and some very good in-the-pocket bass playing from Jymie Merritt.

The title track is best known for its balls-to-the-wall everybody gets some time approach. Wayne Shorter on Tenor, and Lee Morgan on trumpet go bananas, with art egging them on every step of the way.

Blakey is schooling his young players, and they as you might expect, deliver the goods. Damn I wish I could go back in time and see these groups perform live. The secret of these records, why they are so good, they all sound like a live recording, they are full of fiery youthfulness. Like Blakey's Free For All from 1966, the recording equipment almost can't handle the power, Charles Mingus and the early to mid-60's Coltrane quartet is this way too.

I love the unaccompanied solos from Morgan and Shorter, with Art vocally urging them on, it's irresistible. The track is one of those from jazz that made me realize that jazz was not exactly the sterile music of grandpa.

I love Blakey's drumming on these classic Blue Notes, subtle he is not! Heck, that's only the first track, and admittedly the rest of the album is a minor let down compared to the power of the first track, but believe me, the rest is still high-quality hard-bop. Also the 1958 RCA recording of the same name is worth checking out too, alt saxophonist Jackie McLean is in support on that one, and the title track kicks it.

The other tracks:

Wayne Shorter's "Sincerely Diana" charges out of the gate and is typical of the Wayne Shorter sound, reminds me of  something from one of his own Blue Note albums. I love the groove on this track. Morgan again shows why he was one of the best.

 Bobby Timmons' "So Tired" is a nice little funky soulful track, that reminds me of Horace Silver to tell you the truth. Nice theme here. Shorter digs in nicely, he doesn't sound like Coltrane at all here, I never thought he sounded that much like Coltrane anyway, ever.

As Morgan solos on the track I am left digging the bass of Jymie Merritt, what an underrated player. I like the steady pulse underneath the solos. Then he comes out of it walking again, solid!

Lee Morgans "Yama" offers a a retreat from the powerful previous compositions. A soulful blues that soothes the soul. Very tasteful piano from Timmons, and the soft strut of Merritt's bass lead us to Morgan and Shorter's turns, and they turn the heat up a bit. Nice break from the power for sure. I love Shorter on this track, he doesn't offer a cliche at all, the mysterious sound he plays with is perfect, and a bit surprising, I wonder how he was initially taken as a soloist by the general public back then, he's not cliche at all.

Morgan's "Kozo's Waltz rounds out the session. Boy Morgan and Shorter are tight as twins right here, I wonder how many takes this took? This music is from 1960, Shorter seems to be in total control of his tone and phrasing, he sounds like Wayne Shorter all the way.

 I don't hear Coltrane at all in Wayne's playing. People outside of us jazz nuts don't know anything about how great Shorter was and still past 80 years of age. 55 years ago his sound is fully developed,  had he never went on to be the composing spirit of the Davis Second quintet, his legacy was already cemented by these and his own Blue Notes.

Truthfully I always felt Weather Report hurt Wayne's legacy, after the first few albums it felt like Joe Zawinul's game.  I wish Wayne would have had his own fusion band where he was the dominate force. Outside of Native Dancer, which is OK, we never got that. Anyway, A Night in Tunisia on Blue Note is a must have in every serious jazz collection.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: The Freedom Rider Blue Note 4156

 I defy any one to tell me Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers ever recorded a bad album.

It seems like each Blue Note is better than the next that's for sure.

The Freedom Rider from May of 1962, features a track "El Toro" that has a very nice Coltrane style solo from tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

It's obvious Wayne was influenced by Trane, but on "El Toro" is startling how he even seems to phrase like him.

Wayne still had his own tone though, a tone as recognizable as Coltrane or Sonny Rollins.
I don't think you can go wrong with these early 70's Liberty issues on vinyl, the sound is always stellar. I know its not like a first press I presume, but honestly since This is my only listening resource I can't imagine any better sound.

I can tell you that the This Liberty Copy blows any CD version away.

You you don't have to be a fortune 500 company executive to collect vintage Blue Notes, part of the fun is finding that needle in a hay stack find for for a few dollars.

These Liberty issues can usually be had for 30 bucks or less if you shop around, honestly though you, even these are on the rise price wise.

 I don't have a problem paying 30 dollars for the same music, that a rich guy's paying 2,000 for just so he can have another status symbol. Yeah I would buy those first presses too if I could.

One Night With Blue Note DVD: It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This 1985 Concert

If you are an avid fan of Blue Note jazz and you don't already have the DVD pictured One Night With Blue Note, you must get it immediately, for it is that good.

Immediately inside the first 5 minutes of this DVD you will realize that Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is here to serve notice that he's the baddest trumpet mutha on the planet circa 1985.

Freddie's solo on Herbie Hancock's  "Cantaloup Island" is brash, in your face, pure Freddie! The Price is well worth it just for this performance. Oh yeah, Joe Henderson and Herbie are are pretty darn good too.

If that isn't enough, you also get a killer Jackie Mclean solo on "Appointment in Ghana," These dudes rose to the occasion and possibly considered it a last hurrah of sorts. The underrated trumpeter Woody Shaw also offers support to McLean.

 Many of the greats show up, drummer Art Blakey, Saxophonists Joe Henderson, Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson, and Stanley Turrentine, vibist Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, and even a very lengthy solo performance of pianist Cecil Taylor on "Pontos Contados".

Another highlight is Charles Lloyd going above and beyond with the island themed "Tone Poem". Lloyd delivers a stellar Coltrane styled solo over top the nice groove of pianist Michael Petrucciani.

There has been some talk about the original VHS cassette and or Laserdisc are the ways to obtain this timeless classic, as some footage has been cut from the DVD, McCoy Tyner's performance of "Passion Dance" is not on this DVD. I don't know about you, but I don't have a VHS or Laserdisc player?

I am thankful to have this DVD, I do return to it quite often. It has a feature that can omit the narrator, who does a good job by the way, Some have commented they prefer the music without the narrator led ins, but I don't mind it at all.

In closing Freddie Hubbard, Charles Lloyd, and Cecil Taylor stand out the most, but all who perform do so  in stellar fashion.

In case you didn't know, producer Michael Cuscuna along with Capitol Records head Bruce Lundvall were responsible for this show and the resurrection of the reissue program. I know I am for one thankful that Cuscuna has done so much to keep jazz music alive.

Art Blakey Blue Note 4170 Free For All: Powerful 60's Jazz

Grab a vinyl copy of Free For All

Power! That's the best way to describe Free For All.  A fantastic driving hard bop session from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Jazz with a pair of brass balls.

In fact, listening to this music, one can hear a few times where the recording equipment can barely handle what's being played, some slight distortion here and there.

The title track "Free for All" is the hard driving back bone of the album, a track that comes as close as Blakey ever got to free jazz, the nearly 10 minute "The Core" almost captures the same power.

Tenor Saxophonist Wayne Shorter composed the title track, and the second track "Hammer Head", a nice straight ahead blues groove number that evens out the enormous power of the album.

 The sets closer "Pensativa", a Clare Fischer number that brings the session to a mellow close with a rhythmic style reminiscent of Benny Golson's "Whispser Not".

As great as Blakey's drumming and Shorter's compositions are, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard really stands out here.

Free For All is easily one of the best Art Blakey albums, and should be in every jazz collection. Here's 24 more Blue Note albums you need in your collection.