Rooster_Ties Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 (edited) Same premise as the "Greatest Blakey Trumpet Album, best Messenger trumpet work ever" thread (which can be found HERE), only for SAXOPHONE!! The ground rules there (now modified for sax) stated... Might turn into a rather interesting (and contentious) topic ... What is your pick for the single Blakey Messengers album (not single composition) that contains the greatest overall trumpet saxophone work ? I don't mean the best overall Messengers album that contains amazing trumpet saxophone ... ... but the single Messengers album that contains the greatest overall trumpet saxophone work. Extremely tough question (in my opinion) because: 1. so many possible recordings ... how many have even listened to them all ? 2. almost every latter-half 20th century great on the horn was a Messenger 3. the best Messenger on trumpet saxophone overall might not be the one with the best single recording (as defined above) 4. the high-energy, showmanship, and flamboyance of many of the young greats when they joined Art can possibly trick the mind ... (or maybe not) 5. could be one of the lesser-known players ... it's possible ! My quite serious pick would be a toss-up between the following -- both with Billy Harper... The second date is also a live recording (probably recorded in Europe, or so I've read here and there) -- different recordings/tunes too (with slightly different line-ups) -- and both recordings are from 1968. Good sound quality on both -- even "rather good", IMHO. These are my all-time favorite Blakey JM recordings, hands-down. And 90% of that falls on the shoulders of Billy Harper's contribution to these recordings. Damn!!! Edited November 16, 2010 by Rooster_Ties Quote
B. Clugston Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Can't wait for the Greatest Blakey DRUM Album thread. Quote
Guy Berger Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Wayne Shorter, on "Free For All." I only have about a dozen AB recordings, but this one would be VERY hard to beat. Guy Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 (edited) As (some kind of a general, but not very workable) rule, I don't tend to identify with Shorter's stuff, but in this case...well, tought to think of an alternative to 'Free For All'! Griffin on the Monk date, I guess! Edited June 5, 2007 by Red Quote
sal Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Wayne Shorter definitely did the best Jazz Messenger saxophone work that I've heard, and "Free For All" and "Indestructible" are my two picks. Quote
Big Al Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Wayne Shorter, on "Free For All." That was my first thought as well. Quote
Big Al Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Can't wait for the Greatest Blakey DRUM Album thread. That's actually a viable thread, come to think of it. Of course, my answer would STILL be Free for All. ------ Then, of course, you could start a poll asking which do you prefer: Blakey as leader or sideman? Quote
AndrewHill Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Free for All is intense, and besides Blakey, I think Shorter majorly adds to that intensity. Quote
Shrdlu Posted June 5, 2007 Report Posted June 5, 2007 Wayne Shorter is easily the best sax player with the Messengers (and there is a lot of competition) and "Free For All" is probably the Messengers' most intense album - very hard to beat. "Mosaic" would be another contender. [Just got to hear some more Wayne with Blakey, on dailymotion.com - do a search on Blakey. That alone would back up my claim. There was also some serious Lee on that site. Check it out or be square!] Quote
JSngry Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 Yep. (Free For All - Freddie) + Lee/(Reggie Workman-Jymie Merritt). I still think that FFA's overall "favored" status over Indestructable is a residual function of the latter having been OOP as an LP for may years while FFA stayed in print. Otherwise, hey, they're both topshelfstellardefinitive classics, but if I could only have one, it would be my orange and black buddy, But having said all that, Wayne on the RTE Olympia sides is Nutz Skwared. Or does that not count? Quote
paul secor Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 Hank Mobley's playing on The Jazz Messengers (Columbia) is none too shabby. Quote
CJ Shearn Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 another vote for Wayne on Free For All! Quote
Kalo Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 Man, this is hard. I mean, Mobley, McLean, Golson, Shorter... I nominate Curtis Fuller for best trombonist... Quote
Kalo Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 ...and Buddy DeFranco gets my nod for best bass clarinet player on a Blakey album. Quote
Kalo Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 But who's your vote for best Blakey trombonist, Free For All? Quote
Free For All Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 Hmmm, let's see...that's a tough one......... Quote
Shawn Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 An impossible task to pick a "single" favorite saxophone performance...but my initial gut reaction was this... Quote
chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez Posted June 6, 2007 Report Posted June 6, 2007 free for all is the most overrated of all his albums 've noticed you guys have played this one up before, r u guys on crack? The Cafe Bohemia sides is the like bible, of hard bop. Hank is so killin' on it, no thanks to art blakey. for example art steals hanks song avila and tequlia and he turns it into a drum solo feature and totally shafts kenny dorham, if i remember correctly.... Quote
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