Durium Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) ART BLAKEY and the JAZZ MESSENGERS One of the best albums in jazz celebrates this week its 50th birthday ! Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers: Moanin' Keep swinging Durium Edited October 30, 2008 by Durium Quote
Big Al Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) I don't know that I'd agree that it's one of the best albums in jazz (Cafe Bohemia anyone?); however, it is certainly and completely worthy of all the hype and praise thrown its way over the years. Kind of a pity that on the celebrated title track, Art doesn't take a solo. I always imagine a solo along the lines of the one Art did on Grant Green's "It Ain't Necessarily So." Ah well, fantastic album, fantastic choice for an AotW. Gonna go spin it right now! Edited October 30, 2008 by Big Al Quote
BillF Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) Hope this won't be seen as "Messengers snobbery", but I always preferred the previous outfit with McLean, Hardman and Dockery, even though their album sales were only a fraction of Moanin's. Edited October 30, 2008 by BillF Quote
Big Al Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! Quote
Durium Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! You're welcome ...... I do my best .............................. Did you know I'll be reach the 1000th Keep Swinging blog contribution within three weeks Keep Swinging blog Durium Quote
Big Al Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! You're welcome ...... I do my best .............................. Did you know I'll be reach the 1000th Keep Swinging blog contribution within three weeks Keep Swinging blog Durium Dumb question of the day: who's the big guy? Quote
Dan Gould Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Hope this won't be seen as "Messengers snobbery", but I always preferred the previous outfit with McLean, Hardman and Dockery, even though their album sales were only a fraction of Moanin's. Boy you don't find many who prefer that lineup, fine as it was. It was this group, and the compositions it wrote and recorded, that made the Messengers. Had Art stuck with that band and the bop they favored, I don't think "The Messengers" would be recognized in the same way that they are today. YMMV, of course. Quote
blajay Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) Blus March gets my blood boiling. The Timmons/Golson group of Messengers is prime as far as I'm concerned. Edited October 30, 2008 by zanonesdelpueblo Quote
Durium Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! You're welcome ...... I do my best .............................. Did you know I'll be reach the 1000th Keep Swinging blog contribution within three weeks Keep Swinging blog Durium Dumb question of the day: who's the big guy? There are no dumb question, you should know that ............ I use this pictures as my blog logo. Any idea which musician this could be? He played in our club (Porgy en Bess Jazz club in Terneuzen ( in the southwest part of The Netherlands) earlier this year and when the leader of the band had a solo, he stood beside the stage and I made this picture, which I photo-shopped a bit to make it real nice ....... Anybody any suggestions? Keep Swinging blog Keep swinging Durium Quote
BillF Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Hope this won't be seen as "Messengers snobbery", but I always preferred the previous outfit with McLean, Hardman and Dockery, even though their album sales were only a fraction of Moanin's. Boy you don't find many who prefer that lineup, fine as it was. It was this group, and the compositions it wrote and recorded, that made the Messengers. Had Art stuck with that band and the bop they favored, I don't think "The Messengers" would be recognized in the same way that they are today. YMMV, of course. Yes, you're quite right in everything you say, but my personal collection of 1957 Messengers' albums remains a highly treasured possession. (No surprise, but I don't own Moanin'! ) Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! You're welcome ...... I do my best .............................. Did you know I'll be reach the 1000th Keep Swinging blog contribution within three weeks Keep Swinging blog Durium Dumb question of the day: who's the big guy? There are no dumb question, you should know that ............ I use this pictures as my blog logo. Any idea which musician this could be? He played in our club (Porgy en Bess Jazz club in Terneuzen ( in the southwest part of The Netherlands) earlier this year and when the leader of the band had a solo, he stood beside the stage and I made this picture, which I photo-shopped a bit to make it real nice ....... Anybody any suggestions? Keep Swinging blog Keep swinging Durium I've only got one photo of Vincent Herring, without a beard, but the nose is similar - and, hey, the sax is similar, too! MG Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 30, 2008 Report Posted October 30, 2008 Yeah, I love this album, but not quite as much as I love "Horace Silver & the Jazz Messengers". Dorham, Mobley, Silver, Watkins & Blakey were the Acme Jazz Company. The track on "Moanin'" that I REALLY go for is "Are you real". That song flies! (Whoever plays it.) It has such a Tadd Dameron feel to it. MG Quote
Durium Posted October 30, 2008 Author Report Posted October 30, 2008 BTW, great write-up on your blog, Durium! You're welcome ...... I do my best .............................. Did you know I'll be reach the 1000th Keep Swinging blog contribution within three weeks Keep Swinging blog Durium Dumb question of the day: who's the big guy? There are no dumb question, you should know that ............ I use this pictures as my blog logo. Any idea which musician this could be? He played in our club (Porgy en Bess Jazz club in Terneuzen ( in the southwest part of The Netherlands) earlier this year and when the leader of the band had a solo, he stood beside the stage and I made this picture, which I photo-shopped a bit to make it real nice ....... Anybody any suggestions? Keep Swinging blog Keep swinging Durium I've only got one photo of Vincent Herring, without a beard, but the nose is similar - and, hey, the sax is similar, too! MG Sorry - no, I've never heard Vincent Herring live here in the southwest part of Holland. I'll help you a bit - The saxophone player (you're right about that ) plays in a band with a trumpet player as the leader ................... Keep Swinging blog Keep swinging Quote
Guy Berger Posted October 31, 2008 Report Posted October 31, 2008 A nice album, but IMHO the bands with Shorter were better. I'd reach for at least a dozen Blakey albums before this one. Guy Quote
BillF Posted October 31, 2008 Report Posted October 31, 2008 A nice album, but IMHO the bands with Shorter were better. I'd reach for at least a dozen Blakey albums before this one. Guy I agree. A quick look at my record collection shows I reached for (i.e. bought) 17 Blakey albums before this one. Quote
danasgoodstuff Posted November 1, 2008 Report Posted November 1, 2008 This was probably the first AB & the JMs album I bought (30+ years ago, I got a lot of stuff from 1959 for some reason). Always thought it was a great half an album, rarely played the second side. IMHO, the perfect AB album would be side 1 of this and side 2 of The Big Beat. Other version of the band may have had as good or better players, but those two sides have great songs and sequencing and Blakey was all about making it a REAL BAND with uniforms 'n evrything... Quote
Jimmer Posted November 2, 2008 Report Posted November 2, 2008 Moanin' is one of my favorites, and I play it often. The Art Blakey Jazz Icons DVD is also worth owing if you're a fan of this line-up. Quote
Peter Friedman Posted November 3, 2008 Report Posted November 3, 2008 A nice album, but IMHO the bands with Shorter were better. I'd reach for at least a dozen Blakey albums before this one. Guy I agree. A quick look at my record collection shows I reached for (i.e. bought) 17 Blakey albums before this one. Though I do have and enjoy the MOANIN' album, it is not even close to being among my favorites by Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The sessions with Mobley and Dorham, or Byrd, or Morgan; with McLean and Hardman; with Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson; and the ones with Hubbard or Morgan with Shorter all rate higher in my book. Not sure why, but I prefer Golson on the albums where he is the leader far more than when with the Jazz Messengers. Quote
Dan Gould Posted November 3, 2008 Report Posted November 3, 2008 Only Lee and Hank rate higher as a frontline for me than Morgan and Golson (but the Columbia Messengers album is in a category by itself). Quote
BillF Posted November 3, 2008 Report Posted November 3, 2008 A nice album, but IMHO the bands with Shorter were better. I'd reach for at least a dozen Blakey albums before this one. Guy I agree. A quick look at my record collection shows I reached for (i.e. bought) 17 Blakey albums before this one. Though I do have and enjoy the MOANIN' album, it is not even close to being among my favorites by Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The sessions with Mobley and Dorham, or Byrd, or Morgan; with McLean and Hardman; with Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson; and the ones with Hubbard or Morgan with Shorter all rate higher in my book. Not sure why, but I prefer Golson on the albums where he is the leader far more than when with the Jazz Messengers. Very much with you on all of that, Peter! Quote
Clunky Posted November 3, 2008 Report Posted November 3, 2008 Moanin was my first Blakey album. Some 20 years ago. I'd seen him live prior to getting this lovely disc. I'd agree that it's not his absolute best but it's hardly dross. I find Golson's compositions wear a little thin on repeated listening, such that my enthusiasm for this material has paled. Quote
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