Jump to content

Jazz Messengers--longest stints


Milestones

Recommended Posts

Can anyone provide some names of players who were Messengers for an extended period?  That's in relative terms, of course, as Blakey always seemed to continually bring in new young talent.  I believe Wayne Shorter put in 5 years.  I'n not sure anyone else matched that.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Milestones said:

Wasn't Lee Morgan in and out over a pretty long stretch?   When he was out, Freddie Hubbard took the spot.  

Hubbard replaced Morgan after his long initial stretch, then Morgan came back for a time after Hubbard left following his long stretch.  Morgan's second stay yielded the Limelight album with Gilmore and John Hicks.  Chuck Mangione and Keith Jarrett joined shortly thereafter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, Milestones said:

I noticed there was actually an album on which both Hubbard and Morgan appear, seemingly together on most or all of the tracks.  I can't recall the title right now.

 

 

It was Soul Finger.

R-1068149-1189682856.jpeg.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, soulpope said:

One track feat Lucky Thompson ....  a candidate for the "shortest stint" 😎 ....

 

Lucky Thompson ? I think he had a quite interrupted career, in the 40´s he was very much in demand with Billy Eckstine and all the bop groups, from the 50´s I only know his solos on Miles Davis "Walkin" and it seems that in the early 60´s he was "everywhere" in Paris, playing among others with Bud Powell....

 

 

On 6/13/2024 at 2:00 AM, felser said:

Hubbard replaced Morgan after his long initial stretch, then Morgan came back for a time after Hubbard left following his long stretch.  Morgan's second stay yielded the Limelight album with Gilmore and John Hicks.  Chuck Mangione and Keith Jarrett joined shortly thereafter.

Gilmore was one of the best of the saxophonists somewhat lesser known than Trane and Newks and so on. I saw him only with Sun Ra where he was fantastic, and heard records with sessions with him like "A Blowing Session". 

CHUCK MANGIONE AND KEITH JARRETT with Blakey ? I might listen how this sounds. I know Mangione only from his "Children of Sanchéz" which I really liked, and I liked Keith Jarrett from the earlier things with Lloyd and above all the tenure with Miles Davis, his playing Fender Rhodes and Yamaha Organ at the same time was magic. How might it have sounded, them together with the Messengers. How did they change the messengers sound? I have heard there were also sessions where the Messengers played with electric piano ? 

It seems that the period after Hubbard and Morgan is not well known or well documentated, the only better known activity of Blakey until his contract with Timeless Records was "Giant´s of Jazz". 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

CHUCK MANGIONE AND KEITH JARRETT with Blakey ? I might listen how this sounds. I know Mangione only from his "Children of Sanchéz" which I really liked, and I liked Keith Jarrett from the earlier things with Lloyd and above all the tenure with Miles Davis, his playing Fender Rhodes and Yamaha Organ at the same time was magic. How might it have sounded, them together with the Messengers. How did they change the messengers sound? I have heard there were also sessions where the Messengers played with electric piano ? 

It seems that the period after Hubbard and Morgan is not well known or well documentated, the only better known activity of Blakey until his contract with Timeless Records was "Giant´s of Jazz". 

Mangione and Jarrett are on the 1966 Buttercorn Lady album on the Limelight label.  While the personnel was fascinating (Frank Mitchell and Reggie Johnson complete the group), the album is pretty routine, as were all of his Limelight recordings.  Mangione and Jarrett had not yet found their personal styles.     There were three of great early 70's Prestige Jazz Messengers albums ("Child's Dance", "Buhaina", "Anthenagin") with electric piano.  Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw, and Carter Jefferson shine on these.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

And before that the quasi bootlegs with Billy Harper...and the Catalyst record with Carlos Garnet and Joanne Brackeen.

I love those sides with Harper!  Wish that Catalyst record was more easily available on CD (and wish they would put out that Waldron/Peacock 'First Encounter' album on CD - that's my favorite Mal Waldron album!).  Blakey's 'Gypsy Folk Tales' on Roulette is a favorite of mine - World, meet the supremely gifted Bobby Watson!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am I remembering right that it was Bill Hardman onboard with both Harper & Garnett...and then again on Backgammon?

Gotta also remember that there was a spell where The Jazz Messengers were not a regularly working unit. Blakey was picking up gigs when they were there and getting who he could get. Hardman was on a lot of those gigs. Woody Shaw was as well, to a lesser extent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, felser said:

I love those sides with Harper!  Wish that Catalyst record was more easily available on CD (and wish they would put out that Waldron/Peacock 'First Encounter' album on CD - that's my favorite Mal Waldron album!).

Excellent music ....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bobby Watson told me in an interview that he was trying to stay a little longer with Blakey when learned of a gig that he wasn’t told about and that’s how he learned that Blakey had kicked him out of the nest to encourage him to go out on his own.   

Edited by Ken Dryden
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...