Art Blakey/Jazz Messengers

Hi, Phasecorrect:

Funny that you mention Art Blakey -- I was just looking today at some of my old LP's that he did with the Jazz Messengers.

There are several of Blakey's recordings from the 1950's and 1960's that I like:
1. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers (features Donald Byrd on trumpet, Hank Mobley on tenor sax, and Horace Silver on piano) (I think this LP has been re-issued on CD as part of the Columbia Legacy series -- look for the version that includes "Infra-Rae", "Nica's Dream", "Ecaroh", and 4 others)
2. Ugetsu
3. A Night in Tunisia

If I have to choose a favorite I think that I would pick The Freedom Rider. Art Blakey is one of my very favorites.

Had the pleasure of hearing Blakey toward the end of his career (around 1988-89 I think, at Fat Tuesdays in NYC). If I remember coreectly, Terrence Blanchard was on trumpet and Donald Harrison on Sax. Great man, great TEACHER! I was astonished at his physical conditioning...he was in his 70's and you would not have wanted to armwrestle him. All of his recordings mentioned above are wonderful, I hope each of you had the pleasure to see him live.

I have only three Blakely LP's that feature Morgan and would like to find more.

"Big Beat" - also includes Wayne Shorter on TS. Not sure if it was CD'd.

"Les Femmes Disparaissent" not quite as good, but interesting. From a French movie soundtrack, includes Dizzy, and Stan Getz, among other luminaries. I know the CD for this one is available.

"Drums Around the Corner" - Find this one if you can. In addition to Blakey and Morgan, there are a few other jazz drummers that had a modicum of success on this LP -
Philly Joe Jones, Ray Barretto, Roy Haynes! :-)

WHO'S YOUR FAVE MESSENGERS? I really like the lee morgan stuff, too. However, believe it or else, my favorite iteration of the Messengers is with Terrence Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Jean Tousaint, Mulgrew Miller, and Lonnie Plaxico. What hard-hitting cats!

Almost any Blakey Blue Note from the late 50s to mid 60s will be excellent. A few favorites are: Mosaic, Buhaina's Delight, Witch Doctor, Roots and Herbs, Indestructible and the most intense of all (and that's saying a lot), Free for All. They all have the front line of Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller on trombone and either Lee Morgan or Freddie Hubbard. Can't go far wrong with any Blakey Blue Note, IMHO.

I like the work that Art Blakey did with Sonny Stitt.