Tag Archives: Art Blakey

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers: 1958 – Paris Olympia

In December 1958, “Fontana” label released “1958 – Paris Olympia”, the fourth Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers live album. It was recorded November – December 1958, at “L’Olympia” in Paris, France.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Bobby Timmons – piano
  • Jymie Merritt – bass

Track listing:

All tracks by Benny Golson except where noted.

  1. Just by Myself
  2. I Remember Clifford
  3. Are You Real
  4. Moanin’ – Bobby Timmons
  5. Justice – Thelonious Monk
  6. Blues March
  7. Whisper Not

Lee Morgan: Expoobident

In August 1961, “Vee-Jay” label released “Expoobident”, the 13the Lee Morgan album. It was recorded in October 1960, at “Universal Recorders” in Chicago, and was produced by Sid McCoy.

Personnel:

  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Clifford Jordan – tenor saxophone
  • Eddie Higgins – piano
  • Art Davis – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums

Track listing:

  1. Expoobident – Eddie Higgins
  2. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  3. Triple Track – Lee Morgan
  4. Fire – Wayne Shorter
  5. Just in Time – Jule Styne, Betty Comden, Adolph Green
  6. The Hearing – Clifford Jordan
  7. Lost and Found – Clifford Jordan

Chuck Mangione

On July 22, 2025, Charles Frank Mangione died aged 84. He was musician (flugelhorn, trumpet, piano) and composer, came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey’s band in the 1960s. With his brother Gap, he led the Mangione Brothers Sextet/Quintet, later was member of the band The National Gallery, from 1968 – 1972 was director of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble, formed quartet with Gerry Niewood, in the late 70’s he lead ensemble with Chris Vadala, Grant Geissman, Charles Meeks and James Bradley Jr. As leader he released 29th albums.

Hank Mobley: Roll Call

In June 1961, “Blue Note” label released “Roll Call”, the 13th Hank Mobley album. It was recorded in November 1960, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Wynton Kelly – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Hank Mobley, except where noted.

  1. Roll Call
  2. My Groove Your Move
  3. Take Your Pick
  4. A Baptist Beat
  5. The More I See You – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
  6. The Breakdown

The Jazz Messangers: Live At The Bohemia, Vols. 1 & 2

In April 1958, “Blue Note” label released “At the Cafe Bohemia, Vols. 1 & 2”, a pair of separate but related live albums by the Jazz Messengers. They were recorded at the “Café Bohemia” jazz club in Greenwich Village, in New York City, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Doug Watkins – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • John Hermansader – cover design
  • Francis Wolff – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

Volume 1

  1. Announcement by Art Blakey
  2. Soft Winds – Benny Goodman
  3. The Theme – Kenny Dorham
  4. Minor’s Holiday – Kenny Dorham
  5. Alone Together – Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz
  6. Prince Albert (All the Things You Are) – Kenny Dorham, Jerome Kern

Volume 2

  1. Announcement by Art Blakey
  2. Sportin’ Crowd – Hank Mobley
  3. Like Someone in Love – Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen
  4. Yesterdays – Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
  5. Avila and Tequila – Hank Mobley
  6. I Waited for You – Gil Fuller, Fizzy Gillespie
  7. Just One of Those Things – Cole Porter
  8. Hank’s Symphony – Hank Mobley
  9. Gone with the Wind – Herb Magidson, Allie Wrubel

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messenger: A Night In Tunisia

In February 1958, “RCA Victor” label released “A Night in Tunisia”, album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded in April 1957, in New York City, and was produced by Bob Rolontz.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Jackie McLean (listed as Ferris Benda/Ferris Bender on the cover) – alto sax
  • Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
  • Bill Hardman – trumpet
  • Sam Dockery – piano
  • Spanky DeBrest – bass

Track listing:

  1. A Night in Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
  2. Off the Wall – Johnny Griffin
  3. Theory of Art – Bill Hardman
  4. Couldn’t It Be You? – Art Blakey, Jackie McLean
  5. Evans – Sonny Rollins

Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers: Tough!

In January 1966, “Cadet” label released “Tough!”, the fourth Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers album. It was recorded in 1957, at “Swedien Recording Studio” in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
  • Bill Hardman – trumpet
  • Sam Dockery – piano
  • Spanky DeBrest – bass
  • Bruce Swedien – engineer
  • Michael Reid Design – design
  •  Don S. Bronstein – photography
  • Herb Wong – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Scotch Blues – Duke Jordan
  2. Flight to Jordan – Duke Jordan
  3. Transfiguration – Gigi Gryce
  4. Exhibit A – Gigi Gryce
  5. Gershwin Medley: Rhapsody in Blue/Summertime/Someone to Watch Over Me/The Man I Love – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Gigi Gryce Orchestra And Quartet: Nica’s Tempo

In December 1955, “Signal” label released “Nica’s Tempo”, album by Gigi Gryce Orchestra and Quartet (the second Gigi Gryce album overall). It was recorded in October 1955, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

Gigi Gryce Orchestra

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Danny Bank – baritone saxophone
  • Art Farmer – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Eddie Bert – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gunther Schuller – French horn
  • Bill Barber – tuba
  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Oscar Pettiford – bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums
  • Ernestine Anderson – vocals

Gigi Gryce Quartet

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Thelonious Monk – piano
  • Percy Heath – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Ira Gitler – liner notes

Track listing:

Gigi Gryce Orchestra

  1. Speculation – Horace Silver
  2. In a Meditating Mood – Gigi Gryce
  3. Social Call – Gigi Gryce, Jon Hendricks
  4. Smoke Signal – Gigi Gryce
  5. (You’ll Always Be) The One I Love – Gigi Gryce
  6. Kerry Dance – traditional

Gigi Gryce Quartet

  1. Shuffle Boil – Thelonious Monk
  2. Brake’s Sake – Thelonious Monk
  3. Gallop’s Gallop – Thelonious Monk
  4. Nica’s Tempo – Gigi Gryce

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messemgers: Golden Boy

In November 1964, “Colpix” label released “Golden Boy” (full title Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Play Selections from the New Musical Golden Boy), the 21st Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers album. It was recorded in 1963 in New York City, and was produced by Jack Lewis.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • James Spaulding – alto saxophone
  • Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, arrangements
  • Charles Davis – baritone saxophone
  • Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone, arrangements
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Bill Barber – tuba
  • Cedar Walton – piano, arrangements
  • Reggie Workman – bass
  • Billy Taylor – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Lee Adams and Charles Strouse.

  1. Theme from Golden Boy
  2. Yes I Can
  3. Lorna’s Here
  4. This Is the Life
  5. There’s a Party
  6. I Want to Be with You

Roy Haynes

On November 12, 2024 Roy Owen Haynes died aged 99. He was musician (drums), regarded as one of best and most influential drummers in the history of jazz music. In his career lasting over 80 years he recorded and performed with the best known and most important jazz musicians, including Miles Davis, Lester Young, Kai Winding, Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Gray, Sarah Vaughan, Cal Tjader, Eddie Shu, Nat Adderley, Milt Jackson, Red Rodney, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Art Farmer, Art Blakey, Dorothy Ashby, John Handy,  George Shearing, Randy Weston, Kenny Burrell,  Phineas Newborn, Jr,  Sonny Stitt, Lee Konitz, Eric Dolphy, Etta Jones, Booker Little, Betty Roché, Tommy Flanagan,  Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Oliver Nelson, Sonny Stitt,  Kai Winding, J. J. Johnson, Lem Winchester, Steve Lacy, Ray Charles, Jaki Byard, Ted Curson,  Bob Brookmeyer, Jackie Paris, Roland Kirk, Willis Jackson, McCoy Tyner, Ted Curson, John Coltrane, Frank Wess, Andrew Hill, Jackie McLean, Jimmy Witherspoon, Gary Burton, Archie Shepp, Chick Corea, Jack DeJohnette, Leon Thomas, Clifford Jordan, Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, Dave Brubeck, Duke Jordan, Warne Marsh, Mary Lou Williams, Nick Brignola, Dizzy Reece, Johnny Griffin, Alice Coltrane,  Art Pepper,  Sal Nistico, Red Garland, Hank Jones, Stanley Cowell, Joe Albany, Freddie Hubbard, Toshiyuki Honda, Michel Petrucciani,  Mark Isaacs, Dave Holland, Pat Metheny and Kenny Barron.  Roy Haynes received big number of awards including “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences”, and the award at the “Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception” of the “54th Annual Grammy Awards”. In 2019, Haynes was given the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the “Jazz Foundation of America”. As leader and co-leader, Roy Haynes released 32 albums.