Top Five Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Recordings

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Art Blakey’s various groups under the name The Jazz Messengers had some of the most profound influences on modern jazz of any artists of the post-bop era. Throughout its nearly 40-year tenure, it served as a training ground for many of the greatest players and writers in history, including Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, Benny Golson, Terence Blanchard, Branford and Wynton Marsalis and many others.

The Jazz Messengers were the quintessential ‘hard bop’ group and the prototype for modern straight ahead jazz groups. The Jazz Messengers introduced many standards into the modern repertoire and recorded a number of classic albums which are must-listens for any jazz initiate, including Moanin’, A Night At Birdland Vol. 1 & 2, and Free For All.

As with any artist with a large discography, it can be a daunting task to find the essential recordings. Here are my top five to give you a starting point:

1. ”Come Rain or Come Shine” from Moanin’ (1958)

   Moanin’ is one the absolute essential albums in the jazz canon. The original compositions introduced on this record, including the title track, “Along Came Betty,” “Are You Real?,” and “Blues March,” have become standard repertoire for today’s players. However, my personal favorite cut is the band’s reading of the Arlen & Mercer standard “Come Rain or Come Shine.” This relatively up-tempo version features one of the most impeccably structured piano solos I have ever heard, courtesy of Bobby Timmons. The rest of the band’s soloing is no less brilliant, with Benny Golson’s pyrotechnics being particularly engaging.

2. “A Night In Tunisia” from A Night In Tunisia (1960)

   This is one of the most exciting renditions of the Dizzy Gillespie classic. The Jazz Messengers take the tune at an almost absurdly fast tempo and go nuts for 11 minutes. This track is a great example of Blakey’s powerhouse drumming and the track builds up to several powerful climaxes. Although the soloists, Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan, are at times struggling to keep up in such a fast tempo, the sheer power and energy of this record make it an experience.

3. “One By One” from Ugetsu (1963)

   Wayne Shorter really came into his own as a composer and saxophonist during his years with the Jazz Messengers. The group that recorded Ugetsu is considered by many to be the finest iteration of the Jazz Messengers in terms of the player quality and the creative output. Featuring a lead line of Shorter, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, and Curtis Fuller on trombone and the rhythm section of Cedar Walton on piano and Reggie Workman on bass, this group created some of the finest compositions and recordings in jazz history. “One By One,” though one of his lesser known compositions, is among Shorter’s finest work. This live recording shows the Messengers at the height of their powers. Check out Blakey’s killer drum fills on the head!

4. “Free For All” from Free For All (1964)

   Another Wayne Shorter composition recorded by the same group that played on Ugetsu, “Free For All” shows the Jazz Messengers moving toward the free and modal avant-garde jazz of the 60’s while retaining their trademark hard swinging, powerful hard-bop feeling. “Free For All” lives up to its raucous title, with the Messengers going all out in a wild eleven-minute whirlwind of madness. “Free For All” is not for the faint of heart.

5. “Fuller Love” from Keystone 3 (1982)

   This live recording by one of the finest of late era Jazz Messengers lineups is an essential jazz recording. Featuring the Marsalis brothers (Wynton and Branford) Charles Fambrough on bass, Donald Brown on piano and chair of the Berklee woodwind department, Bill Pierce, on tenor, this band is hard to beat. Bobby Watson’s “Fuller Love,” a tribute to Curtis Fuller, is an incendiary modal tune that showcases this groups fantastic playing. Blakey’s playing in his later years didn’t slow down a bit, and he does a fantastic job of driving the soloists to incredible heights.

Of course, there are many amazing recordings I didn’t list here. Go check out all the music you can and see what you dig best!