Art Blakey was a jazz drummer and bandleader who made his name in big bands in the early ‘40s before espousing bebop with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker later in the decade.
In the mid-1950s he formed The Jazz Messengers, a group which he led for over 30 years, with evolving line-ups that made it a vibrant incubator for emerging talent, and featured some of the current and future great names of the era.
This 3-CD collection comprises the complete contents of five albums which were derived from five studio sessions and two ‘live’ performances from Birdland during 1960 and ’61, and released over a two year period. Those albums are “Night In Tunisia”, the ‘live’ albums “Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Vols. 1 & 2”, and “Mosaic” on Blue Note, and the Impulse album “Jazz Messengers!!!”.
Musicians featured in the different line-ups are Art Blakey on drums, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Bobby Timmons and Cedar Walton on piano and Jymie Merritt on bass. Featuring standards and originals and some notable extended performances, this is a thoroughly entertaining feast of top class modern jazz played by one of the finest and most renowned groups in the annals of the genre
Tracks
CD 1
1. A NIGHT IN TUNISIA Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
2. SINCERELY DIANA Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
3. SO TIRED Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
4. YAMA Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
5. KOZO'S WALTZ Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
6. WHEN YOUR LOVER HAS GONE Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘A Night In Tunisia’ Blue Note BLP4049
Rec. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., August 7th & 14th,1960
7. ANNOUNCEMENT
8. THE OPENER Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
9. WHAT, KNOW [GOLDIE] Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
10. THE THEME Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Vol. 1’ Blue Note 4054
Rec. Live "Birdland", New York, September 14, 1960
CD 2
1. ROUND MIDNIGHT Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
2. THE BREEZE AND I Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Vol. 1’ Blue Note 4054
Rec. Live "Birdland", New York, September 14, 1960
3. ANNOUNCEMENT
4. HIGH MODES Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
5. NIGHT WATCH [EAST OF BROOKLYN] Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
6. THESE ARE THE THINGS I LOVE Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
7. THE SUMMIT Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
8. THE THEME Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Meet You At The Jazz Corner Of The World Vol. 2’ Blue Note 4055
Rec. Live "Birdland", New York, September 14, 1960
9. A LA MODE Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Jazz Messengers!!!!’ Impulse A-7
Rec. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 14, 1961
CD 3
1. INVITATION Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
2. CIRCUS Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
3. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
4. I HEAR A RHAPSODY Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
5. GEE BABY, AIN'T I GOOD TO YOU ? Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Jazz Messengers!!!!’ Impulse A-7
Rec. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, June 14, 1961
6. MOSAIC Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
7. DOWN UNDER Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
8. CHILDREN OF THE NIGHT Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
9. ARABIA Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
10. CRISIS Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
From ‘Mosaic’ Blue Note BLP4090
Rec. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 2, 1961
