Art Blakey

He is beyond amazing. This guy is an amazing drummer and an amazing writer/conductor. He's the leader of the Jazz Messengers. This man knows what he's doing. What do you all think?
 
I concur wholheartedly. He is very powerful w/o being drumistic. I'm glad he switched from piano to the drums and created such a huge volume of work and brilliant music to learn from and enjoy.
 
Art Blakey once said a quote I really like

"Drummers should stop looking at other drummers’ equipment and say, I’m going to duplicate that.’ It doesn’t matter what kind of instrument the drummer has. It isn’t the instrument, it’s the musician." Art Blakey
 
I'm a massive Blakey fan, my favourite is the album the Jazz Messangers did with Monk. Bloody amazing. Does anyone find that the percussion played on Night in Tunisia is all over the place, and, dare I say it, a bit crap?
 
Flam_Paradiddle said:
I'm a massive Blakey fan, my favourite is the album the Jazz Messangers did with Monk. Bloody amazing. Does anyone find that the percussion played on Night in Tunisia is all over the place, and, dare I say it, a bit crap?

I found a Night in Tunisa a bit all over the map as Well. My favorite Blakey Album is the self Titled Jazz Messengers one he put out on Implulse. The recording quality is superb and the musicians are his best. I own the Monk and Blakey album, I find there is too much space created from T Monk on that one. "In walked bud" is a phenominal song though. If you like Blakey I highly recommend , Freedom Rider, Roll Call (Hank Mobley), and Soul Station (Hank Mobley).
 
Womble said:
1) In a music listening class, we heard a piano trio recording with Art Blakey. It was about 6 or 7 minutes long, and Art basically didn't comp at all. All he did was play the standard ride pattern and the hats on 2 and 4. And my GOD the intensity he built up was ridiculous. His hi-hat was so damn cutting, I was almost in a trance by the end of it. It was phenomenal to listen to. The awful thing is, I can't remember what the track or album was, not even the name of the pianist.

Sounds like Moanin' on the album Moanin' written by the pianist Bobby Timmons.
 
Art was a hard swinging, no BS drummer. But in addition to that, he was the most important small jazz group leader of all time. The Jazz Messengers gave rise to more prominent jazz musicians than any other group.
 
jangus said:
Sounds like Moanin' on the album Moanin' written by the pianist Bobby Timmons.

See my message #17!! But thanks for trying.
 
Art Blakey is one of the greatest drummers of all time!! His aggressive swing made him an important stylist in drums.
"Kenny Clarke was the Godfather, Max was the painter to put the colors together; Art was the volcano!" - Dizzy Gillespie.
 
I'm a massive Blakey fan, my favourite is the album the Jazz Messangers did with Monk. Bloody amazing. Does anyone find that the percussion played on Night in Tunisia is all over the place, and, dare I say it, a bit crap?

Are you nuts? This track is amazing. This is what *music* is.

-Ryan
 
Bump.
I was reading somewhere that in order to get into a drummer's head, you need to check out what your idol was listening to. I have looked online and have yet to find out who his idols were, any help?
 
I saw Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers at a JazzMobile concert outdoors at Grants Tomb on the edge of Harlem in NYC ~ 1978. I still remember it vividly! The first tune was Free for All (from one of the greatest Blue Note Albums). From the downbeat it was one of the most exciting concerts I have ever seen. When you watched him play, it was pure music. You didn't see the kind of technique that some people have acquired these days (not so important), but you FELT an amazing force that ignited the band and music and made you realize that there was something special here. The feeling in the music sent chills up your spine.
 
When my son was selected for his school jazz band I thought it would be helpful to pick up some music with some of the "best" jazz drummers. I started with some Max Roach, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones and Art Blakey. I got Art on "Something Else" and the Jazz Messengers "The Big Beat". With no disrespect intended to the others, after the first rolling thunder press roll I was hooked! I have a pretty good selection of Blakey music now and "The Big Beat" remains one of my favorites. As many others have mentioned the thing that impresses me as much as his relentless driving swing is his devotion to the American art form Jazz. He gave opportunity to many young musicians and exposed them to the music and the business of music in a way that allowed many of them to become successful in their own right. He also never quit vocalizing his love of jazz and did all he could to keep the public aware of it's origins.

Make mine swingin' Art!
 
I disagree, I think his work outside of the Jazz messengers is very subtle. Pick up Soul Station by Hank Mobley and Something Else by Cannoball Adderley, very tasteful playing on that. Also His self titled record on Impulse is wonderful, better than a lot of records on The Blue Note lable.

I agree with you on that one. The thing is, Art was the leader of his group. He was the man! He needed to and wanted to be in charge of his group and those drums. When someone else was the leader he knew how to be subtle yet tasty. He didn't get in the way and listen to what the leader and the music told him.
 
Hey time keepers,

I'm relearning or reinventing my playing by learning jazz. Alamode is one of the baddest tunes I've heard. I just like how Art grooves and swings so hard.
 
I disagree, I think his work outside of the Jazz messengers is very subtle. Pick up Soul Station by Hank Mobley and Something Else by Cannoball Adderley, very tasteful playing on that. Also His self titled record on Impulse is wonderful, better than a lot of records on The Blue Note lable.

Soul Station is a great recording! I used to play to that all the time. Has one of the great Art Blakey solos on it. I think Art definitely had the capacity for subtlety, but really feel we didn't get to hear it a lot. As much as I like Art's playing, we tend to keep hearing the same motives in every solo with only a few alterations. It seems to me that it was the energy and attitude that made all the difference.

I really liked his groups. I don't think we really understand what it meant to be an African American band leader sustaining such immensely talented groups for so many years. I read that when Art played with Dizzy Gillespie, he was attacked by police in Georgia and had to have a metal plate put in his head. That's why versions of "Manteca" start out with "I'll never go back to Georgia."

I also read that Chick Webb gave Art a pile of crap about coating his drumsticks with fluorescent paint and turning off the lights to do a drum solo when he couldn't even play a decent roll, so Art would come to all of Webb's gigs so he could get lesson in between sets.
 
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