Art Blakey

Drummer_Boy

Senior Member
Wow. I'm surprised nobody has started a thread about Art Blakey. I don't think so anyways..But yeah. I like Art Blakey. He did some real good stuff. The Jazz Messengers was some real good stuff. How do you like him? Art Blakey is an awesome drummer, and an awesome band leader I think.

Art Blakey page on DrummerWorld
 
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Blakey's playing was ALIVE...breathing and ON FIRE!!! Hearing the Jazz Messengers' Free For All album was a turning point in my life. One of my favorite drummers and an incredible contributor to the world of Jazz...Art Blakey!

TOMANO
 
theduke86 said:
Great drummer. Always balls to the wall and completely intense. I didn't think he was the most subtle, but he could swing a band like no one else. I should check him out more.

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.
 
LOoove it. He had the most amazing buzz rolls ever.

I was told by my drum teacher that he was actually taught by Chick Webb. Is there any truth to this?
 
This guy only has 7 responses. Wow.

My first Art Blakey experience was listening to 'Freedom Rider'. I was pretty new to jazz at that time, but his playing blew me away. So energetic and thunderous.
 
Superlow said:
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 didn't mean untasteful, just not subtle- there's a difference! Lots of stuff on the beat.
 
Art Blakey is one of the very few drummers in this world that you just know it is them after the first few bars!
 
Next to Miles Davis, Art probably allowed more new young guys to get their start in jazz. Funny, I love listening to Blakey but when I watch videos of him playing he seems somewhat awkward to me. I wish I could be that awkward!
 
[FONT=&quot]"Next to Miles Davis, Art probably allowed more new young guys to get their start in jazz. Funny, I love listening to Blakey but when I watch videos of him playing he seems somewhat awkward to me. I wish I could be that awkward!"


This is one of the reasons I really respect Art. I had the pleasure of playing a gig with a famous saxophonist by the name of Javon Jackson who was a young and upcoming player when Art was getting big. Mr. Blakey recruited Javon when he was ripe out of Berklee College Of Music. When I got the chance to talk to Mr. Jackson he made it clear that Blakey was a huge inspiration in his life. Art was a big stepping stone for a lot of great players. I really wish I could have had the chance to see him play before his passing.[/FONT]
 
I love watching that art video on his DW page, and i just got one of his albums, now i know where he got the name buzz roll master, HOLY CRAP i want to buzz like that.
 
Two things that really annoy me from my time at LAMA:

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.

2) At a friend's house one evening, I was played an Art Blakey solo. I can't really remember anything about this solo, but I remember that I thought 'I have never heard anyone play the drums like this'. I would kill to hear that solo again, but as you've guessed, I can't remember where it was from.

Frustrating to say the least.
 
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Womble said:
Two things that really annoy me from my time at LAMA:

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 phenominal to listen to. The awful thing is, I can't remember what the track or album was, not even the name of the pianist.

By your description my guess is "Moanin".
 
Nah, I own Moanin'. This was a piano trio, not a Jazz Messengers recording. But thanks, and any other suggestion are more than welcome.
 
Try Bobby Timmons "This Here is Bobby Timmons." Great trio recording featuring Blakey. Another trio album with Blakey was "Horace Silver Trio."

Did you guys know that Blakey started out as a pianist?
 
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