Customer Reviews

Art Blakey and the jazz messengers Blue notes 4003

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Without a doubt Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers was the most exciting band I've heard in a live performance. His week long gigs at the Keystone Korner in San Francisco were legendary. Every one of his many groups were outstanding though, propelling many of his "youngsters" into careers of their own.

The group on this CD was one of the best. There are many things that make this CD a real joy. From the four original tunes by Benny Golson and the title track by Bobby Timmons to the solid muscular drumming of Blakey himself. For me though there is one thing that dominates this date----Lee Morgan. Lee Morgan absolutely rules. Trumpeter Woody Shaw was once asked one of those interview questions, 'What was your biggest influence?' Without skipping a beat he said, 'The solo Lee Morgan takes on "Moanin". Amen.

From the very first press roll off Blakey's snare Morgan is launched. Bolting out of the gate this young artist is barely containable. The urgency of Art's drumming and the rest of the team compels this dynamic trumpeter to dig deep, creating flurry after flurry of spectacular rhythmic gymnastics, artfully blending them with melodic ideas that just burst out. His harmonic ideas on this piece too are so sweet. Morgan pulls out all the stops, at times employing his signature half valve technique, double tonguing, triple tonguing, slurring, sliding, and just plain carving up the beat. The elegant construction of this gem of a solo has you sitting on the edge of your seat in anticipation and at times in disbelief. And what a tone! Smooth, round, big.

Lee's solo on the alternate track is a nice addition and would have made a decent first cut if for some highly unfortunate reason his masterpiece was never recorded. The rest of this CD is excellent too by the way. But oh man, Lee Morgan!

This album is a 5 star classic, but unfortunately, extremely poor mastering significantly detracts from the enjoyment it can bring the listener. Except for the two Monk titles, the RVG Edition series is a seriously flawed collection of historic jazz, especially the first batch that came out in '99, and this is one of those. They sound bottled up, exhibit no air or ambiance, and they possess a hard glare. The glare is generally missing after "99, but the other issues are still present.

Another flaw in this series is that many of the titles are in mono when excellent stereo masters exist. Rudy Van Gelder recorded exclusively in mono prior to March '57, and stereo exclusively after October 30 1958. He only recorded in both formats during the time spanning those two dates. While some will rightfully argue that the mono master sounds best in some instances, the RVG series has many titles in it that were recorded after Oct. 30 1958 that are mono. No mono masters exist for these sessions, so these CD's are simply the stereo master folded down into one channel. What's the purpose of that?

Relief is Available: Most of the RVG Edition titles are available in an earlier US version and as a Japanese import here on Amazon. These sound dramatically better and give you a sense of stage depth and air around the instruments. They are also stereo when possible, and appropriate, and they lack the glare of the RVG Edition. Everything I've purchased that was released before 1999 in the US has been good, and all of the Japanese versions have been good. The imports are very pricey so you might want to get the older US versions through the Amazon Marketplace. I've purchased many of these for under $10 in "Like New" condition. To avoid problems, I recommend only dealing with sellers who have a positive rating of 98% or better. They don't generally misrepresent the condition, and they'll usually get it to you within 4 business days.

"Moanin'" has an essential part of any jazz collection (or music collection, for that matter). The boisterousness of this lp is best reflected in the title track. The beauty of this lp is best reflected in the exquisite "Along Came Betty." I could write superlatives about it all day, but I could never do it justice. Please try it, and I guarantee that your love of jazz will only deepen. And if you don't love jazz, you will after hearing this record.

Truly one of the greatest jazz drummers that ever lived, Art Blakey and Jazz Messengers shine on this classic album recorded over 40 years ago. Augmented by a pair of bonus tracks, as well as being remixed and remastered by album's original engineer, the great Rudy Van Gelder, "Moanin'" sounds better than ever. Now that this album is midpriced, you have no excuse not to pick this up. Absolutely a must have!

Why do we need yet another 5 star review of this brilliant LP? Because not enough reviewers mention Bobby Timmons' piano, that's why! This underrated but dazzling keyboardist not only plays some of his finest, most pure-silver solos here, but he provides a solid foundation to the whole band, the perfect ivory complement to Blakey. Buy it and immerse yourself in even if you're not into the crash of drums or wail of horns.

AND I LIKE THIS ALBUM A LOT!!!! Moanin' has got to be one of the most enjoyable albums I've ever heard, in jazz or any other genre for that matter. The tracks: memorable. The playing: extraordinary. The vibe: infectious! Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers manage to knock one out of the ballpark on this Blue Note date and the remastering job done by original recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder is all the more reason to pick this one up for your collection. The title track is truly classic (just listen to the inventive solos by trumpeter Lee Morgan and pianist Bobby Timmons on the original version if you don't believe me!) Along Came Betty just swings like nobody's business and the Drum Thunder Suite might as well be the highlight of the entire album, showcasing the explosive, polyrhythmic style that has since become Blakey's calling card (check out the work he pulls off with the mallets, MINDBLOWING STUFF!).

As I've stated before, I don't claim to know all there is to know in the world of jazz, but I took a chance on Moanin' based on several recommendations and found it to be a legitimate keeper. Hell, you don't even have to like jazz to get into this album. GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC, PERIOD!

This title track has been covered in a wide variety of settings. Ray Charles in the early 60's, and Sergio Mendes, in the late 60's, recorded Moanin'. The real down home version is right here on this disk.

Blue Note wasn't on top yet in the 50's. Prestige was still the hottest label in town. It would take Blue Note about five more years unitl it became THE label to record for. Never the less, Blue Note crancked out some great recordings in the mid 50's like this one here!

This was the first hard bop! Art Blakey started hard bop! This is the epitome of hard bop! Hard bop went on, and turned into so many styles, but this is the first workings of hard bop. Art Blakey got together with Horace Silver to make some great jazz, and invented, hard bop.

There is such an all-star lineup. Lee Morgan, on trumpet, the greatest trumpet player on the face of the earth. Listen to his solo on Moanin'. It's perfect! Note a bad note! One of the greatest hard bop trumpet solos ever. Such a killer piece. Bluesy, and soulful.

Benny Golson on tenor! What's better than that! That warm tone. Perfect to compliment Morgan's intense trumpet playing. He wrote so many great tunes for this. You think Drum Thunder was written by Art Blakey? Sort of, but no. That's Golson's tune! Fireous, intense! Two great combinations!

The Blues March, also found on Meet The Jazztet. This is THE version, right here! Art Blakey's pulsing marching beat. They swing it, soulfully here.

This is a hard bop classic! The beginnings, of hard bop. This is where it's at! Art Blakey, Moanin'.

I'll be perfectly frank and say right off the bat that I'm the kind of guy who can't get into a lot of jazz music. I love the sound of it, but some of the more avant-garde stuff just seems to meander too much without really making an impact on me, so there are many jazz albums that I just can't stay with for extended periods of time.

Maybe it's just because I don't know what chromatic scales or augmented ninths are, and I don't understand the technical brilliance of what most jazz musicians are doing. But I do have an ear for music, albeit an untrained one, and I know what I like! And this is, unequivocally, my favorite jazz album ever produced, beating out very illustrious competitors like Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool" and Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters."

Try as I might, I can not remember one dull moment throughout this entire full-length album. In fact, I sat in awe throughout most of it. Not only are the songs tuneful, catchy, and interesting to the point where I often found myself humming along, but some of the instrumentalists are dazzling! I don't know who the pianist is, but his first solo took the breath right out of me.

Some of the musical ideas expressed in this work are just as rich with imagery as most any piece of classical music. At several points, the drums go into the most exciting solos since the days of Gene Krupa, conjuring wonderful pictures in the mind's eye. I can say with a fair amount of confidence that nearly everybody, jazz fan or not, can find something to like about this extraordinarily visceral, unforgettable piece of music!

To be a fly on the wall of the Van Gelder Studio on October 30, 1958 would have been a chance to witness the recording of one of the great hard bop albums of the era. Art Blakey and his messengers produced something special here: the title track written by pianist Bobby Timmons simply grooves. The rest of the songs (save for Come Rain or Shine) are written by the talented tenor sax player Benny Golson. The best among these is Blues March which fuses New Orleans marching band styles with blues improvisations and bop. It isn't a straight boring tune, either: it moves unpredictably. Included specially on this remastered version are an alternate take of Moanin' and a warm-up and banter track. These are just gravy compared to the excellent sound of the album itself. Certainly an essential Blakey CD.

Why do all the greats die so young? Perhaps they wouldn't have produced such quality solos in so short a time if they somehow knew they were going to live longer. I got this CD just to hear Lee's dialogue at the beginning, and it was still worth it. Lee had such an original concept of soloing that the listener can really feel his emotions. I can listen to his solo on Moanin' 1000 times and never grow tired. Melodic, arrogant, mellow and bluesy all at the same time. Great recording!