Buhaina's Delight [Extra tracks, Original recording remastered]

Art Blakey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 29, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B0002A2VL4
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #69,598 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Breather, March 4, 2006

By 

Michael Hardin (South Duxbury, Vermont United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buhaina's Delight (Audio CD)

Recorded in late 1961, this album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers actually takes a step back from "Mosaic," the brilliantly intense but somewhat cold debut of the most explosive and arguably the best edition of the group. This album features the same personnel: Freddie Hubbard plays trumpet, Wayne Shorter is the tenor saxophonist, Curtis Fuller plays trombone, Cedar Walton is the pianist, Jymie Merritt plays bass, and Art Blakey leads and pushes from behind the drumset. Whereas "Mosaic" features mostly uptempo tunes, "Buhaina's Delight" is made up of medium swing grooves more reminiscent of the group that preceeded this one (with Lee Morgan in place of Hubbard, Bobby Timmons instead of Walton, and Fuller omitted), though the compositions, with Wayne Shorter as musical director, definitely have a more modern harmonic approach. The medium tempo selections swing hard (nobody was better than Art Blakey at medium tempo) and feature excellent soloing from the talented band. In addition to the swingers, this album features a rare ballad, Shorter's beautiful "Contemplation," my favorite Messengers ballad performance. There is also a beautiful uptempo arrangement of "Moon River" and an extended drum feature, "Bu's Delight." Given that Art Blakey's solo vocabulary was somewhat limited, the latter can be a bit predictable at times if you've heard other Blakey features, but his time and swing are perfect. Drummers take note.

All in all, this is a very accessible album and a relatively tame way to get introduced to this edition of the Jazz Messengers. It stands in the shadow of "Mosaic" (though I prefer this one) and the absolutely brilliant "Free For All" that would follow in three years, but it is still a great session all around.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delighted to Have "Buhaina's Delight" Back, June 29, 2004

By 

Michael B. Richman (Portland, Maine USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Buhaina's Delight (Audio CD)

After a brief absence in the Blue Note catalog, I am delighted the label has reissued Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' "Buhaina's Delight" via the RVG series. Unfortunately, "Buhaina" (btw, it's Blakey's Muslim name) has too often sat in the shadow of "Mosaic." And while it doesn't quite hit the same fever pitch as its remarkable predecessor, it is a truly first rate modern jazz album. The same Messenger lineup of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano and Jymie Merritt on bass return to accompany Art on the drums for these two sessions. The band first went into the studio on November 28, 1961 to cut "Contemplation" and what became the album's four alternate tracks. The group must not have been satisfied with the results because they returned to the studio three weeks later on December 18th to record "Shaky Jake," and the eventual master takes of "Backstage Sally," "Bu's Delight," "Reincarnation Blues" and "Moon River." While the remakes are a bit tighter (particularly "Bu's Delight"), the alternates are all very solid, and it is delightful to listen to the differences more than forty years removed. (Note, the same alternates were available on the earlier CD incarnation of this title, though thankfully in a new order so you don't have to listen to "Moon River" back-to-back.) You too will be delighted (my last pun, I promise) when you have a chance to hear "Buhaina's Delight" for yourself.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art Blakey's powerhouse album, June 25, 2006

By 

hardbop4life (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buhaina's Delight (Audio CD)

From the start of Backstage Sally, you know this is another classic messengers session. Recorded in 1961 Blakey and his men focus on tunes displaying the energy and talent of Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, and of course Blakey himself. Wayne Shorter wrote most of the tunes contained in this album. Shorter wrote "Backstage Sally" the beautiful ballad "Contemplation" and "Reincarnation Blues." In each of these pieces Shorter wrote all of them away from the piano. He found working without a piano you get a different approach, a broader outlook. You'll notice that in each piece it gives the instrumentalist a freer approach to express themselves note from note. The highlight for Blakey fans would "Bu's Delight" an excellent tune written by trombonist Curtis Fuller for Art Blakey which gives him a excellent thunderous drum solo! This is supersonic hard bop at its best! Not to be forgotten on this cd as well is Cedar Walton's "Shaky Jake" and Wayne Shorter's arrangement of Hank Mancini's "Moon River", conceived as a slow ballad Shorter makes it swing Art Blakey style. This album is one every jazz messenger fan should own!!