Customer Reviews

At the Cafe Bohemia

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In 1955, Art Blakey after the success of his all star pick up group at Birdland the previous year with the legendary trumpeter Clifford Brown, the Charlie Parker influenced, blusier edged alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver on piano and bassist Curly Russell, the drummer decided to form a more permanent band "The Jazz Messengers". The first true working band edition featured a number of then bright young stars such as Kenny Dorham on trumpet, a very overlooked but excellent hardbop player, Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Silver again on piano and Doug Watkins on bass who was one of the finest bassists on the NY scene at the time by way of detroit, and cousin of Paul Chambers. Blakey and the Jazz Messengers were caught live on November 23, 1955 at the Cafe Bohemia in a night of music that resulted in a pair of Blue Note albums and a third volume of unreleased material(which is included on these new reissues) only released in Japan.

The jazz standard "Soft Winds" starts the album, and it is one of those perfect tunes that opens so many classic Blue Note albums with a relaxed unhurried atmosphere. Mobley takes several choruses which showcase his gorgeous round tone, the so called "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone" sounds perfectly at home with inventive lines throughout. Kenny Dorham takes similar liberties mixing his phrases with cool, lengthy, funky overtones and the bebop vocabulary which was the preferred language of the time. Blakey keeps a solid bluesy medium tempo through much of the solos, but he mixes in a little bit of a surprise during Dorham's solo by doubletiming behind Kenny twice (all other soloists once) which allows him to get a bit looser and Art to insert some choice accents of multi rhythmic(cross rhythms) snare and rim shots. Horace Silver's solo is peppered with the funk for which he is so well known, greasy in the pocket right hand runs compliment his probing single note lines in the left with occasional staccato stabs for percussive effect. Blakey again slips into doubletime for Horace, which the accelerated tempo is used for longest duration of any soloist of the tune, and Silver delivers one of his finest solos of the disc.

"The Theme", a Jazz Messenger and Miles Davis staple for sign offs, is given an jolting early set rendition with Dorham taking advantage of the quickened pace, each soloist given the opportunity to take a stroll (piano lays out) with the exception of Silver and Art. Kenny Dorham's composition "Minor's Holiday" is another tune that is a highlight, if not the highlight of this first Cafe Bohemia volume. A mallet introduction by Blakey sets up the tune, with Dorham again favoring a blistering pace(as he does on both albums) quoting "Sing Sing Sing" during his solo. Hank Mobley charges in with a deep determination to gobble up the tune's structure, Blakey unleashing heavy artillery at the start of his choruses, sounding like a chef in a kitchen with his blast of rim shots. Silver has a nice solo as well announcing himself in a gritty manner. It is interesting to note the initial Silver influence in Jimmy Smith in the way Smith plays chords on his early Blue Note sessions is detected, although of course Jimmy would turn any funky leanings into his own thing. Dorham joins Blakey for a short series of four bar exchanges, before playing in somewhat of a duet with Art before the return of the main melody.

Other highlights on the disc include "Alone Together" in which Hank is given a chance to announce the tune in a lazy southern drawl, and the "All The Things You Are" variant, "Prince Albert". 3 bonus tracks round out the program, including Mobley's "Deciphering the Message" which is allowed a superior, stretched out treatment here than on the Messengers self titled 1956 release for Columbia.

The remastering done by Rudy Van Gelder here is excellent. I do not have the mid 80's Ron McMaster mastered versions to compare to, but the sound Rudy gives the recording which he originally engineered a more life like balanced sound that is more pleasing to the ears. The listener is able to hear nuances of the instruments such as fingers on trumpet valves very clearly, and characteristics of Blakey's loose tuned drum sound. By comparison most of the mid 80's Blue Note releases that have been precursors to RVG editions are very muddy, have little bass definition and an inappropriate amount of treble. The packaging I find very nice too, these new Bohemia volumes take on a white color scheme in the tray insert that matches the original cover art (not the butchered 80's CD version art) perfectly. The design has "THE JAZZ MESSENGERS" written in large bold red type with photos each musician at the bottom half of the cover. Blue Note obtained covers from record collectors for use so the aged look of the cover is a great touch. Liner notes from critic Bob Blumenthal provide interesting historical insight that may or may not reveal new information to the seasoned jazz fan, but definitely could be helpful to new listeners discovering the legacy of Blue Note through these deluxe RVG editions. Also some session photos by Francis Wolff that fold out to full view in the booklet are very nice, some of them are well known such as the picture of Horace Silver, and some are published for the first time.

"The Jazz Messngers At the Cafe Bohemia" in both volumes are very essential Blakey purchases, just as essential as the "A Night At Birdland" records, and later albums such as "Moanin"(also available in the RVG series) and "A Night in Tunisia". Since both Bohemia volumes are offered at very cheap prices for excellently remastered versions, they can be very affordable additions to new or veteran collections.

Those were Horace Silver's words describing the horn section of the 1st edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Kenny Dorham and Hank Mobley weren't the flashiest players, and they were overlooked in the era of Miles and Clifford and Sonny and Trane. But they were also gifted improvisers and composers, as the Bohemia recordings clearly show. Kenny was more boppish than Miles but definitely a middle-register trumpeter; while Hank had a mellow, soulful sound perfect for hard bop. Add the tireless drums of Blakey and the blues-drenched piano of Horace Silver, and you've got a winning combo. This is the same lineup that recorded the classic album Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers about a year earlier; but there aren't any Silver compositions on either volume of the Bohemia recordings.

Volume 1 focuses primarily on Kenny Dorham's contributions. "The Theme" and "Minor's Holiday" are fast-paced performances with some of Kenny's best playing on record, while "Prince Albert" is a variant on "All the Things You Are". Several standards are also tackled including a delightfully swinging "Soft Winds". If you like this CD, be sure to pick up Volume 2 of At the Bohemia as well as Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (also on Blue Note) by the same group.

Art Blakey: Of course, the album is great, and the leader is even more precious. Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers has always been a name most recognized when new stars were about to emerge on the jazz scene; most of the time they got their recognition while playing with the jazz messengers. That is not to say that they were not top notch; but with Blakey as their teacher, they were usually ready to lead their own groups after a stint with the messengers. Art Blakey, a masterful drummer with a style that was not easily copied, stood out among his peers and so did his hard-driving messengers, which made him such a respected teacher. He gave a lot of guys an opportunity, and jazz is better for it today.

11/23/55 at the Cafe Bohemia... smoke in the air... glasses clanking... a small crowd of finely tuned listeners hoping to hear something memorable. Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Doug Watkins, Horace Silver and Art Blakey gave it to them!

Early Mobley is so interesting to me. He's not underdeveloped or anything like that, but he's more raw here. Where I tend to think things like "black satin" about his playing and tone on Soul Station or No Room for Squares, here he's more primal. More visceral. This isn't a criticism about one era or the other, just a comment. I love him in everything mentioned, just in different ways, for different reasons. He is awesome here. Unequivocally.

Kenny Dorham is in a bit of a development phase here... sometimes. A few times on this album you hear him thinking through his solos. You can sense him intellectually considering the contour of his solo as he's playing. It's not "bad" by any means, but it's not the peak of where you hope to be, as a musician. What did Charlie Parker say? First you learn your instrument. Then you learn the tunes. Then you go out on the bandstand to forget all that Shhht and play! Exactly. Exactly! Kenny wasn't quite THERE yet, at all times here. He was for a couple tracks, though. I'll let you find them for yourself. It's all just flowing out of him. He's not thinking at all. He's just a conduit for the music. Kenny seems to simply open a door and let the music fall out. Those are his peaks of the album.

Not enough can be said for the high sonic quality in which this date was recorded. That's certainly a big part of what makes this stuff great. Whether we're comparing this to Complete Jazz at Massey Hall (the best issue of that set) or Live in the World, this kills both of those. The sound here... the musicians' richness of tones comes right through. Only if you were there in the club that night could this music have sounded better.

This is one of my favorite albums by one of Blakey's best bands.

I cannot say enough good things about this record. I really like the atmosphere. I like the way Blakery announces the tunes. it kind of makes you feel that you are there. This issue adds two or three songs per volume in what is a two volume series.

All of the musicians play great. The quality of the sound is excellent. My favorite songs are Prince Albert and Soft Winds.

Hank Mobley and Kenny Dorham both play wonderfully. It is one of my favorite Mobley records. The rhythm section is as good as it gets. Horace Silver is fun and funky. Blakey out does himself.

I started with Vol. 2 of this session and finally relented. A good move, because like Art Blakey's two-set "Live at Birdland," Vol. 1 definitely has an edge over Vol. 2--both in programming and performance. And as indispensable as the earlier Birdland recording is because of the presence of Clifford Brown, "At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1" will get more playing from me, if for no other than two reasons: Hank Mobley and Doug Watkins. But then there's K. D., who in his own way satisfies every bit as much as Clifford.

Introduced as a "new, rising tenor star" by Blakey, Hank is at his inventive, unforced best, that smoky, butterscotch sound coming through without the spiked, overly "hot" miking and mixing it receives on the later "At the Jazz Corner of the World." Watkins is superior to his predecessor, Curly Russell, as well as his successor, Jymmie Merritt. He receives a rare solo feature, "What's New," but his real strength is his tone (smaller but richer and more focused than Paul Chambers' during this period) and time (an absolutely unflappable walker with unflagging concentration).

Kenny Dorham is the thinking man's trumpet player, never wasting breath or technique merely to impress, yet capable of being as lyrical and fluid as his frontline partner, Mobley. He belongs on a short list with Clifford and Diz and maybe no one else. The logic, the harmonic adventurousness, the allusiveness, the "curing" of each individual note, the elimination of anything extraneous to the pure substance of musical form itself--he's simply in a category unto himself. Silver's comping is, as usual, perfectly in synch with Blakey's drums, and his soloing is more connected here than on other live sessions.

Finally, the program is representative of what an effective jazz set should be--an engaging blues, followed by an "I Got Rhythm" set of changes, followed by "All the Things You Are" changes. Blakey, as usual, cuts the ballad feature, "Alone Together," far too short, but Tad Dameron's "Lady Bird" and Mobley's "Deciphering the Message" are huge bonuses--bebop that's accessible and winsome. The sound on this monaural disk from 1956 is Van Gelder at his very best (contrary to some assumptions, "RVG" is no guarantee of perfection).

In sum, of the nearly 50 Messengers albums in my collection, this is my favorite, most-played, on-location recording, rivaled only by Art's "The Jazz Messengers" (not the popular Blue Note "Moanin'" date but the Columbia studio session, an album that, along with magnificent Mobley, features inspired Donald Byrd and quintessential ensemble cohesiveness).

Here's the first of 2 volumes on Blue Note capturing the Jazz Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia on Nov. 23, 1955. Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver, and Doug Watkins join Blakey for the club date. "Prince Albert" is a handsome little tune by trumpeter Dorham, and "Alone together" features tenor saxophonist Mobley in a beautiful ballad performance. "What's new" features Watkins on bass and might be of limited appeal. Volume 1 is slightly better than Volume 2, but you shouldn't have one without the other--and both are very good.

"Now, ladies and gentleman, I'd like to acquaint you with the Jazz Messengers. On the piano, we have the incomparable Horace Silver. On the bass, all the way from Motor City, ladies and gentleman, one of the youngest and finest bass players in the business today, our bassist, Doug Watkins. And on the tenor saxophone we have a new star on the modern jazz horizon, Hank Mobley. And on the trumpet we have a perennial favorite, he's with the prophet of modern jazz Charlie Parker. He's our arranger, now, and out trumpeter. The uncrowned king, ladies and gentleman, Kenny Dorham."

With those words, Art Blakely and the Jazz Messengers begin a two disc jazz classic.

Recorded live at the Cafe Bohemia on November 23, 1955

Art Blakey - Drums
Kenny Dorham - Trumpet
Hank Mobley - Tenor Saxophone
Horace Silver - Piano
Doug Watkins - Bass

Highly Recommended!

This record jams...ever since I bought it, I cant stop listening to it. It makes you feel like youre right there jamming with them. The Prince Albert and Ladybird tracks are my favoriates. You cant help but snap your fingers and stomp your feet (i irriate everyone at work!)to Hank and Art. Hank Mobley is one of the best jazz musicians ever (along with Clifford Brown)!! Be sure to check out Roll Call and No Room for Squares too.

This Album is a must have for all Blakey fans. This album includes some great blakey drum solos, as well as alot of other great music!