Customer Reviews

Jazz Message

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

 

 

"Have horn will travel." I can think of few musicians who sustained as many physical and mental shocks throughout the course of a nomadic, non-stop and frequently solitary career as Sonny Stitt. Occasionally he might do several months with Jazz at the Philharmonic or, following Coltrane's departure, with Miles Davis' group. But more often than not, Sonny would arrive in town, call up the best local rhythm section and try to keep his spirits up for a five-night stand, finding time during the day to cut a couple of quick sides at the nearest recording studio before flying to Japan for a whirlwind tour. The life and substances required to fuel it took their toll, and by 1963 Sonny was having at least as many bad days as good days.

This was not one of Sonny's good days. Even the session photo of him (inside cover) suggests some of the exaggerated animation that libations can provide. Blakey and company pretty much go with the flow, counting on a relaxed if uneventful exchange. Sonny obliges, turning in an agreeable set that's likely to disappoint fans of Blakey as much as Stitt. The song choices are uninspired (with the exception of "The Song Is You"), Sonny's intonation is occasionally shaky on both horns, his solos are largely delivered courtesy of autopilot.

This is not the same Sonny Stitt you'll hear on "Sonny Stitt Meets the Oscar Peterson Trio" (unfortunately, out of print) or "New York Jazz" (currently back in the catalog) or on the newly issued "Work Done." It's too bad that Sonny wasn't better rested or that Dizzy wasn't brought in as a 2nd horn for this session. I followed Sonny through many of his ups and downs. He was always good, but at his best (even late in his career--listen to "Endgame Brilliance"), he was nothing less than perfect.

This album is a very melodic and tight performance. All the players are at the top of their game. Art stays mostly in the background aside from a few very tasteful drum breaks. He is so on time....he needs no soloing to get his Jazz Message across. I wish these players had more sessions. McCoy, Sonny and the fabulous Art Davis! Wow! A must for all jazz fans. Get it and enjoy it over and over. I first purchased this on vinyl in High School!

Art Blakey's album "A Jazz Message" is not one of the excellent recordings that so many have come to expect from this pioneering drummer. Blakey, known best as leader of the Jazz Messengers, here finds himself in a quartet session for his (then) label Impulse. Joining him are fellow labelmates Sonny Stitt, McCoy Tyner and Art Davis, and they basically sound like they are fulfilling a contract. Both of Blakey's Impulse albums (the other being "Jazz Messengers") are rather mediocre affairs, and those knew to this drumming/bandleading genius would be much better served exploring his Blue Note discography (not a bad one in the bunch), his Atlantic album with Thelonious Monk, or his mid 60's efforts on OJC. This is "A Jazz Message" that can be deleted.

There may be those few who do not consider this a great Art Blakey album, but they are also the few who are lacking a human soul. "A Jazz Message" is a gorgeous, enveloping album showcasing an extraordinary group of musicians. In many ways, this album represents the very end of an entire style of jazz -- Stitt, Tyner, Blakey and wildly underrated Davis play with a sensibility that has largely died out in jazz -- certainly one that dissapeared for couple of decades or so after this album was recorded. And yet Blakey and company are not nostalgic -- this record is fresh and alive! Blakey eschews the overblown pyrotechnics of "Caravan" or "A Night in Tunesia" -- great records to be sure, but a little dated and over-the-top -- for pure blues and swing. A bop-bases mirror of Mingus's "Blues and Roots" a few years later -- maybe a spiritual brother of Ellington's "New Orleans Suite." If nothing else, it serves as an amazing hostorical documentation of McCoy Tyner playing in a style he would not really revisit for the rest of his career. But it is so much more -- sumptuous, warm, drenched in swing; the greatest bop drummer showing us all how it's done -- not with solos and speed, but with SWING SWING SWING. Buy this album. If you are dissapointed, give up on jazz and seek counseling. If you find your reward, listen, learn and don't look back.

This is the lp that I had sought out for years, to no avail. It was recently remastered, and I think I got my money's worth. I really liked "Summertime" and "Cafe." Sure, "Jazz Message" may not match "Moanin'" but I got the message after this record: every jazzophile needs some Blakey in his collection.

Art's next to last recording session 2/90 is a 70 min. all out swinging affair with an octet worth of musicians. There's Brian Lynch trumpet,Dale Barlow and Javon Jackson tenor saxes,Frank Lacy and Steve Davis trombones. Geoff Keezer is the pianist. Most of the originals wre written by younger Messengers but Hammerhead goes back to Wayne Shorter and FREE FOR ALL. They did another one minus Lacy a couple of months later with ballad features for Lynch, Barlow,Jackson and Keezer- ONE FOR ALL- 4/90- 68 min.

While listed as an Art Blakey recording, as one jazz book stated, "Sonny Stitt is the real leader of this 1963 group".

The sound reflects Stitts' swinging bebop style more than Blakey's percussive hard bop.

Being only 35 minutes long, they should have added a couple of out-takes, or made it as a two for 1 cd, or made it as an inexpensive double cd with another recording of a similar length.

Is the music worth only 35 minutes? In my opinion, one of the 6 tracks is sub-par with the 3 being excellent and the other two being very good.

It seemed as everyone was having a good time. Along with Stitt wailing on both tenor and alto sax, pianist McCoy Tyner shows his chops on one track. Blakey shows what an excellent drummer he is whether as a leader or as a sideman.

If it was the typical length of a cd being about 45 minutes long, it would get a 4.5 for a Sonny Stitt recording.

Because of the shortness and shortsidedness of the company not doing what I suggested above, it only gets a 2.5 or 3 rounded up