Night in Tunisia [Original recording remastered, Extra tracks]

Art Blakey | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 5, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00005V6N3
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,719 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars There are 3 different albums with this title..., May 10, 2002

By 

punkviper (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Night in Tunisia (Audio CD)

And it gets sorta confusing:
This is the A Night In Tunisia from 1958, formerly available as a double-set along with 1957's Jazz Messengers Play Lerner & Loewe. The most famous A Night In Tunisia is the 1960 set on Blue Note Records. And there is also a 3rd album entitled A Night In Tunisia on Emarcy/Polygram Records, which was recorded in Japan in 1979.

For my money, the Blue Note session just barely edges out this one for Best Performance, with the '79 finishing a distant 3rd. Hope that clears up the confusion!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The review is wrong, but the music is right, April 24, 2002

By 

J. T. Keith (Greenwood, Indiana USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Night in Tunisia (Audio CD)

This CD does not include the line-up mentioned in the review, however, it does include one of Jackie McLean's last appearances with the Messengers. Interestingly the CD cover (which accurately reproduces the original album) does not mention McLean. Because he was already under contract to a different record company at the time of the release, he appears under a false name. The story is told in the liner notes.

This twin sax, sextet version of the Messengers sounds great. I was hooked from the moment I heard Blakey's drum intro on the title track. If you like Blakey and bop, you will like this CD.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Blakey, but its before the incredible Blakey, June 23, 2004

By 

Matt Bailey "Matt" (SLC, Utah) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Night in Tunisia (Audio CD)

This is a solid album, especially the medium-tempo Off the Wall. It has some good solo work, and some interesting originals.

Of the 3 horn players, Jackie Mclean is probably the most well known, but his playing here is not as good as I've heard in other places. THere are many times where his lines are very polished, but just not quite adventurous enough. By contrast, trumpeter Hardman's solos are impassioned, but he isn't very accurate. Thus, Johnny Griffin steals the show, as he manages to take the best of both, especially on his Off the Wall solo.

Blakey's drumming is stellar as usual, though the rhythmic contributions of pianist Sam Dockery and basist Spanky de Brest are forgettable. Neither man would ever make a name for himself.

All in all, this is a fun album to listen to, as the cover says "a racuous hard bop session," and its cool to see Mclean and Griffin playing togehter. Unfortunately, it cannot hold a candle to the first of the great post-Silver Art Blakey bands. Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons and especially Lee Morgan don't come in for another year or so, and its knowing of the amazing albums that come later that keep this one from being a classic.