Customer Reviews

A Night in Tunisia

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

 

 

The recent batch of Blue Note RVG releases will make many a jazz fan salivate. There are some long neglected titles in this round of reissues, with this one being one of the best, if not the rarest. Of the half-dozen albums this edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers recorded in 1960 and early 1961, this is the finest. "A Night in Tunisia" was recorded over two sessions yielding enough material for this album and "Like Someone in Love" (another candidate for RVG reissue). The latter album is great as well, but there is just something about the sequence of the Tunisia tracks that makes it a masterpiece. "A Night in Tunisia" opens with the fever-pitched rhythmic orgasm that is the title track. And the album doesn't catch its breath until the reflective "Yama." Then things pick back up again with Blakey's gallop-like drumming on the opening of "Kozo's Waltz." Finally, it's hard to believe "When Your Lover Has Gone" was not the last song on the original album because as the concluding piece, it fits like a glove. "A Night in Tunisia" is a classic from start to finish.

I came to this album very early in my jazz listening career (taking baby steps out of the Ken Burns cradle). I bought it right after "Moanin'" because that seemed like the logical thing to do. Let me tell you, this album is a HUGE shock after "Moanin'" if you're not prepared for it. While "Moanin'" was an excursion in groove, swing, and in-the-pocket hard bop, "A Night In Tunisia" is a forward-looking powerhouse that isn't as accessible but just as amazing. The reason for this change can be traced primarily to the passage of two years and the presence of Wayne Shorter who was, is, and always will be ahead of his time. Though he contributed only one tune to this session, "Sincerely Diana," that tune and his others like it moved the Jazz Messengers much closer to the cutting edge of the new harmonic language that would become post-bop. His szxophone playing is also much drier and more angular than his predecessor, Benny Golson. Initially, this was a turn-off to me, as it will be for the casual jazz listener. Wayne Shorter takes time to appreciate but he truly is one of the greatest geniuses jazz has ever known.

As the other reviewers have said, the title track is a long, intense affair that highlights Art Blakey's drive and power on the drums. But it features great playing from all of the group, and Lee Morgan's cadenza near the end with Art cheering him on is one of the great moments of Jazz Messengers history. The other tunes, "So Tired," "Yama," and "Kozo's Waltz," are definitely in the hard-bop vein but they do predict the innovations to come in the following years. Since this album is not as immediately accessible as "Moanin'" and some others, get "Moanin'" first, then get "The Big Beat," also with Shorter present. Then check out "Like Someone in Love," from the same session as this one. If you like all of those albums, then get this one. The level of musicianship is superb and Art Blakey's drumming is superhuman in its drive.

bah! da da da da dish bah...

art blakey made the tune a night in tunisia his own, his solo opening the selection is so spectacular i wanted the drumming to go on. but then i would had missed the straight out tenor playing of wayne shorter, followed by lee morgan.

to call something a waltz outside of european based concert music is risky, the ear wants to make comparisons to hear if what is called a waltz is really a waltz or just someone saying something is a waltz. fortunately, for jazz there's fats waller's jitterbug waltz as the first jazz waltz. lee morgan's koko's waltz is in the tradition of the jazz waltz.

blakey's a night in tunisia is a filler in your jazz collection. you can't claim to like jazz or talk about jazz unless you've at least heard tunisia. and for the ridiculously low price it's being offered, less than eight dollars, at this writing, you really shouldn't pass it up.

Whoever said that the Night of Tunisia is not a good version has a bad ear...
The fact that it is almost out of control and frentic makes it my favorite version by far. You can't guess what is gonna happen next and it sounds like every band member is on the edge of their seats...that is what jazz is all about. As a musician myself, you crave for the edge of your seat frentic feeling when the tempo is up and you can barely keep up. In fact, it's much more dynamic than some of Blakey's more well known, but more straightforward albums...

Wayne Shorter's tune is the second song on this album, it has the most incredible solo and melody theme imaginable. Very tight classy album.

I love all of Art Blakey's early recordings and I especially like "A Night In Tunisia" not for it's apparent virtuosity, but it's constant swing and focus on the music. Nobody swung harder than the Jazz Messengers in my opinion. This 1960 Blue Note recording with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass is the best Messengers lineup in my opinion. This group smokes this set. An absolute essential jazz recording.

Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers light up my CD players. In my home and in my car. I have been listening to Jazz since I was small and my Uncle played with many name bands. Good Jazz has always been a feeling for me more then a sound. Art Blakey and his band make me feel it baby.

Imagine! Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Jymie Merrit and Art Blakey captured in Japan doing The Summit, Dat Dere, A Night In Tunisia, Yama's Waltz, Moanin' and Blues March. I have it on a laser disc from Toshiba EMI called "1961/Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers." On the last three tunes they are accompanied by the Nobuo Hara Sharps & Flats, a japanese big band that is surprisingly non-intrusive.
The most amazing moments on the video (48 minutes long) are watching Bobby Timmons doing his locked hands thing on Dat Dere, Wayne Shorter's eyes rolling back in his head mid solo, Lee Morgan's brilliant half-valve tricks on his spectacular trademark solo on Night In Tunisia and watching that amazing Art Blakey drum solo being played on am elemental basic drum set he must have bought at Sears. He plays the hell out of it, on the sides, on the skins .. all over. It's amazing that the drum set survives Blakey's aggressive attack. Not to be missed but no currently available in the U. S.
This is what Blue Note Should be doing -- putting video with these RVG releases much as the RCA Centenniel series does. When you see the performance it never leaves you.

Not the best of Art Blakey's albums, but far from the worst, either. The title track, at 11-plus minutes, is taken a little bit too frantically and approaches recklessness, but "Kozo's Waltz" is a nice 24-bar blues waltz, also up tempo but more controlled. Wayne Shorter and Lee Morgan play their usual front line parts well. A good outing for the Messengers.

A mentionned in another review, this CD "is not immediately accessible". I would say that it is always deceptive. Benny Goodman once tried to book Mc Coy Tyner but they realised that how great musicians they could be, it didn't work. It is the same with Wayne SHORTER. Everytime he takes a solo, those who know the Jazz Messengers feel sorry Benny GOLSON in no longer in the group.

There are tens of better Blakey's CD. Anyway this one is worth buying for the precious work of Lee MORGAN and Bobby TIMMON's, whose playing in much more subtle than some critics may have said : During his long career, Blaker never had a bad pianist in his group.