3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Irreplaceable!, October 28, 2007
This review is from: One for All (Audio CD)
by Scott Yanow
The final recording by Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers found the 70-year old drummer (just months before his death) doing what he loved best, leading a group of young players through hard-swinging and generally new music in the hard-bop style. The last edition of The Jazz Messengers (a septet with trumpeter Brian Lynch, trombonist Steve Davis, the tenors of Dale Barlow and Javon Jackson, pianist Geoffrey Keezer and bassist Essiet O. Essiet) was comprised, as usual, of future bandleaders and stylists. Blakey, although pretty well deaf by this time, still pushed the ensembles and the individual players to play above their heads. A satisfying final effort from an irreplaceable drummer and bandleader.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
LAST JAZZ MESSENGER SESSION, August 19, 2008
This review is from: One for All (Audio CD)
Man- dig Brian Lynch playing I'll Wait And Pray. I thought Coltrane was the only one who knew that song. There are ballad features for Barlow and Jackson too. But a trombone solo leading of the first tune seems inappropriate. There's plenty of music, almost 70 min. of it. 14 tracks seem like a lot but the 1st track is a brief verbal encounter between Blakey and the A&R man. Tracks 6-8 are a 8 min. medley feature for the pianist Keezer. Nica's Tempo is the only known uptempo tune. Well, at least I know it. It dates back to a mid 50's side man session Art was on with Gigi Gryce and Monk.
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