Jazz has been – throughout the years – the same as evolution, development, reaction against previous manifestations. Hard-boppers like Art Blakey kept the bebop idiom ( the music was for listening not for dancing ) yet they stressed on improvisation, swinging rhythms, and a vigorous, driving rhythm section.
The Jazz Messengers were like a stage for so many future bandleaders such as Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Chuck Mangione, Jackie McLean, Wayne Shorter, Cedar Walton, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, and Bobby Timmons – with so very important musicians it is easy to understand the role of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers in the shaping of jazz – his drumming is outstanding along this video – it was 1958!
Moanin’ – Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – filmed performance of the title track of their 1958 album.
Personnel: Art Blakey – drums Lee Morgan – trumpet Benny Golson – tenor saxophone Bobby Timmons – piano Jymie Merritt – bass
Jazz You Too 
It’s incredible how many world-changing musicians went through the “Messengers” group. Blakey really had his finger on the pulse.
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Art Blakey was also responsible, in the fifties, for a “back to Africa” movement in jazz – after a trip to Nigeria where he studied the African percussions – the african part of jazz emerged not with some sort of nostalgic-exotic role but clearly a structured political one – a reaction to the “softness” of cool jazz mostly played by white musicians, hard bop set the cultural comeback to Africa, the physical one was no longer possible! Thank you so much for commenting!
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El final abrupto del video me ha dejado con ganas de más, mucho más.
Un abrazo.
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Sim, é verdade que o vídeo não deveria terminar assim, não deixa de ser uma preciosidade – um dos fabulosos quintetos de Art Blakey com Lee Morgan, um trompetista um pouco esquecido, ensombrado por outros grandes – Miles, Shaw, Hubbard e Donald Byrd todos eles passaram pelos Messengers de Blakey! Obrigado por apareceres por aqui! :D
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