Blakey Art & The Jazz Messengers

Ritual Blakey Art & The Jazz Messengers Remastered, Limited edition

The first stable formation of Art Blakey's celebrated "Jazz Messengers" was

born in 1954, and consisted of Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver

and Doug Watkins. That exact group recorded the Blue Note LP The Jazz

Messengers at the Cafe Bohemia in November of 1955. The 1957 date

released on Ritual contains a lengthy drum piece by Blakey. This was not his

greatest group, although alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was among the

hardest blowers he ever employed. Bassist Spanky Debrest and trumpeter

Bill Hardman were good musicians, but a notch below the others who filled

their roles in future Messenger editions.

ART BLAKEY, drums & leader

BILL HARDMAN, trumpet

JACKIE McLEAN, alto sax

SAM DOCKERY, piano

SPANKY DeBREST, bass

New York, January 14 (A1, A3 & B3) & February 11 (A2,

B1, B2 & B4), 1957.

Original recordings produced by George Avakian.