Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers was the definitive hard bop ensemble, led by drummer Art Blakey from 1954 until his death in 1990 with a rotating roster that reads like a who's who of post-war jazz. Moanin' (1958), with Bobby Timmons's title track, is the classic entry; A Night in Tunisia and Mosaic follow. Explore Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
The Jazz Messengers was founded in 1954 by Art Blakey and Horace Silver. After Silver left in 1956 to lead his own quintet, Blakey continued as the band's sole leader until his death in October 1990. Across nearly four decades, the band functioned as both a working jazz ensemble and a developmental institution, with Blakey selecting and mentoring successive generations of young musicians. The roll call of former Jazz Messengers reads as a who's who of post-war jazz: Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Bobby Timmons, Cedar Walton, Keith Jarrett, Chuck Mangione, Woody Shaw, JoAnne Brackeen, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Mulgrew Miller, and many others.
The Jazz Messengers' sound is the definitive expression of hard bop, combining the bebop tradition with the rhythmic energy, blues feeling, and gospel-derived harmonic vocabulary of African-American sacred and popular music. Blakey's drumming drove arrangements that emphasized strong heads, blues-based originals, and structured solo features.
Original Blue Note pressings of the Messengers' late-1950s and early-1960s catalog are foundational items in jazz collecting. Multiple Blue Note audiophile reissue programs (Tone Poet, Classic Vinyl, 75th Anniversary, Music Matters) have issued the Jazz Messengers catalog.
Listeners new to Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers typically start with Moanin' (1958), featuring the title track composed by Bobby Timmons. A Night in Tunisia (1960) and Mosaic (1961) are common second entry points.
