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Art Blakey, king of the drums.



Someone inquired about North African music, and while perusing my collection in an attempt to help; I ran across Art Blakey, who is neither North or South African, but who's music is "king" of the African Beat.

I give you "The African Beat"; featuring ART BLAKEY, drums; SOLOMON G. ILORI, vocal, penny whistle, talking drum; CHIEF BEY, conga, telegraph drum, double gong; MONTEGO JOE, bambara drum, double gong, corboro drum, log drum; GARVIN MASSEAUX, chekere, African maracas, conga; JAMES OLA FOLAMI, conga; ROBERT CROWDER, BATA DRUM, conga; CURTIS FULLER, tympani; YUSEF LATEEF, oboe, flute, tenor sax, cow horn, thumb piano; AHMED ABDUL MALIK, bass.

"Orgy in Rythm Vols one and two" is the next CD. ART BLAKEY, ARTHUR TAYLOR AND JO JONES on drums; SABU, bongo, timbales; 'POTATO' VALDEZ, JOSE VALIENTE congas; UBALDO NIET, timbales; EVILIO QUINTERO, tree log, HERBIE MAN, flute; RAY BRYANT, piano; WENDELL MARSHALL bass.

These two CD's will take you to the jungle, make you want to put on a grass skirt, and shake "yo booty".

What's your favorite Blakey?
orpheus10
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
"Volcano Eruptus", is a most appropriate name. I saw him live, and I would like to add "Thunder drums" to the list.
qdrone
1,039 posts
 
Another thing about Blakey is he invented tapping his drum rim( the metal ring around the drum that holds the skin on) when he wanted one of the members in The Jazz Messengers to solo or improvise during live gigs and he would then tap it again when he wanted them to wrap it up. He was always in control on where a song was heading or going. One of the best band leaders ever because the word control and jazz are polar opposites. Listen for the tap on his live recordings. He in my humble opinion was the standard by which all jazz drummers are measured. My favorite recording by him is on MCA/Impulse label Art Blakey / Jazz Messenger
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Although Art had many groups of messengers, this group might have been his best. Lee Morgan on trumpet, gets my vote for best jazz trumpet ever. Curtis Fuller went on to form "The Jazztet" with Art Farmer and Benny Golson. When each musician in a group is a star, the music has to be good.
adam18
670 posts
 
Three Blind Mice....... not sure if it's my first place favorite, but it's a mighty fine record !
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Adam18, while all of Blakey's different groups were consistently good, they were also very different. Which one was the best depends on your mood when you're listening to it. With me, which ever Blakey I'm listening to at the time, was the best.
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