Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers

Editorial Review

This single CD combines a March, 1957, Jazz Messengers session with a 1961 quintet session led by Bill Hardman. The unifying thread here is trumpeter Hardman, who plays on both. This edition of the Jazz Messengers -- Hardman and alto saxophonist Jackie McLean in the front line, and the rhythm section of pianist Sam Dockery, bassist Spanky DeBrest and the leader, Art Blakey -- recorded more than nine albums in little more than a year. While the tunes from this session may not be as well known as others by the same personnel, such as McLean's own "Little Melonae," the band swings every bit as hard here.

Hardman and McLean make a fine front line, playing in unison to open many of the tunes. Whether bursting out of the gate on a tune like "Potpourri", stating the melody to "Mirage" or making effective use of space during "Reflections of Buhaina", it's easy to tell that McLean learned his lessons well during previous stints with both Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis.

Hardman's playing is equally on display here, and rightly so, as evidenced by his use of repetition to melodic advantage in "Reflections," and his blazing runs during "Ugh!"

Behind it all, figuratively and literally, sits Blakey. No matter how much talent surrounded him, it was his technique and intuition that drove the sound. Though he has plenty of great moments throughout, "Study in Rhythm" is the capper. The track opens with a rhythmic call to action from the master, and his bandmates respond in kind, on various percussion instruments. For the next four minutes, the sheer stamina of Blakey's multi-limbed virtuosity literally drains the listener. In fact, it's easy to hear the other players' percussive embellishments as a celebration of the man -- and his beat -- in the middle.

The 1961 Hardman session, his last as a leader until 1978, is a pleasant surprise, with "Capers" and Hardman's own "Jo B." lingering long after you've heard them. The trumpeter's sound seems to have matured in the four years since the Messengers session, and a tune such as "Angel Eyes" is that much the better for it.

About the only listeners Reflections of Buhaina will disappoint are pianists. Messenger Sam Dockery's piano is poorly recorded, making it a challenge to decipher his solos, and Hardman's pianist, Ronnie Mathews, is saddled with a seriously out-of-tune instrument. Otherwise, the package is well worth consideration, for fans of either leader, or the hard bop sound in general.

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