Art Blakey - In Concert 1961 +Album Reviews

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	Art Blakey In Concert (1961) Genre: Jazz In 1957 Thelonious Monk still lived at the edges of acceptance by a larger jazz audience, and Art Blakey's signature group was in the midst of a long formative phase. With Bill Hardman's cutting, raw-edged trumpet and John... more » « less
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CD Details

All Artists: Art Blakey
Title: In Concert (1961)
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: RTE
Release Date: 11/23/1994
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Modern Postbebop, Bebop
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 796946150229

Synopsis

Amazon.com essential recording

In 1957 Thelonious Monk still lived at the edges of acceptance by a larger jazz audience, and Art Blakey's signature group was in the midst of a long formative phase. With Bill Hardman's cutting, raw-edged trumpet and Johnny Griffin's gruff and coiling tenor, Blakey's band was a looser, less defined, but more intense unit than it would become later with in-house composers like Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, and Wayne Shorter. When Blakey and Monk, longtime friends and associates, made this date playing some of Monk's core material, the Messengers became virtually a Monk ensemble and one of the most inspired to record. A year later, Griffin would be a regular member of Monk's quartet, and this disc demonstrates why. --Stuart Broomer

CD Reviews

The Blakey-Monk Jazz School

Loek Hopstaken | Amsterdam, The Netherlands | 11/05/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I first heard this classic album I became fascinated by the collaboration between Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk. This is communication on the highest level possible. You can wake me up in the middle of the night to listen to I Mean You or Rhythm-a-Ning. Just the way Blakey & Monk seem to "feed" ideas to Bill Hardman - who's way below the level of B&M - is something I can listen to for as long as I live. And then there's Johnny Griffin, a Monk player as good as Charlie Rouse ever was. This new CD is such a big improvement; at last there is the balance that was sadly missing in the original longplay album. If you ever want to understand and appreciate the real genius of B&M, get this one - and listen to it, study it, enjoy it."

Blakey And Monk, A Great Pair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greatsch Guy | NEW YORK | 06/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It seems that every album Monk's on as a sideman has the same songs. You know, Blue Monk, Rhythm A Ning, Off Minor, Epistrophy, etc. But, they work in this album. Monk's style went good with Blakey behind him. I don't know why, but it does. I guess you just need that forcefull playing behind Monk. This wasn't the first time Blakey and Monk played together, but it sure was a good one!"

A great improvement over the original CD

doublehighc | California | 03/28/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Here is another CD remaster that is worlds better than what it replaces. The original CD of this album had Monk in one channel, the Messengers in the other channel, with everyone muffled by dim sound. Apparently they didn't do that one from the original masters.This time they got it right. The sound is much more present, and it's in high-quality mono rather than the annoying "stereo" of the previous release. You can ever hear the bass this time! Rhythm-a-Ning is a personal favorite of mine since we played an arrangement of it in my college jazz band, but in any event this is a top notch collaboration between Monk and Blakey."