Search - Art Blakey :: In My Prime 2

Steep price, long wait but worth it.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 11/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was able, finally, to score Vol. 1 on Ebay, then I waited several months for Vol. 2 to arrive after placing my order on Amazon--a 1978 session recorded in Holland and released only in Japan. It's a winner by the 1970's and Blakey's most underrated ensemble, featuring monster tenor solos by David Schnitter along with nearly equally impressive contributions by Bobby Watson, Valery Ponomarev, Curtis Fuller, and James Williams (I'd trade the trio of Watson, Ponomarev and Fuller for a single Bill Hardman, however). Highlights include the fresh, creative compositions and empathetic ensemble playing, especially on Schnitter's "Mishima" and the untouchable Walter Davis Jr.'s "Ronnie's a Dynamite Lady.""