This is a red vinyl LP pressing of Moanin’ by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Art Blakey is more than just a giant of jazz drums; he is a hard-bop legend, a unique bandleader, and the heart of one of the most fertile periods in music history. He was also a generous mentor who—after forming the Jazz Messengers with Horace Silver in the early 1950s—opened the collective to gifted young musicians such as Clifford Brown, Donald Byrd, Chick Corea, and Wayne Shorter. Of all the albums recorded by this indispensable formation, Moanin’ is undoubtedly the most emblematic of the sound that became the matrix of modern jazz. Between the themes played in unison by Benny Golson and Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons’ “churchy” piano, and Jymie Merritt’s feline bass lines, the record is anchored by Blakey’s drums, which sound as large as an orchestra and showcase the constant swing of his cymbals. This is more than just the sound of a great group; it is the true essence of the golden era of jazz.

Label: 20th Century Masterworks

Release Year: 2020

Track List: 

1. Moanin’
2. Are You Real
3. Along Came Betty
4. I Remember Clifford [Live]
5. Blues March [Live]
6. The Drum Thunder Suite [First Theme: Drum Thunder/Second Theme: Cry a Blue Tear /Third Theme: Harlem’s Disciples]
7. Blues March
8. Come Rain or Come Shine
9. Blues March [Live]