moanin'

 Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers found their home in the groove on this energetic and entertaining hard bop blues.  Blakey had started the group as a seventeen piece more than a decade earlier after visiting Africa and being exposed to polyrhythmic drumming.  In 1954, he hooked up with pianist Horace Silver, altoist Lou Donaldson, trumpeter Clifford Brown, and bassist Curly Russell to record 'Live at Birdland' for Blue Note Records. Blakey and Silver co-founded the quintet that became the Jazz Messengers; but Silver left after a year to form his own group, taking three of the players while leaving Blakey the band name.  Blakey spent the next several years recording with a rotating cast of jazz cats on more than a half dozen different labels.  On October 30, 1958, he returned to Blue Note Records to record with his latest quintet that included tenor saxophonist Benny Golson.  Golson wrote most of the songs that they recorded for the sessions at Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey with producer Alfred Lion.  The album that was originally called 'Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' featured Art Blakey on drums, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Benny Golson on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass.  Blakey sought to make jazz more accessible and he succeeded with this strong set.  The powerful interplay between Morgan and Golson is supported by the solid backup of the rhythm section.  Due to the popularity of the gospel-infused opening track, the album was retitled 'Moanin''.  






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'Moanin''
full album:



1. Warm-up and dialogue between Lee and Rudy
2. Moanin' --  (Bobby Timmons) 
3. Are You Real? -- (Benny Golson)
4. Along Came Betty --   (Golson)
5. The Drum Thunder (Miniature) Suite --   (Golson)
6. Blues March --   (Golson)
7. Come Rain or Come Shine --  (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)
8. Moanin' [Alternate Take] --   (Timmons)