Art Blakey, drums
Lee Morgan, trumpet
Wayne Shorter, tenor sax
Bobby Timmons, piano
Walter Davis Jr., piano (Roots and Herbs and United)
Jymie Merritt, bass

I can’t remember the last album that took my breath as soon as I saw the cover. Seriously, that’s one amazing cover! I am not sure what it means to be “boss” but, I’m thinking this cover is close. It is fitting for Blakey as he was “the boss” in many ways.

Arguably the greatest Jazz drummer of all time who played in the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine before working with Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie all before he was 40. In the mid-50’s he teamed up with Horace Silver to form the Jazz Messengers. The band became one of the most important and influential bands going forward in Jazz and not because Blakey was an amazing drummer, which he was. It was because of those who played in the band and what they brought with them. Blakey was always adamant that members contribute as much as possible and it was this approach along with the volume of the greats who flowed through this band that makes the Jazz Messengers so important. I mean look at this lineup alone. Blakey on drums, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax (and he wrote all the songs), Bobby Timmons, piano as well as Walter David Jr on piano as well and Jymie Merritt adds bass. Over the years band members also included Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Johnny Griffin, Curtis Fuller, Chuck Mangione, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Cedar Walton, Woody Shaw, Terence Blanchard, and Wynton Marsalis.

The tracks included here were recorded in 1961 during the sessions for “Freedom Rider” but not released until 1970. Many have said that this was the best of the Jazz Messenger lineups and it would be tough to dispute that. Lee Morgan and his trumpet work amazingly well with Blakey and his drumming, or maybe it is the other way around but either way, their energetic and fiery deliveries are in sync. Add in Wayne Shorter and his feel for both Blakey and Morgan as he penned all the tunes on this collection while adding sax. This is a very good hard bop jazz album that will move you and bring you back for repeated listening.

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I tried to find out more about the cover but I’ve come up empty. Legendary jazz photographer Francis Wolff (Mosaic Images, LLC) was given credit for the photos on the album but I am assuming those are for the ones inside the fold out sleeve. I know that Rudy Van Gelder was also an avid photographer as well but no credit to him on the album either. It appears that there was a painting made of the original photo or it was painted as an original. That would explain the lack of credit for the photo but, it leaves us looking for the credits for a painting. If you have more information, I’d appreciate it if you’d pass it along in the comments.

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Blue Note ST-84347
Tone Poet Series
Mastered From The Original Analog Tapes
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Reissue Supervised by Joe Harley
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
180 Gram Vinyl

Original Session Producer, Alfred Lion
Recorded on February 18, 1961 and May 27, 1961 (Side 1, track 3) at Van Gelder Studios, Englewood CLiffs, New Jersey
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Photography by Francis Wolff, Mosaic Images, LLC
LP Supervision by Joe Harley
LP Mastering by Kevin Gray, Cohearant Audio
All compositions were written by Wayne Shorter
Liner notes by Jack Tracy