Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers-Moanin´ (1959)

Art Blakey was a drumming prodigy, a leader who perfectly combined talent, skill, technique, power, and subtlety. Along with other legendary drummers like Max Roach and Kenny Clarke, he invented the modern bebop drumming style. His hard bop style, infused with blues elements and funk rhythms, was fundamental in influencing subsequent generations of drummers worldwide. Blakey mastered swing tempos like no other; he knew how to complement his style within a band, employing his instrumental technique to provide the necessary drama and inspiration. For many years, Blakey led one of the most formidable jazz bands, The Jazz Messenger, which featured some of the greatest musicians of the era, including Wynton Marsalis, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and Clifford Brown. All these facets and qualities are perfectly represented in his album "Moanin'" with The Jazz Messenger, which was released under the Blue Note label in early 1959. The soul-infused jazz style of the title track, a composition written by pianist Bobby Timmons, was very popular during the 1960s. On this album, saxophonist Benny Golson also composed four extraordinary tracks, including "Blues March", "The Drum Thunder Suite", and "Along Came Betty", all of which are modern jazz standards, in which Blakey displays his dazzling instrumental prowess.