BLAKEY;MESSENGERS(1957)"Lerner and Loewe" VIK LX-1103 torrent

This re-issue has a bit of an identity crisis. It's title does not indicate well

what it is. It is VIK LX-1103 (...plays Lerner and Loewe 12" 1st 6 tracks) with

other tracks added from sessions around the same time period.



The CD is titled: ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS (1957)

Second Edition

Featuring Johnny Griffin


Bluebird 07863 66661-2




Tracks 1-6) Quintet: PLAYS LERNER AND LOEWE (VIK LX-1103) 12" record


Tracks 7-9) Nonet: Messengers + 4


Tracks 10-11) Sextet: Add Jackie McLean (alto) to above quintet





......two factors made the session of March 13 unique. One was the arrival of

tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, who was in the process of taking over the

saxophone chair from McLean. ...............for his Messengers debut,.......

Griffin is the lone saxophone and uses the circumstance to provide a magnif-

icent display of his extravagant talent. His fierce attack, blinding speed

caustic humor and ability to blend bebop abstraction with the more extroverted

displays of rhythm and blues had already won him record dates of his own;

and his ability to thrive over the constant GOADING of Blakey's drums only

enhanced his reputation. Material (is the other factor)



Bob Blumenthal (paraphrased)