Art Blakey

The Jazz Messengers featuring Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Bobby Timmons on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and the leader Art Blakey on drums, were one of the most remarkable small groups in jazz history.

This deluxe 5-CD set comprises all of the studio recordings by that legendary formation newly remastered and in chronological order, including all of their Blue Note sessions and their only Impulse date, with Curtis Fuller added on trombone

Presented here are the complete contents plus all known alternate songs and takes from the following original albums:

- The Big Beat (Blue Note BST-84029),
- Like Someone in Love (Blue Note BST-84245),
- A Night in Tunisia (Blue Note BST-84049),
- Pisces (Blue Note GXF-3060),
- Roots and Herbs (Blue Note BST 84347),
- The Witch Doctor (Blue Note BST-84258),
- The Freedom Rider (Blue Note BST-84156), and
- Jazz Messengers!!!!! (Impulse AS-7).

Four tracks recorded by the same group live at Birdland in September 1960 have been added as a bonus.

PERSONNEL:

ART BLAKEY, drums & leader
LEE MORGAN, trumpet
WAYNE SHORTER, tenor sax
BOBBY TIMMONS, piano
JYMIE MERRITT, bass

Walter Davis Jr. (p)
replaces Bobby Timmons on CD3, 9-10 only.
Curtis Fuller (tb) added on CD5, 3-8 only.

Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey & New York between March 1960 and June 1961.
All tracks originally recorded by Rudy Van Gelder and produced by Alfred Lion for Blue Note Records except CD5, 3-8, produced by Bob Thiele for Impulse Records.

CD5 (9-12) Bonus Tracks:
Same personnel. Live at Birdland, New York, September 14, 1960

INCLUDES 24-PAGE BOOKLET

CD 1: Total Time: 72:55
01 It’s Only A Paper Moon [Alt Tk] 6:22
02 It’s Only A Paper Moon 6:41
03 Dat Dere 8:49
04 The Chess Players 9:37
05 Lester Left Town 6:26
06 Sakeena’s Vision 6:06
07 Politely 6:04
08 When Your Lover Has Gone 6:45
09 Noise In The Attic 7:55
10 Sleeping Dancer Sleep On [Alt Tk] 8:06

CD 2: Total Time: 75:41
01 Sleeping Dancer Sleep On 8:07
02 Sincerely Diana 6:48
03 Sincerely Diana [Alt Tk] 6:54
04 Yama 6:22
05 Kozo’s Waltz 6:47
06 Giantis 5:34
07 Johnny’s Blue 9:11
08 So Tired 6:38
09 Like Someone In Love 8:03
10 A Night In Tunisia 11:14

CD 3: Total Time: 67:08
01 United #1 6:49
02 Ping Pong #1 5:59
03 Blue Ching 6:47
04 Pisces 6:54
05 Look At The Birdie 6:43
06 Master Mind 6:55
07 Ping Pong #2 7:11
08 Petty Larceny 6:15
09 Roots And Herbs 6:05
10 United #2 7:25

CD 4: Total Time: 77:05
01 The Witch Doctor [Alt Tk] 5:34
02 Those Who Sit And Wait 5:53
03 A Little Busy 6:14
04 Joelle 5:11
05 Afrique 6:56
06 Lost And Found 5:05
07 The Witch Doctor 5:30
08 The Back Sliders [Alt Tk] 7:10
09 The Back Sliders 7:48
10 The Freedom Rider 7:26
11 Tell It Like It Is 7:52
12 El Toro 6:21

CD 5: Total Time: 79:31
01 Blue Lace 5:58
02 Uptight 6:14
03 Alamode [À La Mode] 6:50
04 Invitation 7:28
05 Circus 5:14
06 You Don’t Know What Love Is 7:00
07 I Hear A Rhapsody 6:33
08 Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You 4:58
09 ‘Round Midnight 9:44
10 The Things I Love 8:26
11 The Summit 9:26
12 The Theme 1:35