Art Blakey

• Never Before Released!

• Limited 180 Gram 2LP Gatefold

• From the original ¼” tape reels. Mastered by Bernie Grundman. Pressed at RTI

• Includes 6 collector postcards & 16-page insert with rare photo essay, exclusive interviews with Wayne Shorter Lou Donaldson & More

First Flight to Tokyo: The Lost 1961 Recordings is a thrilling previously unreleased live recording of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers captured at Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo on January 14, 1961 during the band’s first-ever tour of Japan. The Jazz Messengers were among the first modern jazz groups to tour the country, and adoring Japanese audiences were enthralled by one of the band’s all-time great line-ups featuring the legendary drummer with Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. The concert featured soaring performances of well-known jazz staples including Charlie Parker’s “Now’s the Time,” Thelonious Monk’s “Round About Midnight,” and Jazz Messenger hits including “Blues March,” “Dat Dere,” and “Moanin’.

PERSONNEL:

• Art Blakey - drums
• Lee Morgan - trumpet
• Wayne Shorter - tenor sax
• Bobby Timmons - piano
• Jymie Merritt - bass

Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo, January 14, 1961

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Now’s the Time (22:34)

• SIDE B
• B1. Moanin’ (13:33)
• B2. Blues March (11:45)
• B3. The Theme (00:33)

• SIDE C
• C1. Dat Dere (12:14)
• C2. ‘Round About Midnight (13:29)

• SIDE D
• D1. Now’s the Time – Version 2 (17:15)
• D2. A Night in Tunisia (11:12)
• D3. The Theme – Version 2 (00:30)