Big BandArt Blakey - Hard Bop (MCD-1005)
Mosaic Singles
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This CD is currently on backorder and is expected last quarter of 2010. "...the late great Jackie McLean is always worth hearing and he's in peak form here. So was Mr. Blakey, and the sparkling stereo makes the drummer sound even better." - Stuart Kremsky - IAJRC |
After the dissolution of the original Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey formed a new edition with Jackie McLean, Bill Hardman, Sam Dockery and Spanky De Brest. It's fitting that their first album would carry the title Hard Bop because that is what they and every subsequent line-up of the Jazz Messengers came to typify.
Beyond Blakey's always magnificent and contoured drumming, this quintet's strongest asset was the beautiful, tart blend of Jackie McLean's alto sax and Bill Hardman's trumpet. They phrased together with a forward thrust and their brash, peppery tones created a distinctive front-line sound.
Repertoire was always an important factor in the Jazz Messengers' sound, and this hard-swinging session of December 12 & 13, 1956 mixed excellent originals by McLean and Hardman with jazz tunes by Mal Waldron and Gigi Gryce, two standards and a Gershwin medley. The material was more than enough for one album so five tunes were selected for Hard Bop, another three comprised side two of Blakey's Drum Suite and Gershwin medley sat in the can until 1980.
In addition to finally gathering this band's December 12-13, 1956 output in one place at last, we also discovered, by going back to the original session tapes, that these sessions were recorded in an early (and successful from a sonic point of view) form of stereo. We have assembled the CD from those tapes, which also enabled us to issue the full version of My Heart Stood Still, which was edited on the mono LP.
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Jackie McLean FOREVER |
| Incredible! Love it! Stuffology never ends! | |
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HARD BOP KICKS ASS |
| THIS SET BLEW ME AWAY. THIS SET BELONGS IN A SHRINE. THE GERSHWIN PUT A SMILE ON MY FACE WERE THESE GUYS A JOKE. THIS SET IS WORTH IT JUST TO HERE THAT MELODY. | |
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Excellent Sound! |
| The Mosaic engineers are to be applauded for bringing out such a rich, clean sound. This is a thoroughly enjoyable Messengers session; great to have vintage McLean and Hardman - in Stereo, no less! | |
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Inessential stuff... |
| To put it bluntly: an average session. Better stick to other Blakey formations. This said from one who venerates Mclean... | |
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Rare Hardman, Tart McClean |
| Bill Hardman may have been with Blakey longer than any other trumpet player--1955-57, 1968-78--but had the misfortune of not being on the Blue Note sessions. He's one of the best, even before the bigger sound he had developed by the 70's. There's precious little of him available on record. McClean is an acquired taste, and I don't know of any recording where that sharp-sour tone is more evident than on "Hard Bop." Wish he hadn't chosen to play "My Heart Stood Still" with those long, sustained, somewhat grating tones). | |
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blakey the driver |
| I have all blakeys stuff except this one but I have to give a good rating,blakey drives hard.seeing blakey live you would have to hold on to your seat and your ears, yeah! | |
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blakey the driver |
| I have all blakeys stuff except this one but I have to give a good rating,blakey drives hard.seeing blakey live you would have to hold on to your seat and your ears, yeah! | |
Art Blakey - Hard Bop (MCD-1005)
Limited Edition: copies
1 CD - $15.00
