Art Blakey

Many of you may not have noticed during yesterday's Grammy awards, that Art Blakey was awarded a lifetime achievement award. If you don't know who Art Blakey is, let me tell you that he probably was the greatest jazz drummer that ever lived. He is a legend, having played with everybody in the jazz world including: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Monk, Coltrane, Jimmy Smith, and many others. He is perhaps most famous for his Jazz Messengers. The Jazz Messengers were the premier hard bop band in jazz. Art Blakey was a great discoverer and nurturer of new talent, artists that came up in his band include: Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Timmons, and many more. The world is a better place because of Art Blakey. The greatest jazz concert I ever attended, was an Art Blakey and the Jazz Messenger show in Chicago in the 80's. The show was at the Jazz Showcase, when it was still at the Blackstone. There had been a snowstorm that night, and Blakey's band was late for the show. When they finally arrived, I was sitting close to the stage, and Art Blakey himself came out and begin to set up his drum kit. While he was doing this, he started a conversation with me and my friend. I couldn't believe it! He was very nice to us, and I felt that he was glad to see young people at the show. At the time, I was young. It is not so true anymore. Give this playlist a listen, and enjoy Art Blakey. Click here to listen.