Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Big Beat
Drums – Art Blakey [click here to see more products featuring Art Blakey]
The Jazz Messengers: [click here to see more products featuring The Jazz Messengers]
- Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter [click here to see more products featuring Wayne Shorter]
- Trumpet – Lee Morgan [click here to see more products featuring Lee Morgan]
- Piano – Bobby Timmons
- Bass – Jymie Merritt
Written by Wayne Shorter (A1-2, B2), Bill Hardman (A3), Bobby Timmons (B1), Billy Rose (B3), E.Y. "Yip" Harburg (B3), Harold Arlen (B3)
1 LP, standard sleeve
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal (Germany)
Label : Blue Note Classic vinyl Series
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded on March 6th 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Alfred Lion
Mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Liner Notes by Nat Hentoff
Photography by Francis Wolff
Design by Reid Miles
Originally released in 1960
Reissued in November 2021
Tracks :
Side A:
- The Chess Players
- Sakeena's Vision
- Politely
Side B:
- Dat Dere
- Lester Left Town
- It's Only A Paper Moon
Reviews :
“Perhaps the best known and most loved of Art Blakey's works, The Big Beat is a testament to the creative progress of one of the best jazz drummers of all time. Now over 40 years old, The Big Beat is as thunderous as ever. Here, Blakey combines his rhythm with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter's brilliant composing to make what could only be termed a "structurally raw" album. Each track rips through bebop as quickly as Blakey ripped through drum heads. "Dat Dere" and "Lester Left Town" stand out as part of the true canons for hot jazz. Two alternate versions of "It's Only a Paper Moon" round out the album, both brimming with the fluid integrity of the song and the drive only Blakey could provide. As one of the few drummers to step out and lead, not just play backup, Blakey created a true jazz treasure in The Big Beat.” AllMusic Review by Christopher Fielder
Rating:
Discogs 4.66 / 5 ; AllMusic : 4 / 5