ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS – Moanin’ (1958)

The Blue Note label seemed to capture the essence of Jazz music with a sound that to this day defines the genre. It’s the label I’d refer to if I were trying to persuade a non-believer as to the value of Jazz. Not just that but this is one of, if not the, Blue Note albums I would turn to. Here’s a record that features in the title track, arguably the most swingin’ and soulful piece of Jazz music ever recorded. That it manages to both swing and feel so damn irresistible but still have that element of a cookin’ band just groovin’ and improvisin’ as they go is a massive achievement. ‘Moanin’’ is an undisputed slice of classic Jazz history. It heads up the album from the start and kicks in after a great opening sound-snippet simply titled ‘Warm Up And Dialogue...’ and its exactly that, a mouth watering start to the album which announces what we have here; a group of musicians at the top of their game cutting it in a studio as the tapes roll. I’d play that bit of opening studio chat, the pause and count-in to ‘Moanin’’ and then the opening few minutes to anyone not convinced about Jazz music. If they didn’t want to hear more after that then you’re wasting your time with them.

‘Moanin’’ is the work of keyboard player Bobby Timmons but it’s the sax player Benny Golson who dominates the rest of the compositions. Of these ‘Blues March’ is another stand out, a simply driving beast of a thing that even now a club DJ with an ear for the eclectic could drop easily into a set. Lee Morgan is another key player here on trumpet, a lynchpin of the 1950s Blue Note stable whose work I need to be delving deeper into.

Central to the whole set is ‘The Drum Thunder Suite’ where Art Blakey takes a starring role on a three piece suite that properly showcases his pounding prowess. You may wonder how it is that the drummer gets the top billing anyway? He’s only the drummer after all, he’s not the one playing all the music and creating the tunes! He’s just hanging out with a bunch of talented musicians who’ve been generous enough to let him join in. I don’t really think that of course and it should give you some idea of what a pivotal role Art Blakey plays here that there’s not much evidence of anybody over the years asking such a question. With the strong emphasis on rhythm he really did take jazz forward, you’ve only got to look at how a lot of the Blue Note fifties grooves were revived decades later on the Acid Jazz label to recognise what ground breaking work was going down here. Without Blakey this would just be a great jazz band, with him it’s a rollin’ an’ a tumblin’ jazz steamroller that knocks out anything that gets in its way!

Essex Boy Rating: 10/10