When you think of The Jazz Messengers, the first name that comes to mind is Art Blakey. For over three decades, Blakey led the group as the patriarch-like figure, bringing many talented young musicians to prominence. Guys like Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Hank Mobley, Bobby Timmons, Jymie Merritt, Cedar Walton, Freddie Hubbard and many more to name a few. In the 80s, young lions like Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and others passed through the Jazz Messengers ranks as well. You can’t mention the Jazz Messengers without mentioning Art Blakey’s name first. He’s been there since the inception.
However, what is often forgotten is that Art Blakey was not the sole leader of the inaugural lineup. Horace Silver was the original leader, and together they co-led the group. The first album with the Jazz Messengers name was led by Silver in 1955, and it was called “Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers“. Art Blakey had used the Jazz Messengers name in various groups prior, but never as a collective unit on an album. This was the start of something big.
Joining Silver and Blakey was Hank Mobley on the tenor sax, Kenny Dorham on the trumpet and Doug Watkins on bass. While the album ‘Walkin” led by Miles Davis is generally regarded as the first hard bop album, an album that features Horace Silver on the piano by the way; Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers is considered to be the true ushering of the hard bop movement. Miles obviously went on to do other things, while The Jazz Messengers as a whole continued their unrelenting assault for over 30 years. Silver left the group to have an illustrious career. Art Blakey took the helm, and never let go. As a collective led by Blakey, the Jazz Messengers contributed a staggering amount of truly gifted musicians to the jazz world. Just take a look at the pedigree and quality of their alumni. It speaks for itself. I can think of no other group in modern music history to accomplish such a feat.
Outside of the original pressing of Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers on vinyl, which would run you from $1500 to $2500 in mint condition, the best version of Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers is the 200 gram version put out by Classic Records. It’s under $40, and is truly a gem. Inventory of it is drying up, so get it while you still can.
Enjoy the cuts below of this truly groundbreaking LP that ushered the hard bop movement. Without it, the face of jazz as we know it would not even exist. It changed everything.
Filed under: Analog, Audiophile, Hard bop, Jazz, Video, Vinyl, Art Blakey, Blue Note, Doug Watkins, Hank Mobley, Hardbop, Horace Silver, Jazz Messengers, Kenny Dorham, The Jazz Messengers
