Description
Presented here are two never-before-released complete live sets by the unforgettable Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The first, recorded in 1963 at the iconic Olympia Theatre in Paris, features a stellar lineup: Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Cedar Walton on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and the leader himself on drums. Highlights include an impressive arrangement of Henry Mancini's 'Moon River' and an extraordinary take on Duke Ellington's 'Caravan'.
The second set, taped in 1968 at the equally renowned Salle Pleyel, also in Paris, finds Blakey joined by Bill Hardman on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Billy Harper on tenor saxophone, Ronnie Mathews on piano, and Lawrence Evans on bass. Among the highlights are an extended performance of the rarely heard 'Blues for Eros' and a dazzling version of Bobby Timmons' Moanin'.
Two never-before-released complete live sets by the legendary Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Transferred from the original tape reels preserved at INA (the French national audiovisual institute), and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, this limited-edition 2-CD set is presented in a deluxe digipak gatefold with an extensive 20-page booklet with stunning photos, liner notes by acclaimed jazz critic and author Bob Blimenthal, plus testimonies by Billy Harper, Julian Priester, Cindy Blackman Santana, and Takashi Blakey.
