CiTR

This lesser known recording was the last documentation of one of the great editions of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Drummer/leader, Blakey led many editions of this band over the years some of lesser importance than others. This band was one of his greatest and it was together from the Fall of 1961 until the Spring of 1964. This recording was done for Riverside Records towards the end of that label's life and it kind of got lost in the shuffle. The band is inspired and everyone is playing at their peak. Freddie Hubbard is on trumpet, Wayne Shorter is on tenor saxophone and is also musical director, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, Reginald (Reggie) Workman is on bass and Blakey. The five tunes are interesting, one by Fuller and the title track by Hubbard and Shorter's arrangement of Sadao Watanabe's tune called "Nihon Bash" and a moody ballad by Comden and Green arranged by Fuller called "Never Never Land" balances the set. One last tune is a rarity, a vocal by Art Blakey's cousin, Wellington Blakey, called "Wellington's Blues" nicely wraps up this fine record.