A Jazz Message

by Scott Yanow 

Drummer Art Blakey took time off from his busy schedule as leader of The Jazz Messengers to participate in this quartet session with saxophonist Sonny Stitt, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Art Davis. Although this session was under Blakey's leadership, Stitt (on both tenor and alto) emerges as the main soloist, playing his trademark bebop lines with creativity and typical enthusiasm. [A 20-bit remaster of Jazz Message was released in the fall of 1999.] 

在爵士鼓手中，技艺出众并拥有自己领衔的乐队，同时超出鼓手的权限，可以给爵士乐指明新的发展方向的演奏家，只有两个人:Buddy Rich和Art Blakey。相比Buddy Rich，Art Blakey更加注重音乐的架构完善性，对演奏的控制方面做到有的放矢。