Live! At Slug's N.Y.C.

Performer: Art Blakey/Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
Engineer: Orville O'Brien; Orville O'Brien
Producer: Paul Klein (Reissue)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Art Blakey/Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: Art Blakey; Julian Priester (tenor saxophone); Lawrence Evans (bass instrument); Bill Hardman, Billy Harper, Ronnie Matthews. Personnel: Art Blakey (drums); Billy Harper (tenor saxophone); Bill Hardman (trumpet); Julian Priester (trombone); Ronnie Matthews (piano). Liner Note Author: Larry Hollis. Recording information: Slug's, New York, NY (08/1968). Illustrator: Michael Lauzardo. Although this budget-priced in-concert recording of Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers features minimal information, the music here speaks for itself. On LIVE, the legendary drummer/bandleader steers his ensemble through a potent set of tunes including his own frenetic "New World" and Slide Hampton's slinky "Slide #2." While longtime Blakey fans will likely opt for performances released on bigger labels, jazz neophytes may enjoy this disc. This live outing by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers was recorded at the New York City venue Slug's in 1968. (Incidentally, former Jazz Messenger Lee Morgan would meet his demise at the same club four years later.) Blakey leads his proficient band through a four-song set that includes two tunes penned by Slide Hampton (the propulsive "New World" and the slinky "Slide No. 2"), displaying his trademark nuanced, neo-swing drumming. While the entire ensemble is in top-notch form, Blakey, trumpeter Bill Hardman, and trombonist Julian Priester particularly stand out with their fierce soloing, making this a welcome addition to the extensive catalogue of the Jazz Messengers.

Down Beat (p.72) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[T]here's intense expression that crackles with energy, and the band is intimate with the repertoire." JazzTimes (p.145) - "Harper turns in some dramatic, emotionally charged tenor work on a sparse arrangement of 'Angel Eyes'...'

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