Search - Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers :: Midnight Session

ORIGINAL COVER ART

John M. | 08/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the original cover art from the late 50's---- REFLECTIONS OF BUHAINIA gives you this session plus tracks from a Bill Hardman quintet session on Savoy with Sonny Red on alto. Jackie McLean is the altoist on the Messenger tunes with Hardman his front line mate. The tunes though all originals sound a bit familiar at times. The Biddie Griddies is reminiscent of Bohemia After Dark, while Potpourri seems to to be based on The Way You Look Tonight. On the walking ballad Mirage, Jack distinctly says Thanks For The Memory, with his horn but the back up phrasing is completely different--and hipper.---- This group record more in 1957. There's HARD BOP and A NIGHT IN TUNISIA the latter of which adds Johnny Griffin as the third and always third soloist behind Jack and Bill. Then there are the quintet rarities, and probably rightfully so, RITUAL and TOUGH!- which was not released for 10 yrs after being recorded. There are a bunch of piano first, piano in the middle tracks on these last 2 and the tunes weren't too hot to begin with. Besides Bill Hardman is becoming a bit tedious by now anyway. If you can't find these last 2 don't worry about it."