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The first composition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers unfortunately had a short life, and as excellent as they were together, this laid the foundation for a constant coming and going in the group. Art Blakey didn't know at the time that he would become a master at turning promising talent into full-blown jazz stars. He started with this band, which consisted of Detroit trumpeter Donald Byrd, East Coast tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and pianist Horace Silver, the latter of whom became a jazz legend from that point on. It was clear that, although there were close ties within the group, Byrd's star would rise most rapidly and he was to leave shortly thereafter, replaced for a short time by Clifford Brown, then by Kenny Dorham.
What is remarkable about this first recording of the band is the fact that quite a few tracks became classics and ambassadors of hard bop, highly respected and much played over time by thousands of bands worldwide. "Nica's Dream" is the most famous, typical of the calypso beats that Blakey particularly appreciated at the time, with a catchy melody played by Byrd to hum along, pure and incarnate soul soaked in unrequited blues. The recording of "The End Of A Love Affair" is one of those arrangements that is hard to beat, full of deft rhythm changes and a distinct sound produced by the Mobley-Byrd tandem that is typical of the group. "Ecaroh," (Horace spelled backwards) retains the Latin beat but puts it in a jauntier context, a melody of a simple beauty that only the pianist and Blakey could have conceived and called their own at the time. "Infra Rae" is an unavoidable exercise in hard bop and "Hank's Symphony," though not a classic, is innovative with its Asian-inspired introduction, Afro-Cuban bass and the wild power of a hurricane mediated by Blakey's fast, inspired and unleashed drum work.
This 2LP version is an expanded edition with five additional tracks. There are two versions of the calypso shuffle-to-bop "Carol's Interlude," another version of the original bopper "Weird-O," the classics "Ill Wind" and "The Late Show," and a previously unavailable studio version of Mobley's "Deciphering The Message" - with a jumpily scattered melody. In retrospect, the Jazz Messengers could easily be called the eighth wonder of the world, starting with this finely crafted first effort that has definitely stood its test through time.
Donald Byrd (tp); Hank Mobley (ts); Horace Silver (p); Doug Watkins (b); Art Blakey (dr)
Side 1
1. Infra-Rae
2. Nica's Dream
3. It's You Or No One
Side 2
1. Ecaroh
2. Carol's Interlude
3. The End Of A Love Affair
4. Hank's Symphony
Side 3
1. Weird-O
2. Ill Wind
3. Late Show
Side 4
1. Deciphering The Message
2. Carol's Interlude