The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western music ensemble, bands that play Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, or Contemporary R&B, R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeepi ...

Art Blakey Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He was also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina after he converted to Islam for a short time in the late 1940s. Blakey made a name for himself in the 1 ...

died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the outset. "Art Blakey" and "Jazz Messengers" became synonymous over the years, though Blakey did lead non-Messenger recording sessions and played as a sideman for other groups throughout his career. The group evolved into a proving ground for young jazz talent. While veterans occasionally re-appeared in the group, by and large, each iteration of the Messengers included a lineup of new young players. Having the Messengers on one's resume was a rite of passage in the jazz world, and conveyed immediate bona fides. Many former members of the Jazz Messengers established careers as solo musicians, such as

Lee Morgan Edward Lee Morgan (July 10, 1938 – February 19, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter and composer. One of the key hard bop musicians of the 1960s and a cornerstone of the Blue Note Records, Blue Note label, Morgan came to prominence in his la ...

Benny Golson Benny Golson (January 25, 1929 – September 21, 2024) was an American bebop and hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and arranger. He came to prominence with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie, more as a writer than a p ...

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (August 25, 1933 – March 2, 2023) was an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader. Shorter came to mainstream prominence in 1959 upon joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, for whom he eventually became the primary comp ...

Freddie Hubbard Frederick Dewayne Hubbard (April 7, 1938 – December 29, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter. He played bebop, hard bop, and post-bop styles from the early 1960s onwards. His unmistakable and influential tone contributed to new perspectives fo ...

, Bobby Timmons,

Hank Mobley Henry Mobley (July 7, 1930 – May 30, 1986) was an American tenor saxophonist and composer. Mobley was described by Leonard Feather as the "middleweight champion of the tenor saxophone", a metaphor used to describe his tone, that was neithe ...

Curtis Fuller Curtis DuBois Fuller (December 15, 1932May 8, 2021) was an American jazz trombonist. He was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and contributed to many classic jazz recordings. Early life Fuller was born in Detroit on December 15, 193 ...

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

, Billy Harper,

Keith Jarrett Keith Jarrett (born May 8, 1945) is an American pianist and composer. Jarrett started his career with Art Blakey and later moved on to play with Charles Lloyd (jazz musician), Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. Since the early 1970s, he has also be ...

, Joanne Brackeen,

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the 20th century's most important and influentia ...

Chuck Mangione Charles Frank Mangione ( ; born November 29, 1940) is an American flugelhorn player, trumpeter and composer. He came to prominence as a member of Art Blakey's band in the 1960s, and later co-led the Jazz Brothers with his brother, Gap Mangione, ...

Wynton Marsalis Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young ...

, Branford Marsalis,

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for ''B ...

, Donald Harrison and

Mulgrew Miller Mulgrew Miller (August 13, 1955 – May 29, 2013) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and educator. As a child he played in churches and was influenced on piano by Ramsey Lewis and then Oscar Peterson. Aspects of their styles remained in his ...

. Some members, such as bassist Clarence Seay and Gregory Charles Royal, are documented to have played in the Jazz Messengers but did not record with the group.

History

Origins

On December 17, 1947, Blakey led a group known as "Art Blakey's Messengers" in his first recording session as a leader, for

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

. The records were released as 78s at the time and two of the songs were released on the ''New Sounds'' 10" LP compilation (BLP 5010). This octet included

Kenny Dorham McKinley Howard "Kenny" Dorham (August 30, 1924 – December 5, 1972) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and occasional singer. Dorham's talent is frequently lauded by critics and other musicians, but he never received the kind of attention ...

, Howard Bowe, Sahib Shihab, Musa Kaleem, Ernest Thompson, Walter Bishop Jr., and LaVerne Barker. Around the same time—in 1947 or 1949—Blakey led a big band called "Seventeen Messengers." The band proved to be financially unstable and broke up soon after. The Messengers name then went dormant for several years. Blakey and

Horace Silver Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silver (September 2, 1928 – June 18, 2014) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger, particularly in the hard bop style that he helped pioneer in the 1950s. After playing tenor saxophone and piano at sch ...

began working together in the early 1950s. Some cite the group that included Blakey, Silver, Kenny Dorham,

Lou Donaldson Louis Andrew Donaldson Jr. (November 1, 1926 – November 9, 2024) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. He was best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was he ...

and Gene Ramey in 1953 as the original Jazz Messengers. On February 21, 1954, a group billed as the "Art Blakey Quintet" produced the live set of records called '' A Night at Birdland''. The quintet included

Clifford Brown Clifford Benjamin Brown (October 30, 1930 – June 26, 1956) was an American jazz trumpeter, pianist and composer. He died at the age of 25 in a car crash, leaving behind four years' worth of recordings. His compositions "Sandu", "Joy Sprin ...

and Curly Russell. These records were quite successful, and some cite this date as the beginning of the Jazz Messengers.

The Jazz Messengers (1954–56)

Most date the origin of the Jazz Messengers to 1954, or 1955, when the first recordings credited to the band appeared. The Jazz Messengers formed as a collective, nominally led by

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

or Blakey on various dates. Blakey credits Silver with reviving the Messengers name for the group. The other members included Kenny Dorham,

and Doug Watkins. Their first recordings officially using the Jazz Messengers name were a pair of live dates, recorded at the Café Bohemia in 1955. A pair of earlier recordings from sessions in late 1954 and early 1955—released on Blue Note 10" LPs as the ''Horace Silver Quintet, vol. 1 and vol. 2''—were subsequently reissued as a 12" LP entitled '' Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers''. The pioneering members of the Jazz Messengers (Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham, Doug Watkins, and of course Blakey) believed that the band needed a professional look, and they abandoned

jam sessions ''Jam Sessions'' is a guitar simulation software title and music game for the Nintendo DS that was originally based on the Japan-only title ''Sing & Play DS Guitar M-06'' (''Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06'') originally developed by Plato and relea ...

. In 1956 Dorham left the band to go out on his own and was replaced by

Donald Byrd Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II (December 9, 1932 – February 4, 2013) was an American jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter, composer and vocalist. A sideman for many other jazz musicians of his generation, Byrd was one of the few h ...

. This group released '' The Jazz Messengers'' on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. Later in the year, the original group disbanded, but Blakey retained the Jazz Messengers name for his future groups.

The "Second" Messengers (1956–58)

For a brief period in 1956 Donald Byrd stayed on as a new lineup was formed. It included

Kenny Drew Kenneth Sidney "Kenny" Drew (August 28, 1928 – August 4, 1993) was an American-Danish jazz pianist. Biography Drew was born on August 28, 1928, in New York City, United States, and he received piano lessons from the age of five. Feather, ...

, Wilbur Ware, and

Ira Sullivan Ira Sullivan (May 1, 1931 – September 21, 2020) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, flautist, saxophonist, and composer born in Washington, D.C., United States. An active musician since the 1950s, he often worked with Red Rodney ...

playing tenor sax rather than his main instrument, trumpet. The only recording of this version of the Messengers was two tracks backing up singer Rita Reys on '' The Cool Voice of Rita Reys'' on Columbia. Blakey then formed a new lineup that would prove to be much more stable. The most notable name, at the time, was

Jackie McLean John Lenwood McLean (May 17, 1931 – March 31, 2006) was an American jazz alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator. He is one of the few musicians to be elected to the ''DownBeat'' Hall of Fame in the year of their death. Bio ...

. He was only 25, but had already recorded with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

and

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

. Bill Hardman, Sam Dockery and Jimmy "Spanky" DeBrest complete the group. They recorded another record for Columbia: ''

Hard Bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

''—still under the collective's moniker The Jazz Messengers. They went on to record for several different labels including RCA subsidiary Vik Records, Pacific Jazz, Elektra,

Cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

, Jubilee,

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

and a date on

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...

featuring

Thelonious Monk Thelonious Sphere Monk ( October 10, 1917 – February 17, 1982) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer. He had a unique improvisational style and made numerous contributions to the Jazz standard, standard jazz repertoire, includ ...

. Over this time the band's name evolved to include Blakey's name, starting with "The Jazz Messengers, featuring Art Blakey" on

Ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

, then "Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers" on several records, and also "Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers" on Cu-Bop.

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (1959–64)

In 1958, Blakey formed a new lineup with four Philadelphia natives:

, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt. This marked the beginning of perhaps the most fruitful period of the Jazz Messengers. They returned to

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

and the first record—entitled simply ''

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers were a jazz combo that existed for over thirty-five years beginning in the early 1950s as a collective, and ending when long-time leader and founding drummer Art Blakey died in 1990. Blakey led or co-led the group from the o ...

''—produced their biggest hit: " Moanin'". It featured two more songs which would become Messengers classics, and jazz classics as well: " Blues March" and "Along Came Betty" by Benny Golson. Golson left the band in 1959 after a European tour (which produced live albums and a film soundtrack on

Fontana Records Fontana Records is a record label that started in the 1950s as a subsidiary of the Dutch Philips Records. Fontana Distribution, an independent label distributor, takes its name from the label. History Fontana began in the 1950s as a subsidi ...

and French

RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...

) to be replaced, briefly, by

. Mobley did not accompany the band to a Canadian jazz festival in 1959; Lee Morgan encountered

at the festival, and he joined the band in Mobley's place. This lineup produced several notable recordings, including the second Messenger album, '' A Night in Tunisia''. In 1961 the group expanded to a sextet with the addition of

. This lineup produced a self-titled album for

Impulse! Records Impulse! Records (occasionally styled as "¡mpulse! Records" and "¡!") is an American jazz record label established by Creed Taylor in 1960. John Coltrane was among Impulse!'s earliest signings. Thanks to consistent sales and positive critiques ...

. At the end of that summer, Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons left and were replaced by

and

respectively. This lineup recorded ''

Three Blind Mice "Three Blind Mice" is an English nursery rhyme and musical round.I. Opie and P. Opie, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Nursery Rhymes'' (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1951, 2nd edn., 1997), p. 306. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 3753. ...

'' for

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

and two albums for Blue Note: ''

Mosaic A mosaic () is a pattern or image made of small regular or irregular pieces of colored stone, glass or ceramic, held in place by plaster/Mortar (masonry), mortar, and covering a surface. Mosaics are often used as floor and wall decoration, and ...

'' and '' Buhaina's Delight''. In mid-1962

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Tri ...

replaced long-time double bassist Jymie Merritt, who wanted to settle down in Philadelphia. This version of the group produced three albums for Riverside: ''

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

'', '' Ugetsu'', and ''

Kyoto Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...

''; in addition to another

under the name '' Free for All''. This lineup stayed together until March 1964, when Lee Morgan rejoined in place of Freddie Hubbard. Around this time—the recording date is unknown—the band produced an album from the musical '' Golden Boy'' for the Colpix label with an expanded lineup. This lineup included both Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan on trumpet, plus Charles Davis,

Julius Watkins Julius Watkins (October 10, 1921 – April 4, 1977) was an American jazz musician who played French horn. Described by AllMusic as "virtually the father of the jazz French horn", Watkins won the ''Down Beat'' critics poll in 1960 and 1961 for Mis ...

, and Bill Barber. In April 1964, the Jazz Messengers produced their final, new, recording for the Blue Note label: '' Indestructible''.

The "New" Messengers (1964–66)

In September 1964, Wayne Shorter left the Messengers to join the

band that was later called the Second Great Quintet. Lee Morgan enlisted long-time

Sun Ra Le Sony'r Ra (born Herman Poole Blount, May 22, 1914 – May 30, 1993), better known as Sun Ra, was an American jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, and poet known for his experimental music, "cosmic" philosophy, prolific ou ...

tenor saxophonist John Gilmore to fill in—though it was understood he would return to Sun Ra after a time. Gilmore brought along fellow Arkestra member Victor Sproles and

John Hicks Sir John Richard Hicks (8 April 1904 – 20 May 1989) was a British economist. He is considered one of the most important and influential economists of the twentieth century. The most familiar of his many contributions in the field of economics ...

joined on

piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

. The edition of the Messengers would see more quick turnover of members than the previous. The band signed with

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (March 14, 1933 – November 3, 2024) was an American record producer, composer, arranger, conductor, trumpeter, and bandleader. Over the course of his seven-decade career, he received List of awards and nominations re ...

' new Mercury sub-label Limelight Records. This group—still including Curtis Fuller on trombone—recorded the first album for the label: '' 'S Make It''. The band soon reverted to a quintet as Fuller departed. Alto saxophonist Gary Bartz replaced the departing John Gilmore and this quintet—with

sitting in alongside Morgan—recorded '' Soul Finger'' for Limelight. By January 1966, the band had completely turned over again. Now

occupied the trumpet chair with Frank Mitchell on tenor sax,

on piano and Reggie Johnson on bass. This lineup produced the live album '' Buttercorn Lady'' under the moniker ''Art Blakey and the "New" Jazz Messengers''. While the band continued to perform live, this would be the final Jazz Messengers recording of the decade.

The Fallow Decade (1966–76)

The late 1960s saw the ascendance of rock music in popular culture, and the jazz world was experimenting with

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

and

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

, styles Blakey did not care for. It was difficult for Blakey to maintain a steady lineup for the Messengers, during this period, and even more difficult to produce recordings. Between 1966 and 1972, the Messengers produced only a single official record: '' Jazz Messengers '70'', a live date in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. This particular lineup included Bill Hardman, Carlos Garnett, Joanne Brackeen and Jan Arnet. Blakey kept the Messengers working during this period—particularly abroad in Europe and Japan where they maintained their popularity. But the lineups were fluid, with several musicians rotating through based on who was available for the particular engagement. In various combinations, between 1966 and 1972 the band included trumpet players

and

Randy Brecker Randal Edward Brecker (born November 27, 1945) is an American trumpeter, flugelhornist, and composer. His versatility has made him a popular studio musician who has recorded with acts in jazz, rock music, rock, and R&B. Early life Brecker was ...

in addition to Hardman; saxophonists Garnett, Mitchell, Billy Harper and Ramon Morris; and trombonists

Slide Hampton Locksley Wellington Hampton (April 21, 1932 – November 18, 2021) was an American jazz trombone, jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. As his nickname implies, Hampton's main instrument was slide trombone, but he also occasionally played tub ...

and

Julian Priester Julian Priester (born June 29, 1935) is an American jazz trombonist and occasional euphoniumist. He is sometimes credited "Julian Priester Pepo Mtoto". He has played with Sun Ra, Max Roach, Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. Biog ...

. The piano chair saw the greatest turnover. After Jarrett, pianists included

Mike Nock Michael Anthony Nock (born 27 September 1940) is a New Zealand jazz pianist, who lives and works in Australia. Biography Nock was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, but spent his childhood in Ngāruawāhia. Nock began studying piano at 11. H ...

, Lonnie Liston Smith,

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain (instrumental), Spain", "500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba" ...

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

, Ronnie Mathews,

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

, Joanne Brackeen, Albert Dailey, plus occasionally veterans John Hicks, Cedar Walton, and Walter Davis Jr. Bassists included Juni Booth,

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, as well as working with guitarist Larry Coryell, the Thelonious Monk reperto ...

, Larry Evans, Scotty Holt, Arnet, and Mickey Bass. In 1972 the Messengers were signed to

Prestige Records Prestige Records is a jazz record company and label founded in 1949 by Bob Weinstock in New York City which issued recordings in the mainstream, bop, and cool jazz idioms. The company recorded hundreds of albums by many of the leading jazz music ...

and produced three albums. '' Child's Dance'' featured pieces from two recording sessions on 1972, with different, expanded, and somewhat overlapping lineups. The regular Messengers on the album were Woody Shaw; Ramon Morris; John Hicks, Walter Davis Jr. and

on both acoustic and electric pianos; and Mickey Bass. The band was augmented by Buddy Terry (soprano sax), Manny Boyd (flute), Michael Howard (guitar),

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...

(electric bass), and percussionists Nathaniel Bettis, Sonny Morgan, Pablo Landrum, Emmanuel Rahim and Ray Mantilla for different tunes across the two sessions. In 1973, a regular lineup of Woody Shaw, newcomer Carter Jefferson, Cedar Walton, and Mickey Bass recorded two more

Prestige Prestige may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Films *Prestige (film), ''Prestige'' (film), a 1932 American film directed by Tay Garnett: woman travels to French Indochina to meet up with husband *The Prestige (film), ''The Prestige'' (fi ...

albums: '' Anthenagin'' and '' Buhaina''.

Conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest ...

player Tony Waters appears on ''Anthenagin'' and trombonist Steve Turre appears on ''Buhaina''. Blakey struggled to keep the band going the next three years. Only one recording—a 1975 collaboration with

Sonny Stitt Sonny Stitt (born Edward Hammond Boatner Jr.; February 2, 1924 – July 22, 1982) was an American jazz saxophonist of the bebop/hard bop idiom. Known for his warm tone, he was one of the best-documented saxophonists of his era, recording over ...

called '' In Walked Sonny'' on the Swedish Sonet label—was produced between 1973 and 1976. That album included long time trumpet stalwart Bill Hardman again occupying the trumpet chair. David Schnitter was now on tenor sax and would stay with the Messengers for some time to come. Walter Davis Jr. was back on piano, and the new bassist was Isao Suzuki. The Messengers were still popular in Japan, and travelled there annually. Hardman and Schnitter were constants throughout this period. Pianists also included Albert Dailey and Mickey Tucker and bassists after Suzuki included Cameron Brown and Chris Amberger.

Messengers rejuvenation (1976–90)

In 1976, the Messengers recorded a record for

Roulette Roulette (named after the French language, French word meaning "little wheel") is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italy, Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various grouping ...

–

Backgammon Backgammon is a two-player board game played with counters and dice on tables boards. It is the most widespread Western member of the large family of tables games, whose ancestors date back at least 1,600 years. The earliest record of backgammo ...

—featuring Hardman, Schnitter, Dailey and Suzuki. In that year Blakey began a professional relationship with Wim Wigt, a Dutch music booker and owner of the Timeless label. Wigt booked the Messengers throughout Europe. A second record for Roulette followed, featuring Schnitter, Walter Davis Jr. and newcomers Valery Ponomarev, Bobby Watson, and Dennis Irwin. From this point the lineups began to stabilize as the band worked more regularly. In October 1977, Blakey hired a new, regular, pianist: James Williams. This group (Ponomarev, Watson, Schnitter, Willams and Irwin) recorded '' In My Prime Vol. 1'' in November 1977 for Wigt's Timeless label. In 1978 they recorded '' In This Korner'' for

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the ...

and '' In My Prime Vol. 2'' and '' Reflections in Blue'' for Timeless. In February 1979, they recorded the third Messengers album entitled '' Night in Tunisia'' for

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

. In November 1979 they recorded '' One by One'', a live album in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, for the Italian Palcoscenico label. In 1979, Blakey decided to assemble an 11-piece "big band" to take on a European tour in 1980. This band was unique in that it included two sets of brothers: Wynton and Branford Marsalis and Robin and Kevin Eubanks, and that the group had the first guitarist that Blakey ever hired, Bobby Broom. The young musicians were cultivated by playing in the smaller Jazz Messengers combo around New York City through 1979. Broom left the group before the 1980 tour. These would be Ponomarev's last appearances with the Messengers. While Watson and Williams continued with the Messengers, David Schnitter was replaced by Bill Pierce and Dennis Irwin was replaced by Charles Fambrough. This band also featured a second drummer: John Ramsay. '' Live at Montreux and Northsea'' by the Jazz Messengers Big Band was recorded at the Northsea and Montreux Jazz Festivals by Timeless. The regular working sextet that emerged from this European tour now included Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Bill Pierce, James Williams and Charles Fambrough. This group produced '' Art Blakey in Sweden'' on the Amigo label, ''Album of the Year'' on Timeless and ''Straight Ahead'' on the Concord Jazz imprint—all in early 1981. When Branford Marsalis graduated from the

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...

in 1981, he joined his brother in place of Bobby Watson. Donald Brown replaced James Williams at this time as well. In January 1982 this lineup produced Keystone 3, the third live album recorded by the band at

Keystone Korner The Keystone Korner was a jazz club in the North Beach, San Francisco, North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California, which opened in 1970 and continued operation until 1983. Many live recordings were made at the club. In the 1970s, Jessi ...

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. Wynton Marsalis' star was rising quickly. He and his brother Branford left to form their own band in early 1982. Due to Donald Brown's struggles with arthritis, he left the band at this time as well. The new lineup was

and Donald Harrison on the front line, and Johnny O'Neal on piano, joining Pierce and Fambrough. This lineup recorded '' Oh-By the Way'' for Timeless in 1982. The band turned over gradually over the next year. Pierce left to begin teaching at Berklee in September 1982. He was replaced by Jean Toussaint. Fambrough left in mid-1983 to be replaced by

Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing both double ba ...

. And

took over for Johnny O'Neal in 1984. This new lineup – Blanchard, Donald Harrison, Toussaint, Miller, and Plaxico—stayed together throughout 1985, into 1986. They recorded '' New York Scene'' in 1984 and '' Live at Kimball's'' in 1985, both for Concord Jazz. A live date from Ronnie Scott's in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

also appeared. Blanchard and Harrison formed their own band in mid-1986. They were replaced by Wallace Roney and Kenny Garrett, respectively. Tim Williams was also added on

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

. This group recorded the '' Feeling Good'' album for

Delos Delos (; ; ''Dêlos'', ''Dâlos''), is a small Greek island near Mykonos, close to the centre of the Cyclades archipelago. Though only in area, it is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece. ...

. By the end of 1987 the band had turned over once again. Philip Harper was the new

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz musical ensemble, ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest Register (music), register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitche ...

player, Javon Jackson joined on tenor, and Robin Eubanks returned on trombone. The new pianist was Benny Green and Peter Washington was the bassist. This lineup recorded '' Not Yet'' and '' I Get a Kick Out of Bu'' (with Leon Dorsey replacing Washington on bass), both for Soul Note in 1988. In 1989, what became the final Jazz Messengers lineup was established: Brian Lynch on trumpet, Javon Jackson and Dale Barlow on tenors,

Steve Davis Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a Sports commentator, commentator, DJ, electronic musician and author. He dominated professional snooker in the 1980s, when he reached eight ...

and/or Frank Lacy on trombone, Geoff Keezer on piano and Essiet Okon Essiet on bass. This final group recorded the final Messengers album, '' One for All'' (1990), on

A&M Records A&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group and functions as a branch of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, Interscope-Geffen-A&M. Established in 1962 by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, the label initially operated independent ...

. In October 1989, the group played a special concert at the Leverkusen Jazz Festival in Germany to celebrate Blakey's 70th birthday with many invited guests, including Freddie Hubbard, Terence Blanchard, Donald Harrison,

, Wayne Shorter, Benny Golson, Curtis Fuller, Walter Davis Jr.,

and

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (March 13, 1925 – November 12, 2024) was an American jazz drummer. In the 1950s, he was given the nickname "Snap Crackle" for his distinctive snare drum sound and musical vocabulary. He is among the most recorded drummers in ja ...

, with Michele Hendricks singing a song composed for the occasion by Horace Silver.

Discography

The Jazz Messengers Discography by Jimita

Former members

* Dale Barlow * Mickey Bass *

* Joanne Brackeen *

* Cameron Brown * Donald Brown * Bobby Broom *

* Buck Clarke *

* Walter Davis Jr. * Spanky DeBrest * Sam Dockery *

* Robin Eubanks * Charles Fambrough *

* Carlos Garnett * Kenny Garrett * John Gilmore *

* Benny Green *

Johnny Griffin John Arnold Griffin III (April 24, 1928 – July 25, 2008) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Nicknamed "the Little Giant" for his short stature and forceful playing, Griffin's career began in the mid-1940s and continued until the month of ...

* Bill Hardman * Donald Harrison * Billy Harper * Philip Harper *

* Dennis Irwin * Javon Jackson *

* Carter Jefferson * Geoffrey Keezer * Frank Lacy * Brian Lynch *

* Branford Marsalis *

* Jymie Merritt *

* Johnny O'Neal * Essiet Okon Essiet * Billy Pierce *

* Valery Ponomarev * Wallace Roney * Gregory Charles Royal * David Schnitter *

* Clarence Seay *

* Victor Sproles * Bobby Timmons * Jean Toussaint *

* Peter Washington * Doug Watkins * Bobby Watson * James Williams *

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from:05/11/1986 till:05/03/1987 color:Trumpet bar:Garrett from:05/11/1986 till:07/02/1987 color:Alto bar:DBrown from:05/11/1986 till:05/03/1987 color:Piano bar:Washington from:05/11/1986 till:02/12/1989 color:Bass bar:PHarper from:05/03/1987 till:12/20/1988 color:Trumpet bar:Jackson from:05/03/1987 till:end color:Tenor bar:BGreen from:05/03/1987 till:12/29/1989 color:Piano bar:REubanks from:08/28/1987 till:02/12/1989 color:Trombone bar:Lynch from:12/20/1988 till:end color:Trumpet bar:Lacy from:02/12/1989 till:end color:Trombone bar:Essiet from:02/12/1989 till:end color:Bass bar:SDavis from:02/01/1990 till:end color:Trombone bar:Barlow from:02/01/1990 till:end color:Tenor bar:Keezer from:02/01/1990 till:end color:Piano bar:sep1 $Separator bar:sep2 $Separator bar:sep3 $Separator bar:sep4 $Separator bar:sep5 $Separator bar:sep6 $Separator bar:sep7 $Separator bar:sep8 $Separator bar:sep9 $Separator bar:sep10 $Separator bar:sep11 $Separator bar:sep12 $Separator bar:sep13 $Separator 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Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jazz Messengers Hard bop ensembles Musical groups established in 1955 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 1955 establishments in the United States 1990 disestablishments in the United States