Art Blakey - Moanin' [Blue Note Essential Vinyl Series]

Built on Bobby Timmons' call-and-response title composition, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' Moanin' joins gospel-rooted phrasing, blues forms, and hard bop in a defining session. Blakey leads Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Timmons, and Jymie Merritt, with the horns stating memorable themes before the players move into extended solos. Originally self-titled, the album became known as Moanin' after the opening piece gained wide recognition.

"Moanin'" begins with Timmons' piano figure and a horn response before opening into solos from Morgan, Golson, and Timmons. "Are You Real?" moves at a quicker pace, using a compact theme and brisk exchanges between trumpet and tenor saxophone. "Along Came Betty" takes a more lyrical route through Golson's long melody, while "The Drum Thunder Suite" places Blakey at the front through three connected sections. "Blues March" returns to a parade rhythm and a recurring horn line shaped by Golson's writing.

This Blue Note Essential vinyl record is mastered from a high-resolution digital source, pressed on 140g vinyl, and housed in a single sleeve. The session uses a short-lived Jazz Messengers lineup, with Benny Golson supplying four of the six compositions. Bobby Timmons wrote the title track, while "Come Rain Or Come Shine" is the only selection not written by a member of the group.

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: "Moanin'," "Along Came Betty," "The Drum Thunder Suite," "Blues March"
• Pressing details: Blue Note Essential Vinyl Series, 140g vinyl, high-resolution digital master, single sleeve jacket
• Genre/style: Hard Bop, Jazz
• UPC: 199957593083

"Moanin'" and "Blues March" became two of the Jazz Messengers' best-known themes, while "Along Came Betty" shows the melodic side of Golson's writing. Blakey connects them through drum accents, rolling fills, and ensemble cues that direct each performance.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Moanin'
2. Are You Real
3. Along Came Betty

Side B:

1. The Drum Thunder Suite
2. Blues March
3. Come Rain Or Come Shine