The all-star lineup on Drum Suite gives the album high marks before one note of music is played. It's a piece of history. Released in 1957, the album merged Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with several ...

Legendary Nigerian drummer Tony Allen is an Afrobeat pioneer best known for his tenure as musical director for Fela Kuti. American jazz was an early influence, and he pays tribute to hard bop icon ...

Dig into 13 tracks from this influential drummer and bandleader, chosen by writers and musicians including several former members of his band, the Jazz Messengers. Credit...Dante Zaballa Supported by ...

Blakey led his band for almost 40 years, making many classic records with top musicians. Just Coolin', a newly unearthed 1959 recorded studio session, showcases his stylistic precision. This is FRESH ...

Time Out Take Five is a column comprised of pithy takes on recent jazz releases, spotlighting titles deserving attention that might otherwise go ...

WILLIAMSTOWN — George Cables remembers the night of his first gig with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. It was 1969 and the 24-year-old piano player had just joined the group at the recommendation of ...

Art Blakey was not the first musician to declare: "I always wanted to be regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the world," as he did in a 1984 San Diego Union interview. (The full interview ...

Jazz drummer Art Blakey brought a propulsive, irresistible swing to his playing, an intensity that drove his ensembles like dry leaves before the wild hurricane. “He was a volcano,” said Gordon ...

Allen mixes African, European and American beats on his new album, A Tribute to Art Blakey. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the record showcases the way that musicians "bat ideas back and forth." This is ...