Jazz Messengers Classic Albums 1956-1963 CD

The origin of the Jazz Messengers goes back to 1954 or 1955, when the first recordings credited to the band appeared. The Jazz Messengers formed as a collective, nominally led by Horace Silver or Art Blakey on various studio dates. Blakey credits Silver with reviving the Messengers name. Blakey formed a new line-up in 1956 that would prove to be somewhat more stable. The most notable name at the time was Jackie McLean. At just 25 he had already recorded with Miles Davis and Charles Mingus. Bill Hardman, Sam Dockery and Jimmy "Spanky" DeBrest filled out the band. They recorded another record for Columbia, Hard Bop, then went on to work for several different labels including RCA subsidiary Vik Records, Pacific Jazz, Elektra, Cadet, Jubilee, Bethlehem and a date on Atlantic featuring Thelonious Monk. Over this time the band's moniker evolved to include Blakey's name, starting with The Jazz Messengers featuring Art Blakey, then, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers on several other releases and, for Cu-Bop (Jubilee, 1957), Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers The Jazz Messengers remained a major jazz collective right through until Art Blakey's death in 1990, but the group's golden years were, by that juncture, long past, and it remains this seminal act's records from the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s for which the Jazz Messengers remain so fondly remembered. This superb collection features eight of the Jazz Messengers' finest records from this era, which feature, alongside maniman Art Blakey, the cream and most renowned players of the time

1. Infra-Rae 2. Nica's Dream 3. It's You or No One 4. Ecaroh 5. Carol's Interlude 6. The End of a Love Affair 7. Hank's Symphony 8. Cranky Spanky 9. Stella By Starlight 10. My Heart Stood Still 11. Little Melonae 12. Stanley's Stiff Chickens 13. I Could Have Danced All Night 14. On the Street Where You Live 15. There But for You Go I 16. They Call the Wind Maria 17. I Talk to the Trees 18. Almost Like Being in Love 19. Woody 'N You 20. Sakeena 21. Shorty 22. Dawn on the Desert 23. Evidence 24. In Walked Bud 25. Blue Monk 26. I Mean You 27. Rhythm-A-Ning 28. Purple Shades 29. ? la Mode 30. Invitation 31. Circus 32. You Don't Know What Love Is 33. I Hear a Rhapsody 34. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 35. Backstage Sally 36. Contemplation 37. Bu's Delight 38. Reincarnation Blues 39. Shaky Jake 40. Moon River 41. Caravan 42. Sweet 'N' Sour 43. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning 44. This Is for Albert 45. Skylark 46. Thermo