5-21455-2

Art Blakey - Drums Around The Corner

Released - 1999

Recording and Session Information

Manhattan Towers, NYC, November 2, 1958
Lee Morgan, trumpet; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Roy Haynes, drums; Art Blakey, Philly Joe Jones, drums, timpani; Ray Barretto, congas.

tk.4 Let's Take 16 Bars
tk.6 Moose The Mooche
tk.7 Drums In The Rain
tk.11 Lee's Tune
tk.13 Blakey's Blues
tk.15 Lover

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, March 29, 1959
Paul Chambers, bass; Art Blakey, drums.

tk.1 I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
tk.2 What Is This Thing Called Love

Also Released in Japan as TOCJ-66073

Session Photos

Photos: Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images / 
https://www.mosaicrecordsimages.com/

Track Listing

Title	Author	Recording Date
Moose The Mooche	Charlie Parker	November 2 1958
Blakey's Blues	Art Blakey	November 2 1958
Lee's Tune	Lee Morgan	November 2 1958
Let's Take 16 Bars	Art Blakey	November 2 1958
Drums In The Rain	Art Blakey	November 2 1958
Lover	R. Rodgers-L. Hart	November 2 1958
I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm	Irving Berlin	March 29 1959
What Is This Thing Called Love	Cole Porter	March 29 1959

Liner Notes

MANY years ago, I had the opportunity to take a sneak peak at the files of unissued treasures hidden in the Blue Note vaults. I thought that I was going to have to be rushed to the hospital so that the doctors could reinsert my eyeballs into my head from amazement. The amount of high quality music that Alfred Lion (owner of Blue Note) recorded during the '50s and '60s is truly staggering. Over the years much of this material has been issued. One of the sessions that was of particular interest to me is the one you're listening to. When I first read the file sheet on this session, my first thought was "a session with these master drummers plus Lee, Bobby and Jymie has got to good." I called Michael Cuscuna (Blue Note's reissue producer) wondering if he had heard this session. Michael was aware of the recording but never heard it. He promised me that one day he would release it. Through the years, this session has crossed my mind more than a few times. They say chances go 'round and nearly 16 years later not only did Michael make good on his promise but gave me the pleasure of listening and writing the liner notes for this historic event. It was well worth the wait.

Art Blakey was always fascinated with the musical and rhythmic possibilities of drum ensembles. In 1956, Art convinced Columbia Records to give him the green light to record half of an album with a large drum ensemble, hand picking some of the greatest Latin and jazz percussionists Of all time. Between 1957 and 1962 Art recorded four more drum ensemble sessions for Blue Note. Five albums were released: An Orgy In Rhythm Vols. I & 2 (1957), Holiday For Skins Vols. I & 2 (1958) and Afro Drum Ensemble (1962). I have no clue as to why this 1958 session was never released. To my ears, it's the most organized and musically varied. Blakey was never happy with the drum ensemble recordings. He's told me that there were "too many egos" and felt that the drummers didn't play as well as they could have. He never elaborated on any specific person or incident that drew him to that conclusion. It is interesting to note that the amount of Latin percussionists Was cut to one. If Art were still alive, I think that he would be happy with the results of this date if he picked three other percussionists that he knew he could count on to really create something special.

All four of these masters were at the top of their games and in demand. Any musician who was lucky enough to obtain their services was sure to have a good recording or gig. The rest of the cast were members of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Young Lee Morgan burst out on the scene two years earlier and blew everybody's mind with his soulful trumpet virtuosity. He was influenced by Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro and Clifford Brown, but by 1958 had found his own voice. It's interesting to note that his classic Moanin' solo done with the Messengers was recorded just three days earlier. The rhythm section heard here is one of the best that Art ever had. Bassist Jymie Merritt had consistent, swinging, rock solid time. It is a credit to his musicianship that he was able to adapt to each drummer's dynamic style. Bobby Timmons during his all brief career was unfairly pigeonholed as a funky piano player. Sure, he could get with a lot of heart and energy.

I realized that it can be confusing even for the best Of us to differentiate between drummers. One way to make it easier is to make a musical mental note that both Philly Joe and Art are on the right channel in stereo, Roy and Ray are on the left. You can also identify the drummers by the way their drums are tuned. Art's drums are tuned much lower than the others. Roy has a much sharper, compact snare drum sound, Philly Joe tends to have a brighter sound. During both Lee and Bobby's solos there's almost always one drummer playing at a time. Charlie Parker's "Moose The Mooche" an I Got Rhythm-based tune starts out with all four percussionists rhythmically playing the melody. It almost sounds like a swing drum corp. instead of playing the melody at the bridge there are two-bar drum exchanges starting with Art, then Roy; Philly Joe and Art finish the bridge repeating Roy's two-bar phrase. The last A is again played. Lee comes in stating the melody backed by Philly Joe. Bobby takes the first solo backed by Roy for one chorus — dig how Art comes in right before Bobby's second chorus with that thunderous press roll of his. It's Philly Joe who puts the pots on and burns during Lee's solo. Rays swinging conga solo gives way to Roy playing a hip solo. Next, Philly steps showing his virtuosity and Art finishes up the first solo routine.

Lee again states the melody with Blakey taking the bridge. The drummers were supposed to play the melody and take it out but the feeling got good to Joe, who started off another round of solos. I'm glad they decided not to stop the tape because Roy's solo (following Philly Joe's) is one of his best on record. Art comes in like gangbusters followed by Philly Joe this time on tympani. Art returns playing a solo with mallets the drum exchanges are continued between the three until the melody in rhythm is stated with a short drum coda. "Blakeys Blues" starts out with the famous Blakey press roll. Jymie Merritt walks two choruses with Philly Joe playing hi-hat during the first. Art takes over for Jymie's second chorus and also accompanies Lee and Bobby's solos with his funky shuffle. This is my favorite period of Lee's. Check out how he builds his solo chorus after chorus. If you listen closely during his third chorus he quotes Nellie Lutcher's "Real Gone Guy." Art instinctively shifts gears when Lee steps up the intensity in the seventh chorus of his solo. Bobby and Jymie's solos take us right down to "Soulsville." This is a hard tempo in which to take a drum solo but it doesn't intimidate any of the fab four. A chorus is taken by Jones, Haynes, Barretto and Blakey in that order. After another chorus Of walking bass, this tune board fades with all four playing together.

"Lee's Tune" is a clever 32 bar, A-B-A structured piece that has a hypnotic vibe to it. Lee takes a smokin' solo, Blakey accompanies Lee on this track. You can compare Art with a giant steam roller coming down the street. Once he gets to swinging at this tempo its hard to stop him. This piece is a great example of how Ray can play perfect swinging time but stays out of the drummers way. The solos are Philly Joe, Haynes and Blakey. "Let's Take 16 Bars" gives composer credit to Blakey, but I'm sure its Lee's composition. The same percussion plays melody concept used on "Moose The Mooche" is used here except that each drummer plays a different part of the melody sounding like a musical pyramid. Art keeps time while Ray, Philly Joe. Roy and Art himself play 16 bars each. After solos from Lee and Bobby, the drummers play four bar exchanges. The order is Art, Roy and Joe. Lee in with the melody and the piece ends as it begins plus a thunderous ending.

"Drums In The Rain" is like listening to four African tribes communicating with each other. Ray plays a beautiful solo going in and out of a 6/8 time feel. Roy plays a fantastic solo using mallets. Blakey's solo starts using Roy's last hi-hat phrase. Joe uses that same phrase and takes it to yet another musical level. Art changes tempos and all four partake in an extended drum conversation (solos: Blakey, Barretto, Blakey, Haynes, Jones). "Lover" starts out with the three drummers actually playing an Art Blakey solo before Lee comes in with the melody. The tempo is ridiculously fast and Art never drops a beat. This is one of Lee's best recorded solos. If you listen closely, you can hear him taking deep breaths in between those long beautiful phrases he's playing. The solo order here is Roy, Philly Joe, Art and Ray. Check out how Art tears up the last bridge of this melody at the end — amazing!!

Another bonus of the CD is the two duet tracks with Blakey and Paul Chambers. "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" came out on a compilation of Irving Berling tunes titled Blue Berlin which quickly went out of print. "What is This Thing Called Love" has never been issued. These two tracks catch them at their creative best. Art always believed that drummers could get together and play just as much music as any other instruments, here is more documentation to prove that fact.

—KENNY WASHINGTON, 1999
"The Jazz Maniac" WBGO CD Radio