ArtistInfo

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

Band, 1955-1990 US
Jazz

Archetypal hard-bop group of the late 1950s, most date their origin to 1954 or '55 when the first recordings credited to the band appeared. Playing a driving, aggressive extension of bop with pronounced blues roots, the group continued until Blakey's death in 1990. The name Jazz Messengers had been used by Art Blakey earlier, but when Horace Silver and Blakey began working together in the early 1950's the name had been dormant several years. The Jazz Messengers formed as a collective, nominally led by Silver or Blakey. Blakey credited Silver with reviving the Messengers name for the group. The original lineup of Blakey, Silver, Hank Mobley, & Kenny Dorham, was relatively shortlived. By late 1956 Art Blakey was the remaining original member. Over the years the Jazz Messengers served as a springboard for young jazz musicians, a proving ground for young jazz talent.

Members

	Donald Byrd tr 1932-2013 US
	Horace Silver p 1928-2014 US
	Lee Morgan tr 1938-1972 US
	Art Blakey dr 1919-1990 US
	Wayne Shorter ts, ss *1933 US
	Freddie Hubbard tr 1938-2008 US
	Barney Wilen ts, ss 1937-1996 FR
	Donald Harrison as *1960 US
	Robin Eubanks tb *1955 US
	Chuck Mangione fh, ep *1940 US
	Benny Green p *1963 US
	Javon Jackson ts *1965 US
	Jackie McLean as 1931-2006 US
	Hank Mobley ts 1930-1986 US
	Cedar Walton p 1934-2013 US
	Reggie Workman b *1937 US
	Keith Jarrett p *1945 US
	Benny Golson ts *1929 US
	Johnny Griffin ts 1928-2008 US
	John Gilmore ts 1931-1995 US
	Randy Brecker tr, fh *1945 US
	Doug Watkins b 1934-1962 US
	Kenny Dorham tr 1924-1972 US
	Reggie Johnson b *1940 US
	Curtis Fuller tb *1934 US
	Bobby Timmons p 1935-1974 US
	Jymie Merritt b *1926 US
	Lucky Thompson ts 1924-2005 US
	Charles Fambrough b 1950-2011 US
	Mulgrew Miller p 1955-2013 US
	Terence Blanchard tr *1962 US
	Lonnie Plaxico b, eb *1960 US
	Jean Toussaint ts, ss *1960 US
	Brian Lynch tr *1956 US
	Billy Pierce ts *1948 US
	Bobby Watson as *1953 US
	John Hicks p 1941-2006 US
	Peter Washington b *1964 US
	Sam Dockery p 1929-2015 US
	Bill Hardman tr 1933-1990 US
	Spanky DeBrest b 1937-1973 US
	David Schnitter ts *1948 US
	James Williams p 1951-2004 US
	Donald Brown p, key *1954 US
	Albert Dailey p 1939-1984 US
	Frank Mitchell ts
	Philip Harper tr *1965
	Essiet Essiet b *1959 US
	Carter Jefferson ts, ss 1945-1993 US
	Victor Sproles b *1927 US
	Tim Williams tb
	Geoff Keezer p *1970 US
	Steve Davis tb *1967 US
	Ronnie Mathews p 1935-2008 US
	Jan Arnet cb, b *1934 US
	Yoshio Suzuki b, eb JP
	Valery Ponomarev tr *1943 RU