Moanin'

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Art Blakey album. For the title composition, see Moanin' (song). For the New York Rhythm Machine album, see Moanin': Portrait of Art Blakey. For the Charles Mingus song, see Blues & Roots.
"Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (album)" redirects here. For their 1956 self-titled album, see The Jazz Messengers (1956 album). For their 1957 self-titled album, see Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk. For their 1961 self-titled album, see Art Blakey!!!!! Jazz Messengers!!!!!
Moanin'
Moanin' (Art Blakey).jpg
Studio album by
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
ReleasedJanuary 1959[1]
RecordedOctober 30, 1958
StudioVan Gelder Studio, Hackensack
GenreHard bop
Length40:16
50:20 CD reissue
LabelBlue Note
BST 84003
ProducerAlfred Lion
Art Blakey chronology
Art Blakey Big Band
(1957) 		Moanin'
(1959) 		Drums Around the Corner
(1959)
The Jazz Messengers chronology
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
(1958) 		Moanin'
(1959) 		The Big Beat
(1960)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic5/5 stars[2]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide4/5 stars[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music5/5 stars[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings3.5/4 stars[5]

Moanin' (originally titled Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers) is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1958 for the Blue Note label and released in 1959.

Background[]

This was Blakey's first album for Blue Note in several years, after a period of recording for a number of different labels, and marked both a homecoming and a fresh start. Originally the LP was self-titled, but the instant popularity of the bluesy opening track "Moanin'" (by pianist Bobby Timmons) led to its becoming known by that title.

Music[]

The rest of the originals are by saxophonist Benny Golson (who was not with the Jazz Messengers for long, this being the only American album on which he is featured). "Are You Real?" is a propulsive 32-bar piece with a four-bar tag, featuring two-part writing for Golson and trumpeter Lee Morgan. "Along Came Betty" is a more lyrical, long-lined piece, almost serving as the album's ballad. "The Drum Thunder Suite" is a feature for Blakey, in three movements: "Drum Thunder"; "Cry a Blue Tear"; and "Harlem's Disciples". "Blues March" calls on the feeling of the New Orleans marching bands, and the album finishes on its only standard, an unusually brisk reading of "Come Rain or Come Shine". Of the originals on the album, all but the "Drum Thunder Suite" became staples of the Messengers book, even after Timmons and Golson were gone. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in his meticulous Hackensack studios, this recording reflects the hallmark precision associated with that engineer – on the 1999 CD reissue there is a brief conversation between Lee Morgan and Rudy Van Gelder going over Morgan's solo.

Reception[]

The album stands as one of the archetypal hard bop albums of the era, for the intensity of Blakey's drumming and the work of Morgan, Golson and Timmons, and for its combination of old-fashioned gospel and blues influences with a sophisticated modern jazz sensibility. The album was identified by jazz critic Scott Yanow as one of "17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings".[6] AllMusic gives it a five-star review, stating: "Moanin' includes some of the greatest music Blakey produced in the studio with arguably his very best band. ... ranks with the very best of Blakey and what modern jazz offered in the late '50s and beyond."[2]

Influence[]

A vocalese version of "Moanin'" was later written by Jon Hendricks, and recorded by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross,[7] as well as jazz vocalists Bill Henderson[8] and Karrin Allyson.

Track listing[]

Original LP[]

All tracks are written by Benny Golson, except when noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Moanin'" (Bobby Timmons)9:35
2."Are You Real" (Benny Golson, Lee Morgan)4:50
3."Along Came Betty"6:12
Side two
No.TitleLength
1."The Drum Thunder Suite"7:33
2."Blues March"6:17
3."Come Rain or Come Shine" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)5:49
Total length:40:16

CD reissue[]

No.TitleLength
1."Warm-up and dialogue between Lee Morgan and Rudy Van Gelder"0:35
2."Moanin'" (Bobby Timmons)9:35
3."Are You Real"4:50
4."Along Came Betty" (Benny Golson, Lee Morgan)6:12
5."The Drum Thunder Suite"7:33
6."Blues March"6:17
7."Come Rain or Come Shine" (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)5:49
8."Moanin' (alternate take)" (Bobby Timmons)9:19

Personnel[]

Charts[]

Chart performance for Moanin'
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Swedish Vinyl Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 2

References[]

  1. ^ "Reviews and Ratings of New Jazz Albums", Billboard, January 19, 1959, p. 53.
  2. ^ a b AllMusic review by Michael G. Nastos.
  3. ^ Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 25. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0857125958.
  5. ^ Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.
  6. ^ Yanow, Scott. "hardbopz". www.scottyanow.com. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  7. ^ "Moanin'". jazzleadsheets.com.
  8. ^ "His Complete Vee-Jay Recordings, Vol. 1 [1993] - Bill Henderson | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  9. ^ "Veckolista Vinyl, vecka 15" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved April 18, 2021.
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