The Wake

In this series of The Jazzman presents, our friend and jazz aficionado discusses the importance of Blue Note Records and the best years of jazz, as well as some of his music recommendations. Sit back and relax—the Jazzman is at the wheel.

The Jazzman says it all started with Mile Davis’s Kind of Blue in 1957.

Jazzman: “The late 50s to early 60s were the best years in jazz. Blue Note was releasing some of the best jazz albums, they were all real cookin’.”

Big names like John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Thelonious Monk, Curtis Fuller, and dozens of others all had albums released through Blue Note in this time period, ushering in an explosion of influential jazz records and the development of a new jazz culture.

Blue Note Records paved the way for the style now known as “classic jazz.” A fine example of a highly influential Blue Note release is the Jazzman’s pick of the fortnight:

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – Mosaic

According to his New York Times obituary, bandleader Art Blakey pioneered drums in modern jazz, establishing what is known as the “hard bop” style. Over his 40-year career, Blakey became involved with some of the best aspiring artists, and helped usher in generations of jazz musicians.

Mosaic is an early recording from Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, released in 1961 under the Blue Notes record label.

Jazzman: “Mosaic is really tight. Put that up on the list of hits”

Mosaic was the first album recorded by the Jazz Messengers as a sextet. While the Jazz Messengers’ member lineup consistently changed, it remained a sextet for most of the early 60s.

Jazzman: “You got Freddie Hubbard on the trumpet, Wayne Shorter on the tenor sax, Curtis Fuller on the trombone, Jymie Merritt on bass, Cedar Walton on piano…it’s a great CD!”

As a release from Blue Note in the height of the classic jazz movements, Mosaic is an important listen. Blakey was known as an educator in the jazz world, and his influence on jazz music can be heard in the styles of many succeeding artists. His obituary features a long list of those who started under his guiding hand, as well as quotes of praise for his ability to encourage and hone talent in young musicians. Many artists who worked with Blakey moved on to become influential musicians themselves.

From the opening title track on the album, Blakey’s influential drum techniques can be heard in the robust percussion and impressive soloing.

Jazzman: I put this on the bus sometimes, and people are like “Who is that?”

Also recommended by the Jazzman:

Lee Morgan – Sidewinder

Released in 1964, Sidewinder is another Blue Note record.

Jazzman: “Blue Note kickin’ ass again…”

The title track off of Sidewinder became a jazz standard, and was Morgan’s greatest commercial success, according to his online biography. Morgan was a featured trumpeter on Coltrane’s “Blue Train” and played with the aforementioned Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers in the late 50s and early 60s.

The Jazzman can be found cruising through campus five days a week. Cool.