| Big Beat
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With "The Big Beat" Art Blakey introduced a highly original saxophonist and composer to the jazz world. Wayne Shorter's "The Chess Players" and "Lester Left Town" have since become jazz standards. The album also gave the Jazz Messengers a hit with Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere" and their version of "It's Only A Paper Moon" is hard bop at its most exciting.
* bonus tracks, not part of the original LP
ART BLAKEY, drums
LEE MORGAN, trumpet
WAYNE SHORTER, tenor sax
BOBBY TIMMONS, piano
JYMIE MERRITT, bass
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By harrythompson (Fort Knox Rox)
Paper Moon is such a classic, I would say that this disc and Night in Tunisia are Blakey's two most essential recordings. Without a doubt. Right or wrong.
By Anthony Cooper (Louisville, KY United States)
This is my third Jazz Messenger CD with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter, and they are all very good. Art Blakley's formula is to have his players write the song, and the arrangements are simply melody, solos, melody, then end. The trick is to have top-notch players like Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. Bobby Timmons is no slouch on piano, and Jymie Merritt didn't create big waves in the jazz world but certainly sounds good too. The songs are a masculine bunch. "The Chess Players" is muscular-sounding. "Sakeena's Vision" is more of a lope. "Politely" and "Dat Dere" both strut. "Lester Left Town" also has a strutting feel, but the melody is more slippery. The standard "It's Only A Paper Moon" is more complicated-sounding than the others, and also the best song on the CD.
Despite some of the formulaic nature of this CD, hard bop fans should pick this up.
By Jack Baker (LeRoy,IL)
The Big Beat is a choice session by the legendary group fronted by drummer Art Blakey. The featured lineup for this session from March of 1960 consists of Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass. This group sounds fantastic together, a truly telepathic unit, and the material presented is more than worthy of their talents.
Wayne Shorter's three standout compositions form the backbone of this session. "The Chess Players" is a great opening, with its starts and stops and lots of groove. Shorter and Morgan both sound fantastic here and on "Sakeena's Vision", another Shorter piece, named for Art Blakey's daughter. Art Blakey takes an incredible solo here, confirming his rep as one of jazz's best drummers. The group tackles Bill Hardman's catchy bop "Politely" before launching into Timmons's "Dat Dere", a fabulously soulful number that'll stay with you for days. (Also check out the excellent version on Jimmy Heath's Really Big!). "Lester Left Town" is another excellent Shorter piece, written for Lester Young. The set closes with the standard "It's Only a Paper Moon", given the Jazz Messenger treatment to maximum effect. The Van Gelder edition adds an alternate take of "It's Only a Paper Moon".
This is a great sounding, well played album that's sure to hit heavy rotation in your CD player upon purchase. Check it out.
By J. Rich
Drummer Art Blakey has recorded some great bebop albums in his day and this one is one them.
Joining Blakey on his trip down Splash Mountain are Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, Jymie Merritt on bass, and of course Blakey on drums.
This album was recorded almost around the same time as "Moanin'" which features one of the hottest lineups of the Messengers' long history. Every song on this album is swinging like crazy and has strong melodies and great improvisations. This album features two of my favorite Messengers' tunes "Dat Dere" and "Sakeena's Vision."
If you're just getting into Art Blakey, then start with this album. If you enjoy good 60s bebop then buy this album.
The remastering of this album is very well done. It sounds great for 1960. It sounds like it's been cleaned up and that's always good thing.
Other great Messengers' albums "A Night in Tunisia," "Moanin," "Caravan," "Ugetsu," "Mosaic" and "Free For All," which features one of the most aggressive Blakey performances ever.
By Steven D. wheeler (LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK United States)
although the messengers had live sets of these songs played which were more looser,this album is great like the previous poster said about bobby timmons is true what a jazz phenomenon,blues bases pianist who will have your fingers snapping.what a wonderful group they were
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