The Art of Jazz

American drum legend Art Blakey recorded live in Leverkusen in a concert staged on the occasion of his 70th birthday on October 9, 1989. The lineup of stars, who came to celebrate and perform was simply breath-taking and included Wayne Shorter, Roy Haynes, Benny Golson, Freddie Hubbard, Terence Blanchard, Curtis Fuller, Walter Davis Jr., Jackie McLean, Buster Williams and Michele Hendricks.

You can immediately sense and hear the enthusiastic joy of playing, the exuberant atmosphere and the party atmosphere of this special evening, released on the day of Art Blakey's 100th birthday. Blakey's special way of compressing swinging, pulsating grooves, daring arrangements and flickering solos into gripping pieces, is in full effect across the eight tracks.

Unfortunately, this was going to prove to be one of the last opportunities for the many of the musicians present to perform with Abdullah Ibn Buhaina (Blakey's Islamic name), who died almost exactly one year later.

In addition to a good hour of music, the lovingly and carefully edited new edition also provides a nearly 13-minute interview that producer Mike Hennessey had with Art Blakey back in 1976: an extraordinarily lively document in which he talks about his résumé, his career, his conception of drums, but also about the Jazz Messengers and his natural and adopted children.