Watch Art Blakey
The Genius of Art Blakey · Drumeo
Watch on YouTube ↗Artist profile / 1919–1990
Art
Blakey.
Drums / bandleader
The driving pulse of the Jazz Messengers, and a generous bandleader who gave new talent a place to grow.
Explore all 20 musicians
Drums / bandleaderPeople / recordings / the sound
01 / The story
Art’s
sound
Born in Pittsburgh, Art Blakey became one of jazz’s most recognizable drummers. His rolls, press accents and explosive cymbal work could propel a soloist while making the whole ensemble sound like a conversation.
In the mid-1950s he and pianist Horace Silver led the early Jazz Messengers. Blakey continued the group for decades, putting blues and gospel feeling at the center of a changing lineup and mentoring players who would become leaders in their own right.
Read the full biography at the National Endowment for the Arts ↗
02 / Watch & listen
Hear the
music
Spotify playlist
This Is Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Open playlist in Spotify ↗03 / Find a record
Take the
sound home
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A first listenMoanin’
The 1958 Jazz Messengers recording is a welcoming place to hear a gospel-tinged theme and the band’s swing.
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Sources and photograph
Biography source · Photograph source · CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped in the page layout.