Buhaina's Delight

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In 1961, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers had expanded to a sextet, likely his most talented ensemble, and riding on the crest of tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter's vibrant modern compositions and arrangements. This edition features four alternate tracks from a separate session, and all of the wit, verve, and drive that made this band singularly unique and special in the annals of mainstream post-bop jazz. With Freddie Hubbard, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, Jymie Merritt, Shorter, and Blakey, this band is one of the more unstoppable sextets to ever roam the earth, and at this time was coming back from a successful European and Japanese tour, while also conquering the tough-nut Los Angeles nightclub scene. The joyous and sparse quality of Shaky Jake -- written by Walton -- with its head-nodding, infectious blues shuffle -- is so simple and refined that it has proven to be timeless. Blakey dictates the up and down dynamics of the similarly shuffled Shorter offering Backstage Sally, a sweeter but no less direct melody line urged by Walton's precise piano. Where Walton is an accompanist, he is actually cementing the relationship of all the bandmembers, most notably on the rearrangement of Moon River with its start-stop attitude and repeat phrasings triggered by the pianist's cues. Fuller wrote Bu's Delight, a typical but compelling hard bop piece spurred by Blakey's five- and seven-stroke rolls. Of Shorter's other compositions Contemplation is a thoughtful ballad accented by the saxophonist's bold, then settled phrases, Reincarnation Blues is an easy, albeit off-minor bop shuffle. Hubbard more than replaced trumpeter Lee Morgan, but supplanted him with a different fire and energy, plus a bolder perspective. This contrasted the introspective Shorter in a manner that made the daily sound of this combo unpredictable. During a very fruitful period, this version of the Jazz Messengers made three pivotal albums, including Three Blind Mice, Mosaic, and this exceptional effort, all deserving a place in any serious jazz lover's collection. ~ Michael G. Nastos, Rovi