Search - Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers :: Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World

Great playing, not so great sound quality

G B | Connecticut | 10/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This lineup of the Jazz Messengers made a bunch of great albums for Blue Note and they're all interchangeable to some degree. This recording from Birdland somehow slips past the radar when discussing the Shorter-Morgan-Timmons lineup. The sound quality leaves a lot to be desired (lots of distortion). It was also out of print for a while and there's another album recorded a year earlier with an almost identical name ("At the Jazz Corner of the World") and lineup (sub Hank Mobley for Shorter). Nevertheless, it's worth picking up because this is an excellent performance by a terrific group. My favorite performances are "Round About Midnight", "The Breeze and I", and Hank Mobley's mysterious "High Modes". (Despite not playing on the album, Hank contributed 3 of the compositions.) Aside from "The Summit" we don't hear much of Wayne Shorter the composer, but his playing, as on most music from this period, is intense and unpredictable. The album is worth buying just to hear Wayne. If you like grooving, intense hard bop, then the Jazz Messengers with Shorter, Morgan, and Timmons is an essential listening experience. And after checking them out on studio albums such as "The Big Beat" or "A Night in Tunisia", it's definitely worth meeting them at the Jazz Corner of the World."

Sounds grate.

Robert Bezimienny | Sydney, NSW Australia | 07/06/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The sound quality on this double-disc set is remarkably poor. The mono Birdland sets from 1954 are much better in this regard, as is the similarly titled date from 1959, featuring Hank Mobley. Not only the piano, but also the horns distort and the sound in general has a distinctly 'hard' quality - it's bad enough to make listening difficult to enjoy, especially for long sessions. The music itself is good, but not essential - there are many Art Blakey discs that outshine this one.

*

The aforementioned Birdland dates, with Clifford Brown on trumpet, are a much better place to sample the Messengers prowess. Mosaic, Buhaina's Delight, Free For All, Indestructible, Moanin'...all these discs are terrific. If it's any guide, I have over a dozen Blakey recordings and this is close to the least precious."

One cut in particular, for Lee Morgan fans especially

Joel Rafi Zabor | Brooklyn, NY United States | 11/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a good set generally, great Blakey, great band, all that. The Summit, a Wayne Shorter burnout tune on the second disc, is famous among trumpet players. Lee Morgan, especially in this period, just about always gave his all, but on this tune he practically blows the bell off the horn. He builds his solo, reaches his uttermost limit, and just keeps going even when he hasn't got anything left. For those who love Lee Morgan, this is a special solo. I saw him play many times, and wish I could have seen him play this one."