A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2

by Art Blakey Quintet, Art Blakey

Overview

On this follow-up volume of recordings done live at Birdland from the second-edition "Jazz Messengers" (officially the Art Blakey Quintet), there are extraordinary high points, along with low points that either result from tiredness or a lack or preparation. With trumpeter Clifford Brown taking over briefly for Donald Byrd, and alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson in the fray post-Hank Mobley, the band has a very different sound, though pianist Horace Silver, Blakey, and bassist Curly Russell (sitting in for Doug Watkins on these recordings only) are solid as a rock. There's some quintessential bop and hard bop in this set, inspired and hard-charging as one might expect, but the Latin tinge of the original band is gone. Because of Donaldson's predilection for the sound of Charlie Parker, the pure bebop sound is unrelentingly infused into the music. Where "Now's the Time" works well in a relaxed harmonic stance from Brown and Donaldson, you can't help but notice that the amped-up "Confirmation" has sloppily missed notes in the melody, while "The Way You Look Tonight" (included on later reissues) is really loose as the horns come in tentatively and unsure. "Wee-Dot" fares much better in an assertive, bright sound that clearly is more practiced, representing hard bop at its finest. Donaldson is clearly the dominant player here, with Brown surprisingly taking a back seat, as the strong ballad "If I Had You" has the altoist alternately singing, sighing, and brilliantly extrapolating on his horn a la Bird. They play together quite well on the signature version of Silver's jaunty hard bop anthem "Quicksilver," which famously quotes "Oh You Beautiful Doll," and "Lou's Blues" (another bonus track) is a quick unison bop for the appropriate end game. The additional tracks expose the flaws in this very short-lived edition of the Blakey-led combo, but the rest is good enough to carry the estimable reputation of this legendary band. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Product Details

Release Date:	08/28/2015
Label:	Blue Note
UPC:	0602547292483
Rank:	30315

Tracks

1. Wee Dot
2. If I Had You
3. Quicksilver
4. Now's the Time
5. Confirmation

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Art Blakey Quintet   Primary Artist
Art Blakey   Primary Artist,Drums
Clifford Brown   Primary Artist,Guest Artist,Trumpet,Featured Artist
Horace Silver   Guest Artist,Piano
Oliver Jackson   Guest Artist
Lou Donaldson   Guest Artist,Sax (Alto)
Curly Russell   Bass

Technical Credits

Ted Shapiro   Composer
Jerome Kern   Composer
J.J. Johnson   Composer
Francis Wolff   Cover Photo,Photography
Leonard Feather   Liner Notes
Charlie Parker   Composer
Horace Silver   Composer
Ron McMaster   Digital Transfers
Rudy Van Gelder   Engineer
Michael Cuscuna   Liner Notes,Reissue Producer,Release Production
Reginald Connelly   Composer
Art Blakey Quintet   Performer
Alfred Lion   Producer
Dorothy Fields   Composer
Lou Donaldson   Composer
Leo Parker   Composer
Art Blakey   Performer
James Campbell   Composer
Reid Miles   Cover Design
Jimmy Campbell   Composer