Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers

2016 press.
Hard bop at its absolute finest. Blakey leads from the kit with that trademark mix of swing and thunder while the Messengers lock in behind him like they’ve got something to prove. This is the blueprint - punchy horns, soulful solos, and grooves that hit with gospel-level conviction. The kind of record that makes you sit up straight and remember why jazz still matters. FFO: Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard