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Rating: 
Summary: Art Blakey's band from the fanatic's perspective
Review: I'm a drummer and I love Art Blakey so I've got to encourage people to check this book out. This is written from a fan's perspective and provides brief 2-3 page snapshots of all the major players who have played with Art Blakey's jazz messengers from their inception to his passing. He makes no bones about being biased. The author reveres Blakey and his contribuitions and emphasizes Blakey's sidemen to try to turn people onto the band and the music they made. Blakey was one of the real warriors of the music and his band gave us so many wonderful musicians. The best recommendation for this book is that so many Messengers came out to support this project with interviews and stories about the band and about their relationship with Blakey. Blakey inspires worship, awe, and fear as a musician and a man and that comes through in this book. You do learn a litte bit about some lesser known figures [I'd forgotten Keith Jarrett, Kenny Garrett, and Joanne Brackeen were Messengers] in the band's history. Mostly this is a great, fun, readable way to learn about the musicians and the leader behind the most legendary long term small group in the history of jazz. I'd recommend this first to fellow drummers, people with a knowledge and interest in small group jazz, and to those listeners who have heard classic albums like "Moanin'", "A Night at Birdland" [w/Clifford Brown], "Free for All", "Album of the Year" and want to put some flesh and meat on the music they heard. Great man, fun book 5 stars!
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