Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk

A Deluxe Edition fully Remastered with a whole extra Disc of Outtakes all but one previously unreleased, with liner notes by Grammy-winner writer Ashley Kahn, photos and Atlantic memorabilia.

In May of 1957, Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers went into the studio with Thelonious Monk to record a one-off album for Atlantic. The Jazz Messengers were a loose collective of young Jazz musicians, with a constantly rotating lineup to keep the music fresh, and help launch new careers (akin to today’s hip hop collectives.)

Blakey had recorded with Monk on various occasions, but this was the first time Monk sat in with the Jazz Messengers. The result is a true meeting of the minds, a beautiful union of Monk’s melodies with Blakey’s unshakable sense of swing, and Thelonious Monk’s only appearance on Atlantic. This 65th anniversary deluxe edition includes an extra disc of previously unreleased outtakes, celebrating the most sensational jazz collaboration of the 1950s.

Art Blakey, drums; Thelonious Monk, piano; Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophone; Bill Hardman, trumpet; and Spanky Debrest, bass.