Audio : August, 1957
Charles A. Robertson

An exuberant drummer who chafes under the restrictions of the ordinary session, Art Blakey is given the opportunity to express his rhythmic fancy without danger of splitting at the seams of a small group. Gathered about him are ten talented rhythm men and Herbie Mann, who on this occasion brings out his collection of African wood flutes, to accompany the vocalists and set a mood. Working without a score and with no more rehearsal than a short warmup period, the percussionists use their own language to improvise four numbers in the first volume for a unique addition to the jazz annals.

From his drum-seat throne, Blakey acts as overseer, sings and leads jazz drummers Arthur Taylor, Jo Jones and Specs Wright, the last two alternating on tympani. He also directs bassist Wendell Marshall, pianist Ray Bryant and the flute. Sabú is in charge of the Latin rhythm section, playing bongos and timbales besides delivering the vocal to the eerie Buhaina Chant. Patato Valdés and José Valiente handle the congas. Machito‘s Ubaldo Nieto is on timbales, and Evelio Quintero triples on cencerro, maracas and tree log.

Blakey first broached the plan for such a session in 1954, but it could not be set until this spring. And not because of any trepidation on the part of Blue note to let a dozen musicians loose on an untried idea, for Al Lion had had confidence in his house drummer from the start. The result is the most exciting drum record ever made. Most such productions emphasize the role of the composer in displaying the timbres of the percussion, or feature well-rehearsed groups such as the Steel Bands and the Gamelan Orchestra of Bali. Here the communication is instantaneous, propelled by the inspirations of the section leaders and the darling interplay between them.

Toffi, described as a song of hope, is sung by Blakey in African dialect, backed by a chorus organized from among the musicians. In the descriptive piece Ya Ya, a youngster’s feelings when kept from going out to play are amusingly detailed in a manner to give a child psychologist pause. Confined to the jazz drummers, Split Skins places Blakey, Taylor and Jones on their mettle as they trade solos. It would be hopelessly redundant to comment on individuals, but former Ellington bassist Marshall must be mentioned for the way he copes with a difficult assignment.

The brilliant recording was made in an undisclosed Manhattan hall by Rudy Van Gelder in an excursion from his Hackensack studio. It presented the problems of a concert hall performance before an audience, without allowing the engineer that excuse for any shortcomings. Besides recording countless jazz drummers, Van Gelder is responsible for Vox’s Spotlight on Percussion and in reply to my request for a few comments on the date said” “As we decided the first take would be used on all tunes to capture the feeling of immediacy, I had to do my planning in advance and make my recording techniques fit the music. I was caught up in the enthusiasm for the project from the start and took a good part in the discussions involved. The hall was selected for size and shape to fit the requirements. My main problem was in picking up the singing while the musicians remained at their drums. Luckily, these aren’t ordinary vocals so the result is one of added depth and spaciousness. It is base don my understanding of how drums should sound on records. Personally, I am most happy about it. It is also Blue Note’s first stereo tape.”

A reduced edition of the Blakey percussion group in more popularized exercises is on one side of Columbia, CL1002. That the voices are dubbed in after being strained through an echo chamber, removes it from consideration.

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Billboard : 06/03/1957

A potent, if primitive, percussion showcase for Blakey and a battery of percussionists, that should strike the fancy of the hi-fi conscious buyer. Incorporates all kinds of rhythms, chanting, singing and occasional contributions from flutist H. Mann, pianist R. Bryant and bassist W. Marshall. The heated excellence of the performances is likely to attract customers.

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Cashbox : 06/08/1957

This is one of the most ambitious and creative steps into the afro-jazz relationship. First-rate drummer Art Blakey, working with a number of percussion instruments (conga, timbales, tree logs), formal jazz devices (piano, flute, bass) plus occasional chants by one Sabú and Blakey himself, has created 7 penetrating and quite striking sessions that have an unrelenting vitality and expressiveness. Excellent sound. An always interesting waxing.

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The Pittsburgh Courier
Harold L. Keith : 06/08/1957

Blakey’s Orgy of Rhythm Impresses: Music of Africa Given Modern Conception by Corps of Skins

One of the magnetic things about contemporary jazz is its unwillingness to become stultified and, correspondingly, its willingness to try something new, daring and revolutionary in conception.

Consequently, Blue Note Records, a label which is one of the “bibles” for discographies, has come up with a “special release” which cannot help but evoke all kinds of comment, friendly and otherwise, from the “mob” and from the so-called critics.

The new record is entitled Orgy in Rhythm (BLP 1554 Vol. 1)

This revolutionary disc presents Art Blakey, Jo Jones and Arthur Taylor on drums, with Jo and “Specs” Wright also doing stints on the tympani.

Sabú plays the bongo, with and without sticks; “Patato” Valdés and José Valiente are presented on the congas; Ubaldo Nieto on timbales; Evelio Quintero playing the cencerro, maracas and tree log; Herbie Mann‘s on flute, Ray Bryant, piano, and Wendell Marshall, bass viol.

Now Orgy in Rhythm is not the first experiment in unadulterated percussion music for Les Baxter made a telling impression on the Capitol Label with his Skins (Cap T774), which were played by a coterie of gentleman, including a Puerto Rican, a Brazilian, a Belgian from the Belgian Congo, a Venezuelan, and a Cuban.

Perhaps the key to the success of Blakey’s “Orgy” lies in what he told his drum corps before the entire unrehearsed session was cut. Before they started on the first track, Blakey eyed the group and advised, “Just listen to each other. Cluse your eyes and think you’re home.”

The result s a fascinating sound which, to be appreciated, must be listened to with sympathy.

One need not have a single drop of Afric blood in his veins to “dig” this orgy, but it is mandatory that the listener have a sense of rhythm because the “beat” provides the key to the idea that Blakey and his friends are trying to put over.

It’s not a revolutionary idea… but it’s all good. It’s music that has been played thousands of years before there ever was such a thing as American jazz… a millennium before the so-called Renaissance which “woke up” Western Europe. Specifically, the “Orgy” is the music of Africa given modern conception and presentation.

One of the pieces played is Ya Ya, the story of a mother and her child arguing about the latter wanting to go out and play. Another is Toffi, upon which Blakey sings in Swahili (honest). Toffi is the story of a burned out village and the residents determination to rebuild. All of this theme is carried out with every bit of the delicacy, precision, taste and implementation that the all-star group can command.

As for the flams, paradiddies, rolls, strokes and the more technical aspects of the album… with Jones, Taylor and Blakey on hand… that’s something else!

Speaking of Blakey reminds one of his background. He comes from Pittsburgh, PA, where he attended the McKelvey School. He used to gig around the town in company with such folks as Ernie Harper, Tom Enouch, Carl Pruitt and Ivan Johnson.

In those days, the flashy Blakey was a real bargain at the two bits it cost one to hear him play… either at the old Savoy Ballroom up on the 2300 block of Centre Avenue… or at the parish house on the same stem as Watt St.

Today, Blakey is generally recognized as just about the greatest drummer in jazz. Orgy in Rhythm is a fitting monument to his talents and will go down in history as an album which is a must for the collector’s shelf.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

Some twelve years ago, Alfred Lion went up to the Club Sudan in Upper Manhattan to hear an afternoon of music by Billy Eckstine’s band. This was, of course, the great Eckstine band that in its period of existence from 1944 through 1947, housed some of the greatest musicians of the modern era. On this particular afternoon, Al remembers, Billy was blowing his valve trombone forcefully and Gene Ammons was taking good care of the tenor solos. The thing that was a continual delight, however, was the drumming coming from the rear of the bandstand. It was dark at the back of the stand and Al was unable to see who was generating so much rhythmic excitement. After the set was over he asked to meet this drummer and was introduced to Art Blakey. Without either of them knowing it, the birth process of Orgy In Rhythm had begun.

All afternoon, Al sat and listened to the band, paying special attention to Blakey. In the next few years he made it his business to hear Art often and in 1947 made an astute move by bringing him together with Thelonious Monk for a series of trio recordings. To this day Monk swears by Art as the drummer he enjoys playing with most. Art, as Blue Note’s house drummer, became Al’s favorite too. He listened to him whenever he could and it was always rewarding. There were many memorable nights ranging from one at Art’s apartment on 117th Street with a rubber practice pad as the sole sounding board to another at the Hunt’s Point Palace in the Bronx where Art was to appear with his band at a dance. It seems that the band was late in arriving, the hall was highly populated and the crowd was becoming restless, Without any further delay, Art set up his drums and went on by himself. In a few minutes, he had the people streaming from all corners on to the ballroom floor. Lion recollects, “He played for a half hour and “upset” everybody. Sitting on the stage in back of him was quite an experience. Anyone who can hold an audience in the palm of his hand for half an hour has got something.”

Lion relates that one night at Minton’s someone asked him what, he, a busy record executive by day and night, did for an “out.” His reply was, “Listening to Art Blakey.”

The Blue Note recordings of Art Blakey (most particularly his Nights At Birdland BLP 1521, BLP 1522, and The Jazz Messengers At The Café Bohemia BLP 1507, BLP 1508) have given countless jazz fans a wonderful listening outlet too.

By now you have an idea of the regard that Alfred Lion has for the playing of Art Blakey and can understand why Alfred carried the seeds of the idea for a session like Orgy In Rhythm in his mind. The first concrete step towards the final realization came in 1953 when Art combined with the conga drum of Sabú Martinez to deliver the Message From Kenya and also recorded an unaccompanied drum solo, Nothing But The Soul. (These can be heard on BLP 1520.) The idea that had been in Blakey’s mind as well as Lion’s had started to crystallize.

In 1954, the two put their heads together and talked seriously about a drum session on a large scale but the idea was not complete enough to execute at that time. The subject was discussed intermittently during the next three years and in 1957 it became a reality. Art was in charge of choosing the musicians other than certain members of the Latin portion of the rhythm section; this was handled by his close friend Sabú Martinez. Sabú and Art have a strong feeling of musical empathy between them and certainly Sabú’s presence was a major factor in the success of the session.

Up to the time of the session, those who knew about it were all but calling it “Lion’s Lunacy.” They told Al that he would lose his shirt; that he and Art were out of their minds. However, they had confidence in the entire project. The only thing that worried Al was whether the twelve musicians involved would show up on time so that the session could get off to a good start. His apprehensions were not unfounded for many times when a quintet or sextet date is scheduled there is often difficulty in starting promptly.

The date was on March 7, 1957 and set for 9:00 p.m. At 8:30, Lion went into the hall to check the set-up and to his complete astonishment, everyone was there. The electric excitement of expectancy, the feeling that something was really going to happen, was in the air.

Nothing was rehearsed; there were no scores. As the overseer, Art explained the rundown on each number to the rest, giving them the structure of the piece, From his seat at the drums he directed the tympani, the other jazz drummers and bass, piano and flute with significant gestures. Sabú directed the Latin rhythm section and was a dynamo throughout, singing, chanting, playing sticks on bongos, blowing whistles, etc.

Each tune was done only once. Because they stressed communication between the performers and represented a spontaneous interrelation of feeling, they were not vehicles to be done over and over. There was a nervousness present at first but it left after a half hour. Art advised, “Just listen to each other. Close your eyes and think you’re home.”

With a line-up of talent such as was assembled at the hall that night, all that was necessary was that they listen to each other; inspiration could be the only result.

The drummers are, in addition to Blakey, old master Jo Jones, the man who powered the greatest of all Count Basie bands in the late Thirties and early Forties; Arthur Taylor, a disciple but not an imitator of Blakey and Max Roach and one of the top combo drummers in the country; and “Specs” Wright, a Philadelphian who has been with both the small and large bands of Dizzy Gillespie, the quintet of “Cannonball” Adderley and at present is backing the vocals of Carmen McRae. Jo and “Specs” split the tympani assignment. When one is at the kettles, the other fills out the drum threesome with Art and Arthur.

The jazz rhythm section is completed by the fine, young Philadelphia pianist, Ray Bryant, who is also with Carmen McRae at this writing and former Duke Ellington bassist Wendell Marshall who is now offering his impeccable work on a free lance basis to small combos around New York.

A young ex-tenorman (he still plays it occasionally) from Brooklyn is the only “horn” on the date. He is flutist Herbie Mann, a musician who has done a lot to help establish the flute as a jazz instrument. Here, he employs his regular metal instrument only on the blues, Abdallah’s Delight. For his other appearances in these albums, Herbie delved into his collection of African wood flutes.

The Latin rhythm section is five men strong and spearheaded by Sabú Martinez. “Patato” Valdés (heard previously with Kenny Dorham on BLP 1535) and José Valiente man the conga drums, Evelio Quintero triples on tree log, cencerro and maracas and the timbales are tattooed by the swinging Uba Nieto of the Machito organization.

BLP 1554

Side one opens with Jo Jones on tympani, the mournful flute of Herbie Mann and Sabú crying the Buhaina Chant in a manner somewhere between a muezzin and a cantor. Then Art, or Abdallah Buhaina as he is known by his Moslem name, explodes into the forefront and after a while the Latin rhythm joins him. Herbie and Sabú return and are followed by a series of exchanges among “Specs,” Art and Arthur in that order. Art sets a motif and the three play it simultaneously.

The story of an argument between mother and child is introduced by Sabú and the chorus in Ya Ya. The child wants to go out and play and his mother won’t let him. The music describes the child’s thoughts on what a good time he could have if he was outside. After this musing, the argument begins again. Jo has the first solo and then Art enters with his cymbal sound heralding a fabulous solo. Art says that Ya Ya is the best thing he ever made. Before Sabú and the chorus take up the squabble again, Herbie has a flute bit in a piccolo-like register.

Toffi is a song of hope sung in a mixture of several African dialects, including Swahili, by Blakey himself with the assistance of the chorus. It tells of people moving back into a village that had been burned out with plans for rebuilding uppermost in their minds. Taylor is heard on brushes behind Ray Bryant’s vibrant solo. Then after Herbie Mann solos, Jo Jones mixes his improvisations with the conga of “Potato” Valdez. Arthur Taylor against “Specs” Wright on tympani follows and then Sabú comes in with sticks on bongos. Art announces himself with his cymbals for his solo. Then the drummers inject phrases into and under the wave of the constant Latin beat. “Specs” on tympani and all the drummers stir up a stew before Wendell Marshall leads back into Art’s voice, the flute and chorus.

A workout for the trio of Blakey, Taylor and Jones is Split Skins. Art has an introductory bit and solos by Arthur, Jo and Art follow. After another bit by Arthur, Jo comes back with Arthur on sock cymbal in back of him. Art roars in like breakers crashing in your ear’s beach; Jo has another solo and Arthur returns once more. During the various solos the other drummers keep a swinging 4/4 going behind them. This is one recording where the soloists can’t complain about a drummer playing loudly in back of him.

BLP 1555

Amuck is just that. Art rips right in followed by Sabú with sticks on bongos and then Arthur making good use of his foot. After Wendell introduces a bass motif, Art solos again, encore Sabú. With Art leading the way, all the drummers unleash a concentrated fury in their exchanges which bring things to a thrilling climax.

“Specs” on tympani plays the role of the pachyderm in Elephant Walk with Herbie’s flute sounding down the jungle paths. Bass and piano come in; Sabú chants and a new pattern is introduced by the Latin drummers. Art has the solo stage and then Herbie plays a sprightly solo before the chant of the elephants closes it out.

Come Out And Meet Me Tonight is a sort of calypso sung by Sabú and the chorus after an introduction by Herbie and Jo on tympani. Art has a powerful solo in which he rephrases the melody figure cleverly.

A blues, Abdallah’s Delight, closes the session on a groovy note. Wendell opens with “Specs” behind him; Herbie and Ray carry the line, and then each has a solo. The Latin drummers take charge followed by Jo on tympani and Arthur doing tricks with his brushes. Everyone makes comments during the steady stream of the Latin rhythm before the theme is re-stated to close the proceedings.

I could have gone into a complete discussion of these recordings from a technical standpoint and bored you to tears. Rather I chose to outline the rundown just as Art did for the musicians before each number.

What sets this drum session apart from all others is that it is the brainchild of Art Blakey; a combination of primitive rhythms coupled to the ingenuity of the modern jazz drummer with the added power of modern jazz soloists. This and its improvised nature make Orgy In Rhythm the singularly exciting and continually interesting session that it is.