Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – With Thelonious Monk (1958)

Atlantic – 1278Rec. Date : May 15, 1957Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyPiano : Thelonious MonkBass : Spanky DeBrestTenor Sax : Johnny GriffinTrumpet : Bill Hardman   Cashbox : 05/31/1958 Monk’s driving piano and the Messengers’ hard bop delivery make for a collection of swinging sessions. Blowing out front are Bill Hardman on trumpet

Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers – Hard Drive (1957)

Bethlehem – BCP-6023Rec. Date : October 9 & 11, 1957Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyBass : Spanky DeBrestPiano : Sam Dockery, Junior ManceTenor Sax : Johnny GriffinTrumpet : Bill Hardman   Billboard : 12/23/1957Special Merit Jazz Album One of the best Messenger sets to hit the market in quite some time. Material treated is

The Jazz Messengers – Ritual (1957)

Pacific Jazz – PJM-402Rec. Dates : January 14 & February 11, 1957Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanBass : Spanky DeBrestPiano : Sam DockeryTrumpet : Bill Hardman   Billboard : 10/28/1957 A significant set for this label features Art Blakey and his well-known hard sound, with Jackie McLean, Bill Hardman, Sam

Lou Donaldson – Sunny Side Up (1961)

Blue Note – BLP 4036Rec. Dates : February 5 & 28, 1960 Alto Sax : Lou DonaldsonBass : Sam Jones, Laymon JacksonDrums : Al HarewoodPiano : Horace ParlanTrumpet : Bill Hardman Strictlyheadies : 09/23/2019Stream this Album   Cashbox : 02/04/1961 Altoist Donaldson is a hard-biting musician, relying on a driving blues vein for most of his

Mal Waldron – Mal/2 (1957)

Prestige – PRLP 7111Rec. Dates : April 19, 1957, May 17, 1957 Piano : Mal WaldronAlto Sax : Jackie McLean, Sahib ShihabBass : Julian EuellDrums : Art Taylor, Ed ThigpenTenor Sax : John ColtraneTrumpet : Bill Hardman, Idrees Sulieman Listening to Prestige : #225 & #237Stream this Album Billboard : 12/16/1957Score of 71 Waldron’s fleet, concise style of piano is highly reminiscent of Bud Powell. While Waldron and

The Jazz Messengers – Hard Bop (1957)

Columbia – CL 1040Rec. Dates : December 12, 1956, December 13, 1956 Stream this Album Drums : Art BlakeyAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanBass : Spanky DeBrestPiano : Sam DockeryTrumpet : Bill Hardman Billboard : 10/28/1957Score of 80 A leaping, boppish session that is notable for wealth of stark, emotionally direct solos, and integrated thrust of

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers – Drum Suite (1957)

Columbia – CL 1002Rec. Dates : December 13, 1956, February 22, 1957 Stream this Album Percussion : Art Blakey, Jo Jones, Charles Wright, Cándido, SabúAlto Sax : Jackie McLeanBass : Spanky DeBrest, Oscar PettifordCello : Oscar PettifordPiano : Sam Dockery, Ray BryantTrumpet : Bill Hardman Billboard : 06/24/1957Album Cover of the Week Excellent color photograph

Prestige LP 7087

Jackie McLean – Jackie McLean & Co. (1957)

Prestige – PRLP 7087Rec. Date : February 8, 1957 Alto Sax : Jackie McleanBass : Doug WatkinsDrums : Arthur TaylorPiano : Mal WaldronTrumpet : Bill HardmanTuba : Ray Draper Listening to Prestige : #207Album is Not Streamable Miami HeraldFred Sherman : 11/10/1957 On the offbeat side is Jackie McLean & Co., a quintet session with Ray Draper’s tuba added on three of the five

Jackie McLean Quintet – Jackie’s Pal (1957)

Prestige – PRLP 7068Rec. Date : August 31, 1956 Alto Sax : Jackie McLeanBass : Paul ChambersDrums : Philly Joe JonesPiano : Mal WaldronTrumpet : Bill Hardman Listening to Prestige : #186Stream this Album Billboard : 02/23/1957Score of 76 Bill Hardman, a talented trumpet man who has been with Jackie McLean both in the Charlie Mingus Workshop group and in the “Messengers,” gets his first

Blue Note LP 1568

Hank Mobley – Hank Mobley (1958)

Blue Note – BLP 1568Rec. Date : June 23, 1957 Tenor Sax : Hank Mobley, Curtis PorterAlto Sax : Curtis PorterBass : Paul ChambersDrums : Art TaylorPiano : Sonny ClarkTrumpet : Bill Hardman Strictlyheadies : 04/02/2019Stream this Album Billboard : 06/30/1958Three stars Hank Mobley shows off some listenable tenor work on this new album, his fourth for the label. On this new release