Art Blakey

Real Name: Arthur Blakey (Abdullah Ibn Buhaina)

Art Blakey (born October 11, 1919, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - died October 16, 1990, New York City, New York, USA) was an American jazz drummer, composer and bandleader, best remembered as founder and 35 year leader of The Jazz Messengers.

Blakey was the foster son in a Seventh Day Adventist Family, learning the piano as he learned the Bible, mastering both at an early age. In the early 1930's, while gigging at the Democratic Club in Pittsburgh, Arts' piano career came to an abrupt end when he was ordered onto the drums to make way for pianist Erroll Garner. This incident was apparently at the gunpoint of the nightclubs' owner, as Blakey later on often recalled. This served as good fortune and young drummer Blakey came under the tutelage of legendary drummer and bandleader Chick Webb, serving as his valet. Returning to Pittsburgh in 1937, he formed his own band, backing pianist Mary Lou Williams. in 1939, he joined and toured with Fletcher Henderson for 3 years, followed by one year gigging at Bostons' Tic Toc club. Then as a member of Billy Eckstine's band, he played with the likes of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan. When Eckstein disbanded his group in 1947, Blakey organized the Seventeen Messengers, a rehearsal band and recorded with an octet called the Jazz Messengers, the first of his many groups bearing this name. In 1948, he visited Africa where he learned polyrhythmic drumming and was introduced to Islam, taking the name Abdullah Ibn Buhaina.

The early 1950's, saw him performing and broadcasting with such musicians as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Horace Silver. Blakey and Silver connected and formed the Jazz Messengers. This band soon evolved into Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers with Blakey remaining the leader with changing personnel, playing together with them until his death. From 1947 until 1972 he also recorded regularly with Thelonious Monk.

Blakey was a major figure in modern jazz and an important stylist in drums. His contribution to jazz as a discoverer and molder of young talent over three decades cannot be overlooked.

In Groups:
Art Blakey & The Afro-Drum Ensemble, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Art Blakey And His Afro Cuban Boys, Art Blakey Quartet, Art Blakey Quintet, Art Blakey's Band, Art Blakey's Big Band, Bennie Green Septet, Billy Eckstine And His Orchestra, Buddy DeFranco And His Trio, Buddy DeFranco Quartet, Clark Terry And His Orchestra, Clifford Brown Sextet, Coleman Hawkins Quintet, Dexter Gordon Quintet, Dizzy Gillespie Sextet, East Coast All-Stars, Elmo Hope Quintet, Fats Navarro And His Band, Fats Navarro Quartet, Fats Navarro Quintet, Gil Evans And His Orchestra, Gil Fuller Orchestra, Hank Mobley And His All Stars, Hank Mobley Quartet, Illinois Jacquet And His Orchestra, James Moody And His Modernists, Johnny Griffin Septet, Julius Watkins Sextet, Kenny Burrell Septet, Kenny Dorham Nonet, Kenny Dorham Octet, Lee Morgan Quintet, Lou Donaldson Quintet, Lou Donaldson Sextet, Miles Davis And His Band, Miles Davis And His Cool Wailers, Milton Jackson And His New Group, Paul Bley Trio, Quincy Jones' All Star Big Band, Randy Weston Trio, Sonny Rollins Quartet, Sonny Rollins Quintet, Sonny Stitt Band, Sonny Stitt Quartet, The Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble, The Giants Of Jazz, The Gigi Gryce Quartet, The Hank Mobley Quintet, The Horace Silver Trio, The Kenny Drew Trio, The Miles Davis Quartet, The Miles Davis Sextet, The Quincy Jones Big Band, The Thelonious Monk Quintet, Thelonious Monk Septet, Thelonious Monk Sextet, Thelonious Monk Trio, Tina Brooks Quintet, Walter Gil Fuller And His Orchestra, Woody Shaw Quintet, Zoot Sims Quartet