MURRAY HORWITZ, American Film Institute: Well, the word is overused and it's definition has expanded nowadays, but for many of us, that sound defines the word "funky." Tell us, A.B. Spellman, what ...

We start our salute to Art Blakey with a recording he made in 1955, when he was co-leader of the band Horace Silver and The Jazz Messengers. Pianist Silver wrote "The Preacher," and the band was ...

Jazz aficionados are well acquainted with the name Art Blakey, a renowned 20th Century bebop/hard bop drummer from Pittsburgh who teamed with jazz pianist Horace Silver (from Norwalk) in 1954 to form ...

This is FRESH AIR. Long before jazz studies were a staple in many college curricula, drummer Art Blakey ran one of the most prestigious and demanding universities of jazz - his band. Alumni of his ...

Art Blakey was not the first musician to declare: "I always wanted to be regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the world," as he did in a 1984 San Diego Union interview. (The full interview ...

Art Blakey was born 100 years ago, on Oct. 11, 1919, and America's homegrown music — jazz — might not sound quite like it does today if it weren't for the influence of the late drummer. "I would call ...

Given the limited activity of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers for the Riverside label, Caravan is a somewhat curious early entry in the string of remasters making up the Keepnews Collection. Even avid ...

Together, these three titles documenting four dates, each featuring a different configuration of the Jazz Messengers, clearly demonstrate Art Blakey's ability to instigate his young charges' ...