Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk (Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers)

• 18 Aug 13:18
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Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk is a studio album released in 1958 on Atlantic Records, catalogue SD 1278. It is a collaboration between the Jazz Messengers led by Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk, and is the only time Monk recorded for the Atlantic label, Blakey's only other appearance being as a sideman for Milt Jackson on his Plenty Plenty Soul album.

Throughout the preceding decade, on sessions for both Blue Note and Riverside, Blakey had supported Monk on various occasions. Monk returned the favor on this one-off session for Atlantic. Blakey was on the verge of beginning a long-term contract with Blue Note, while Monk was in the middle of his stay on Riverside. One month after these recordings, Monk would begin his summer and autumn residency at the Five Spot on Cooper Square after regaining his cabaret card. His quartet featuring John Coltrane at that residency would bring Monk fame beyond the inner circle of jazz aficionados. Atlantic would release this album over a year after it was recorded, thereby capitalizing on Monk's increased visibility.

Allmusic gave the album a four-star rating of a possible five stars, with writer Lindsay Planer noting that "both...

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