Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin' (1959)

BLUE NOTE 25 "BEST" ALBUMS* MONTH (JULY 2026)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1999 Rudy Van Gelder Edition with 2 bonus tracks.

The album was originally self-titled, but the album was later retitled Moanin' after the popularity of its opening composition.

For decades, Blakey exhibited an extraordinary gift for assembling young talent, encouraging them to write original compositions, and creating an environment where each musicians could develop their voice. In 1954, he said, "I’m gonna stay with the youngsters. When these get too old I’ll get some younger ones. Keeps the mind active." Over time, Moanin' has emerged as the hard bop album most closely associated with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers and many agree that it is one of jazz's essential recordings. Highlights include the writing of Bobby Timmons and Benny Golson as well as the playing of Lee Morgan. Blakey's energic drumming is just right in terms of moving things forward while bringing it all together.

Blakey - drums
Lee Morgan - trumpet
Benny Golson - tenor saxophone
Bobby Timmons - piano
Jymie Merritt - bass

Original liner notes by Leonard Feather.

Reviews/ratings:

• Downbeat (★★★★): "There is nothing on this record that is really poor, except the Suite."
• High Fidelity: "provides a sound and solid jazz experience"
• Billboard: "It all swings and it can move."
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
• The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★★
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★★

In addition to being named as one of Blue Note's 25 Best Albums, Moanin' placed at #5 on the udiscover.com list of the 50 Greatest Blue Note Albums and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001. The title track had previously been inducted to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: I find myself agreeing with the quote from the DownBeat review: "There is nothing on this record that is really poor, except the Suite." My top picks are the title track and the 1946 standard, Come Rain Or Come Shine.

Bonus tracks: an alternate take of Moanin' and some studio chatter. Neither essential.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Free For All (1965)

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*In 1987, the European offices of Blue Note records compiled a list of the 25 Best Blue Note Albums in an effort to promote sales of classic Blue Note albums released on CD for the first time. Albums selected for the list were originally released in the years 1953-1967.

At the time, the Blue Note label had been subsumed by the EMI group. This allowed the selections to be made from other EMI labels, namely Capitol, United Artists, and Liberty. Therefore, the list-makers were able to look outside the Blue Note label and squeeze in titles by artists such as Miles Davis, Chet Baker, & Count Basie. It reads more like "albums we had the rights to, by 25 well-known jazz artists," making the list as much about artists as albums. As a marketing tool, it makes sense. As a starting place to build a Blue Note collection you could do worse. Of course, you could also do much better. But the thing exists, it caught my attention, and here we are.

Pat Metheny Group - The Road To You (1993)

Recorded in Naples, Bari, Pescara, and Iesi, Italy, plus Paris, Marseille, and Besançon, France. Complete tour dates available here.

Live treats from the Pat Metheny Group. Like most good live jazz albums, it features many tunes never before recorded/released among a few fan favorites. It's not all to my liking, but there's enough crowd-pleasers to please this crowd of one. The album was awarded the Grammy for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance (Instrumental), an award only given the years 1992-2011; Metheny won the category six times during those years.

Metheny – guitars, guitar synths
Lyle Mays – piano, keyboards
Steve Rodby – acoustic and electric bass
Paul Wertico – drums, percussion
Armando Marçal – percussion, timbales, congas, voice
Pedro Aznar – voice, acoustic guitar, percussion, saxophone, steel drums, vibes, marimba, melodica

Reviews/ratings:

• Downbeat (★★★½): "the real showstoppers are...reflective, romantic ballads"
• The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000) (★★★): "They are a fun group to see live (even if some of their sets go on longer than The Grateful Dead used to), and this pared-down souvenir will find plenty of appeal."
• Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
• Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #170
• Billboard Contemporary Jazz: #4
• CashBox Jazz: #4

Tracks:

	Track	Original Album
1	Have You Heard	Letter From Home	✔
2	First Circle	First Circle	✔
3	The Road To You	The Road To You	✔
4	Half Life Of Absolution	The Road To You
5	Last Train Home	Still Life (Talking)	✔
6	Better Days Ahead	Letter From Home	✔
7	Naked Moon	The Road To You
8	Beat 70	Letter From Home	✔
9	Letter From Home	Letter From Home	✔
10	Third Wind	Still Life (Talking)	✔
11	Solo From 'More Travels'	More Travels*	✔

*A solo guitar piece that appeared in Metheny's concert video More Travels but not previously released on CD.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

:rarum IX (2004)	Travels (1983)
Different Trains (1989)	Offramp (1982)
Letter From Home (1989)	As Falls Wichita... (1981)
Still Life (Talking) (1987)	80/81 (1980)
The Falcon & The Snowman (1985)	American Garage (1979)
Rejoicing (1984)	New Chautauqua (1979)
First Circle (1984)	Pat Metheny Group (1978)
	Watercolors (1977)

Roosevelt "Booba" Barnes & The Playboys - The Heartbroken Man (1990)

Note: the CD I listened to was the 1995 reissue with 2 CD bonus tracks.

I was introduced to Booba through the (highly recommended) Deep Blues documentary and its soundtrack. His commanding presence intrigued me enough to seek out this album. About as authentic as you could get for 1990 delta blues. Barnes may have been a delta juke joint bluesman, but his electric sound has a lot of Chicago influence in it. In fact, shortly after this album was released, Barnes shut down his juke joint (The Playboy Club) and relocated to Chicago, where he lived until his death in 1996.

The Hard Report, August 8, 1995, p. 36

Liner notes by Blues Hall of Famer Jim O'Neal.

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: My top picks today are How Long This Must Go On, Ain't Going To Worry About Tomorrow, Rocking Daddy, and Baby Scratch My Back.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: As I've said before, I feel like I should have spent my mid-twenties exploring the scenes that were the subject of Deep Blues before they disappeared forever.

Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters (2007)

I just don't get it. Here we've got Herbie Hancock (I'm a fan) paying homage to his friend Joni Mitchell (I'm a fan) with an outstanding backing band and numerous special guests, including Norah Jones and an uncredited Prince. The thing won two Grammy awards: Album Of The Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Everything indicates I should love this release, I simply don't, and I have no explanation why.

Hancock - piano
Wayne Shorter - saxophone
Dave Holland - bass
Vinnie Colaiuta - drums
Lionel Loueke - guitar

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #5
• Billboard Jazz: #1

Tracks:

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:

Best of The Blue Note Years (1988)	Head Hunters (1973)
Round Midnight Soundtrack (1986)	Speak Like A Child (1968)
Lite Me Up (1982)	Maiden Voyage (1965)
Sunlight/Feets Don't Fail Me Now (1978/1979)	Empyrean Isles (1964)
	Takin' Off (1962)

Ernie Watts - Chariots Of Fire (1982)

Note: this release was originally purchased as a LP (twice), later replaced by a CD.

Lifted directly from an earlier post:

When I was in high school jazz band circa 1983, the director gave us a chart that I fell in love with the first time we played it. It was titled Valdez In The Country and the promo line at the top of the sheet music stated something like "as heard on Chariots of Fire, the new Qwest album from Ernie Watts." At the time, I had never heard of saxophonist Ernie Watts, but I found a copy of his 1982 album and listened to this track over and over.

I was informed that this album had been released on CD back in 2005 on Wounded Bird Records, but I had never been able to find a copy for a reasonable price. I mean I like the thing and have fond memories of it, but I don't like it $100 worth, ya know? So I settled for buying a second copy of the LP, listened to that occasionally, and ripped some mp3 files. But after a decade-long hunt, I was finally able to locate a reasonably priced copy and here we are.

Q, of course, is Quincy Jones, producer of this album and founder of the Qwest label

It's an okay album, nothing to write home about, but it brings back fond memories of my senior year in high school and that's worth the price paid plus some. Compare it to comfort food, if you will. In addition to Watts, there's a few other familiar names in these credits, including James Ingram, Steve Lukather, Don Grusin, Jerry Hey, Michael Omartian, and Greg Philliganes.

The lead track, Chariots of Fire (Theme) (Dance Version), won a Grammy award in the now-defunct category of Best Pop Instrumental Performance, beating such releases as Crazy For You by Earl Klugh and As We Speak by David Sanborn.

Reviews/ratings:

• Billboard: "This is a classy package."
• Record World: "the selling points are two tunes featuring Grammy nominee James Ingram."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #161
• Billboard Jazz: #13
• Billboard R&B: #46
• CashBox: #156
• CashBox Jazz: #14
• Record World Jazz: #14
• Radio & Records Jazz Radio National Airplay: #16

Tracks: Four the eight tracks are covers of music from Vangelis's hit soundtrack to the movie Chariots Of Fire, including two versions of the familiar main theme, a dance version (track 1) and a slow version (track 8). There's also two covers here - the aforementioned Valdez In The Country (Donny Hathaway) and Lady (Lionel Richie, made famous by Kenny Rogers). The "two tunes featuring Grammy nominee James Ingram" are originals titled Hold On and (mostly instrumental) Gigolo. Both feature the typical Quincy Jones style of the time: funky bass, lots of horn licks, and hooks for days (see also The Dude, Thriller, Every Home Should Have One, etc). Even after all these years, my favorite track is still Valdez In the Country.

This just in: the slow version of Chariots Of Fire can be heard in the first scene of WKRP In Cincinnati, season 4, episode 19, "The Creation Of Venus" (first aired March 31, 1982). Venus introduces the artist as "the magnificent Mr. Ernie Watts" and the album cover can be seen. Bonus points for promo posters of Trust by Elvis Costello, Come Morning by Grover Washington, Jr., and A Place For My Stuff by George Carlin. (A wealth of promo posters featured on WKRP can be found over at the My Favorite Decade blog.)

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: see above

Nick Lowe - Jesus Of Cool (1978)

Note: the CD I listened to was a promo copy of the 30th Anniversary Edition. The album title was changed in the US to Pure Pop For Now People. I guess the Columbia label was afraid some evangelical from Kansas might write an angry letter.

It's almost as if Lowe decided to make an infuriatingly catchy pop music masterpiece while simultaneously mocking the entire idea of pop music. Coming out of England's pub rock scene, he combined roots rock, new wave, and power pop with ease. Lots of hooks, great production, clever lyrics - it's all here and doesn't seem dated in the least. But you know the old story: critical adoration (see below) doesn't necessarily mean commercial success.

Press of the time:

• High Fidelity: "an album that is both brainy and visceral"
• Billboard: "some truly entertaining rock'n'roll"
• Record World: "an album of refreshing, faultlessly executed pure pop"
• CashBox: "songs are framed in classic pop melodies and arrangements"
• Roadrunner: "BUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITBUYITB"
• Rolling Stone: "a novelty record, an admiring vivisection of other people's hit singles."
• Stereo Review: Recording of Special Merit
• Trouser Press: "Thank God for Nick Lowe"
• Robert Christgau (A): "an amazing pop tour-de-force"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #127
• Billboard Catalog (2008): #32
• CashBox: #109

In The Village Voice's annual 'Pazz & Jop' critic's poll, this album placed at #3 for the year, just behind The Rolling Stones and Elvis Costello. And in 2020, Paste made a list of The 50 Best New Wave Albums in which Jesus Of Cool ranked at #11. Curiously, I found that I only own 26 of those 50 on CD. Lead us not into temptation.

Tracks:

...from the original album: I could do without the heavy metal satire of the opening track, but starting with track 2, it's all good. So It Goes and I Like The Sound Of Breaking Glass are the stand outs here, but not far behind are Little Hitler (à la Beach Boys), Tonight, No Reason (ska lite), Marie Provost (you come for the lyrics, but then realize the chorus is an earworm), Nutted By Reality (McCartneyesque pastiche), and the fun rocker Heart Of The City (Live). Lowe spoils us.

...and more: The tops of these ten include (but not limited to) the surf-rock instrumental Shake That Rat, They Called It Rock, the cheap shot at The Bay City Rollers (Rollers Show), I Don't Want The Night to End (I hope he closed at least a few of his concerts with this one) and, of course, the original Rockpile version of Cruel To Be Kind and the studio version of Heart Of The City. But again, no tracks to be skipped.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: I heard Cruel To Be Kind on my AM radio in 1979, but I didn't start seeking out Lowe music until the early '80s when I was searching for anything connected to artists related to Squeeze, Paul Carrack, Rockpile, etc. Even after buying The Abominable Showman in 1983, I didn't delve into Lowe's back catalog as quickly as I probably should have. I'll blame that on being 16 years old and desperately wanting to be on the leading edge of the latest new pop music development, not realizing I could buy both the latest Kajagoogoo album AND a 5 year old Lowe album at the same time. Facepalm emoji.

Previously revisited for the blog:
At My Age (2007)
Basher: The Best Of Nick Lowe (1989)
The Abominable Showman (1983)
Nick the Knife (1982)

Steps Ahead - Live In Tokyo 1986 (1994)

I thought I'd check out live versions of tunes with which I am very familiar. Sawite. And somehow, these live versions sound more dated than the studio versions I've been listening to for many decades.

By this time, Steps Ahead was Michael Brecker and Mike Mainieri supported by other fine musicians. In this case, we've got Mike Stern on guitar (fresh off his gigs with Miles Davis), Darryl Jones on bass (just after leaving Sting's backing band and, since 1993, with The Rolling Stones), and drummer Steve Smith (who I always associate with Journey). They work together well, but the only bit here that varies much from the studio versions is a nice segue from In A Sentimental Mood to Trains. This isn't one of those albums I'll seek out, but I won't skip a track should it come around on a shuffle.

Reviews/ratings:

• DownBeat (★★★): "packed with catchy jazz-pop melodies and plenty of invigorating stretches of harmonized playing."
• The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★

Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart

Tracks: Of the eight tracks here, 3 originally appeared on Modern Times, the remaining 5 on Magnetic.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None

Previously revisited for the blog:
Magnetic (1986)
Modern Times (1984)
Steps Ahead (1983)