Art Blakey-Moanin’

Moanin’ is a jazz album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers recorded in 1958 for the Blue Note label. This was Blakey’s first album for Blue Note in several years, after a period of recording for a miscellany of labels, and marked both a homecoming and a fresh start. Originally the LP was self-titled, but the instant popularity of the bluesy opening track “Moanin'” (by pianist Bobby Timmons) led to its becoming known by that title. Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder in his meticulous Hackensack studios, this recording reflects the hallmark precision associated with that engineer.

The album stands as one of the archetypal hard bop albums of the era, for the intensity of Blakey’s drumming and the work of Morgan, Golson and Timmons, and for its combination of old-fashioned gospel and blues influences with a sophisticated modern jazz sensibility. The album was identified by Scott Yanow in his Allmusic essay as one of the 17 Essential Hard Bop Recordings.

The 1958 album is digitally remastered in 24 bit and features 4 bonus tracks: ‘I Remember Clifford’, ‘Are You Real?’, ‘Moanin” & ‘Whisper Not’.