Jazz+Sample

=** ART BLAKEY**=

Abdullah Buhaina, known as Art Blakey, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 11, 1919. He was a jazz drummer and band leader. For more than 30 years, his band, the Jazz Messengers, was widely regarded as one of jazz's best, often serving as a starting ground for many musicians who went on to successful solo careers, including Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, and Wayne Shorter.

Blakey's first exposure to music came when he took piano lessons. He was considered a "professional" by the time he was in seventh grade, leading his own band at jazz clubs in the evenings while working in the steel mills by day. Shortly thereafter, he switched to drums. Beginning in 1939, as a drummer, he performed with several bands, including a group playing with Billy Eckstine. Some of the artists he met and performed with included Dizzy Gillespie and Billie Holiday. When Eckstine's band broke up, Blakey traveled to Africa. When he returned to the United States, he played drums on many recordings. Blakey founded the Jazz Messengers in 1954 with Horace Silver. With the group, he toured Europe and recorded a long line of records for the Blue Note recording label. Blakey was most known for his 'bebop' performance style, which often went against 'traditional' jazz. He continued playing this style through the 1970's, and even helped lead a resurgence of bebop jazz during the 1990's. He died on October 16, 1990, in New York City. From his innovative performance on the drums to the respect he earned as a bandleader, molding young talent, Blakey has left a legacy that 'bop jazz' performers can look up to for years to come.

REFERENCES: http://airjudden.tripod.com/jazz/artblakey.html http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_blakey_art.htm http://www.answers.com/topic/art-blakey http://www.biography.com/search/article.do?id=9214586

PICTURE REFERENCE: http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_blakey_art.htm