Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers Live at Sweet Basil

This excellent all-around session showcases the 1985 edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, a band that boasted such fine young soloists as trumpeter Terence Blanchard, altoist Donald Harrison, tenor saxophonist Jean Toussaint and pianist Mulgrew Miller. In addition to Harrison's "Mr. Babe" and Walter Davis's "Jodi," the ensemble successfully updates two Jazz Messenger classics: "Blues March" and "Moanin'."

A group of unreleased songs recorded some 5 years before Art's demise. 6 long tracks on 2 CDs total time 84 minutes. CD1 - Goma - Second Thoughts - Uranus - CD 2 Sudan Blue - I Thought About You, a feature for Blanchard and Miller, and Blue and Boogie. Terrance Blanchard trumpet, Donald Harrison alto sax, Jean Toussaint tenor saxophone, trombonist Tim Williams joins the group for some tracks, Mulgrew Miller piano, Lonnie Plaxico bass Art Blakey drums. Basically the same sound quality as other Jazz Messenger releases from Sweet Basil.

An accomplished versatile virtuoso baritone saxophone player, Chicago native Dave Schumacher has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene for more than forty years. His big, bold baritone first came to international attention during the eighties, spending much of those years touring the world with Lionel Hampton’s Orchestra. Schumacher garnered further notice following that with nearly two decades as a member of the orchestra of Harry Connick, Jr. In the 90's he also toured with T.S. Monk’s Monk on Monk band and the Tom Harrell Octet, as well as freelance work with many others in New York and on the road.