Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers: "Just Coolin'"

This recording by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers was not released until 2021 even though it was recorded in 1959. It is tonight's Jazz Feature and the theme of the five Mondays in the month of October will be albums that were never issued at the time of their recording. This marvelous Blakey album was never issued by Blue Note Records because the band, 6 weeks after this session was recorded, went into Blrdland, New York's leading Jazz club then and it was decided to record there in front of a great audience. Two volumes of music was issued and this session was therefore moot and shelved and forgotten. Tonight we hear this first session. The band includes the young 20 year old herald of the trumpet Lee Morgan in top form, Hank Mobley on tenor saxophone making a return to the band. Bobby Timmons is on piano and Jymie Merritt is on bass along side the great firestoker Art Blakey. Mobley wrote 3 of the 6 tunes and Timmons wrote 2. One good standard is heard as well. This is an important discovery of a long lost session by one of the great bands in Jazz History. The album is called "Just Coolin'" and is tonight's Jazz Feature.