Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Roots and Herbs

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Roots and Herbs

By C. Andrew Hovan
January 1, 2000
View read count

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: Roots and Herbs

Arguably one of the best bands to ever be assembled under the Jazz Messengers moniker, drummer Art Blakey’s crew from the late ‘50s and early ‘60s included such legendary figures as Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and Bobby Timmons. Blue Note producer Alfred Lion surely knew he had a good thing going because he kept these guys extremely busy in Rudy Van Gelder’s studio, recording more material than ultimately the market could afford to bear. As a result, the performances that are included on Roots and Herbs were not issued until many years after the fact, not to surface again until Mosaic’s now out-of-print boxed set appeared a few years back.

The fact that this music was delayed in being released should in no way suggest that it is inferior to that which found its way to the market in a timely fashion because Roots and Herbs contains some of the best Jazz Messenger work of the period, particularly in light of Wayne Shorter’s immeasurable writing contributions. For starters, there’s the brisk Charleston vamp that propels the head of "Ping Pong," not to be outdone by the classic "United," a tune which has inspired other interpretations over the years from such players as Woody Shaw and pianist George Colligan.

As strong as the material is here, additionally the soloists are nothing short of being profound. Morgan is his usual fiery self, while Shorter unleashes some searing improvisations of his own, using textural nuances to great effect. As a bonus, there are three additional tracks included on the disc, including alternate versions of "United," with Walter Davis, Jr. spelling Timmons on piano, and "Ping Pong." New 24-bit remastering brings further sonic clarity that even surpasses the job Mosaic did for the previously mentioned boxed set, making this the definitive reissue of some quintessential material.

Track Listing

Ping Pong; Roots and Herbs; The Back Sliders; United; Look at the Birdie; Master Mind; The Back Sliders (alternate take); Ping Pong (alternate version); United (alternate version).

Personnel

Art Blakey

drums

Art Blakey- drums; Lee Morgan- trumpet; Wayne Shorter- tenor saxophone; Walter Davis, Jr.- piano on "Roots and Herbs" and "United;" Bobby Timmons- piano (all others); Jymie Merritt- bass.

Album information

Title: Roots And Herbs | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Almost Blue: Chet Lives
< Previous

Holiday Music '99
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.