“Afrobeat”, as a term and a musical style, didn’t exist when the Art Blakey Percussion Ensemble recorded Drum Suite in 1957. But the infectious meeting of African, Latin, and Western styles that’s on ...

So said, Abdullah Ibn Buhaina (1919-1990), more widely known to the world of jazz by his pre-Islamic name: Art Blakey. Blakey was my first introduction into the musicality of jazz drumming and, in ...

Dig into 13 tracks from this influential drummer and bandleader, chosen by writers and musicians including several former members of his band, the Jazz Messengers. Credit...Dante Zaballa Supported by ...

Art Blakey was not the first musician to declare: "I always wanted to be regarded as one of the greatest drummers in the world," as he did in a 1984 San Diego Union interview. (The full interview ...

Jazz drummer Art Blakey brought a propulsive, irresistible swing to his playing, an intensity that drove his ensembles like dry leaves before the wild hurricane. “He was a volcano,” said Gordon ...

There's an oft-quoted moment on 1954's "A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2" where in the midst of introducing the musicians he's assembled for the gig, Art Blakey tells the crowd, “Yessir, I’m gonna stay ...

Probably the most prominent drummer of his generation to consistently front his own groups, he was also an insightful educator and mentor. By Giovanni Russonello Ralph Peterson, a thunderously ...

The all-star lineup on Drum Suite gives the album high marks before one note of music is played. It's a piece of history. Released in 1957, the album merged Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with several ...