Jazz At The Smithsonian With Art Blakey

From the "Jazz at the Smithsonian" series, comprised of one-hour concerts filmed during the early 80s, comes this inspired performance from jazz drumming great, the late Art Blakey. Performing with his band "The Jazz Messengers," an ever-changing group which, for this sitting, included contemporary jazz virtuosos Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Blakey, with his ubiquitous smile, pounds the skins through a handful of contemporary jazz pieces ranging from hardcore jazz to more mellow, blues influenced numbers. Separated into two sets, the middle of the program features a brief interview with Blakey who describes his early years in New York, and how he came to play the drums. Jazz aficionados will enjoy this concert featuring legends from the past and present. Recommended. (Available from most distributors.)