Underrated A Night In Tunisia by Art Blakey
Art Blakey has many underrated albums in his career.
I just talked about one - Caravan by Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers, right?
Here is another one,
A Night In Tunisia Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers *Sorry, in the video, I hold the album upside-down!! haha...
But this is not A Night In Tunisia on Blue Note, it is A Night In Tunisia on VIK US (a sister label of RCA Victor) released originally in 1958.
Many collectors say that around 1958, The Jazz Messengers were undergoing difficult time not finding good talents.
But believe me, this album is great despite of lacking great talents in the band.
Here I picked up a Japanese reissue of this album by RVC Japan (a sister company of Victor Music Japan). Although the original recording quality is not that perfect, the sound quality of this Japanese pressing is good.
I love a couple of things in this album.
- Art Blakey's dynamic drumming is featured more vigorously especially on a main track, A Night In Tunisia.
- Horns play great. A young Jackie McLean on alto, Johnny Griffin on tenor and Bill Hardman on trumpet.
In case you have not come across this album, I really recommend you to give it a shot!!
