ART BLAKEY: THE JAZZ MESSENGER (TV)
Summary
This documentary film examines the musical career and legacy of Art Blakey, legendary drummer and bandleader of the Jazz Messengers. The program consists of interviews, along with footage of rehearsals and performances from the 1950s through the 1980s. The first portion centers around a musical clinic and concert held in England, in which Blakey unites Jazz Messengers with other young musicians and performers from England and other countries. Highlights of the program include the following: Blakey gives a lecture in England during which he recalls his youth and entry into the world of jazz; Dizzy Gillespie and Messenger Walter Davis, Jr., discuss the musical contributions of Blakey as well as those of fellow drummers Kenny Clarke and Max Roach; ex-Messengers Donald Harrison, Benny Goldson, and Curtis Fuller talk about the intense training a musician receives when playing with Blakey and about his ability to make or break a musician with his drums; trumpeter Terence Blanchard describes BlakeyÕs talent for eliciting new emotions and levels of performance from musicians; Gillespie and Davis reflect on the long list of jazz greats who got their start with the Messengers; and Blakey and Wayne Shorter discuss the faltering jazz scene in the U.S. and the thriving one in England. Next, young musicians from the English jazz band the Warriors express their excitement about working with Blakey: Colin Graham, Philip Bent, Gail Thompson, Steve Williamson, and Courtney Pine give their views on jazz music, Blakey, and other pioneers; and they are shown in rehearsal and performance with the Messengers. Other highlights include the following: Veteran Messenger Bobby Watson gives credit to Blakey for helping him become a jazz musician; the Messenger/Warrior collective performs "Wheel Within a Wheel"; percussionist Mamadi Kamara explains that African drumming is at the root of new-world music such as jazz and samba; the Messengers, the Warriors, and the dance group the Jazz Defektors rehearse and perform "Night in Tunisia"; DJ Baz F'Jazz comments on the continuing popularity of classic jazz music; Jalal Nurridin of the Last Poets and Bobby Watson rehearse their new rendition of "Lester Left Town" and perform with the Messenger/Warrior collective; and Blakey talks about keeping the tradition of jazz alive for future generations. The next portion takes place in New York City, as several musicians leave the Messengers to pursue solo careers, and Blakey looks for replacements. At the nightclub Sweet Basil, Blakey and the Messengers perform while various horn players sit in to try out for the band. Veteran Messengers Blanchard and Jean Toussaint comment on the regular cycle through which new musicians join and graduate from the "Art Blakey University." Meanwhile, Blanchard meets with George Butler of CBS Records, who expresses his interest in working with him and other musicians who have played with Blakey. Next, the new Messengers rehearse and meet with Blakey, after which they play their first gig at MikellÕs nightclub. At Mikell's, jazz veterans including David Baldwin, Stretch Johnson, and Bill Moseley reflect on the music of the 1930s, and they express the hope that the new generation will revive the great jazz tradition. Backstage, Kenny Garrett, Wynton and Delfeayo Marsalis, and Stanley Crouch discuss BlakeyÕs role in inspiring and mentoring new musicians, referring to him as a human institution of jazz. The program concludes with scenes of Oscar Brown, Jr.; Big Black; and Blakey in the park singing "Dat Dere" and playing with the babies in their families, while Blakey speaks about the work of carrying on and relaying the message and heritage of jazz music.
Details
- NETWORK: Central Independent Television (United Kingdom)
- DATE: 1987
- RUNNING TIME: 1:18:47
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:17861
- GENRE: Arts Documentaries; Music
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drummers; International Collection - United Kingdom; Jazz; Jazz musicians; Music, popular (songs, etc.)
- SERIES RUN: Central Independent Television (United Kingdom) - TV, 1987
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jim Berrow … Executive Producer
- Dick Fontaine … Producer, Director
- Pat Hartley … Producer
- David Baldwin
- Baz FÕJazz
- Big Black
- Art Blakey
- Terence Blanchard
- Philip Bent
- Oscar Brown
- George Butler
- Kenny Clarke
- Stanley Crouch
- Walter Davis
- Curtis Fuller
- Kenny Garrett
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Benny Goldson
- Colin Graham
- Donald Harrison
- Jazz Messengers, The
- Jazz Defektors, The
- Stretch Johnson
- Mamadi Kamara
- Last Poets, The
- Delfeayo Marsalis
- Wynton Marsalis
- Bill Moseley
- Jalal Nurridin
- Courtney Pine
- Max Roach
- Wayne Shorter
- Gail Thompson
- Jean Toussaint
- The Warriors
- Bobby Watson
- Steve Williamson