The Best of Art Blakey is a fine sampler that boasts good performances of such songs as "Moanin'," "A Night in Tunisia," and "Blues March." While this is certainly far from a definitive portrait of
Blakey and holds no interest for collectors and purists, it's not a bad introduction for neophytes. The 1989 CD edition adds the bonus tracks of "Mosaic" and "Free for All" for a total of seven tracks and overall running time that exceeds an hour. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine