The 2006 single-disc collection
The Complete Art Blakey on Emarcy features all of the tracks the jazz drummer recorded for his 1954 Emarcy album Blakey. Originally, the 10" LP version of Blakey included eight songs featuring trumpeter
Joe Gordon, pianist
Walter Bishop, Jr., saxophonist
Gigi Gryce, and bassist
Bernie Griggs. Here, we get those cuts plus four other tracks recorded around the same time with pianist
Horace Silver, saxophonist Henry Durant, and bassist
Percy Heath. Interestingly, the sessions with
Silver (tracks one through four on this release) were recorded roughly a month after his and
Blakey's iconic
A Night at Birdland album and led in part to the creation of the duo's legendary
Jazz Messengers ensemble. Confusingly, the 1999 reissue of Blakey also added cuts off 1955's
Introducing Joe Gordon (not included here), which
Blakey also played on. The tracks showcased on
The Complete Art Blakey on Emarcy are swinging sessions well worth checking out, especially for anyone interested in
Blakey's pre-
Jazz Messengers era. ~ Matt Collar