Art Blakey experts please ... ?

Ohh - bought so many records last year, I already have Big Beat on "Music Matters 45rpm" but it is still sealed ...

Thank you Jazzcourier, Isochronism and Taylor514.

I will listen to Oscar Brown & Rickie Lee Jones Dat Dere.

What else could you recommend from the early Art Blakeys' titles ?

I have these:

-Caravan (33)
-Night In Tunisia (45rpm)

I am waiting for these:

-Like Someone In Love (45rpm)
-Indestructible (45rpm)

I listened to Oscar Brown Jr. - Sin & Soul.
Excellent!
It was reissued on the speakers corners label 180 gr LP one week ago on 31. Aug 2011, I will order it.

moanin' is a must...easily his best

Free For All (1964)
A little harder hitting than some of the earlier recordings mentioned here. Blakey's on fire and he pushes Freddie and Wayne to the edge of hard bop and beyond while keeping it deep in the groove.
Highly recommended.

I claim to be an Art Blakey expert. Since I have many LP's and CD's, I won't list them all; I would rather give others the pleasure.

Not only is Blakey "King of the drums", he is also the king of "Hard bop". There are more famous musicians who played with his "Jazz Messengers" than any other group, including the Miles Davis groups.

"Moanin" is a classic among classics. "Along Came Betty", ranks with the title tune for me. There could be more than one reason for that. I was a teenager who worshipped from afar, a very beautiful old lady of 23 named "Betty". Every time I put a quarter in the jukebox and punched that tune, a vision of "Betty" floated before me.

I have never gone wrong selecting any Blakey album, and I can think of no other artist I can say that about. I'm sure people new to Blakey will enjoy him as much as I have.