A Night at Birdland explained

A Night at Birdland
Type:live
Artist:Art Blakey
Cover:A Night at Birdland, Volume 1.jpg
Caption:Volume 1 (LP)
Released:August 1956 (Volume 1)
December 1956 (Volume 2)[1]
Recorded:February 21, 1954
Venue:Birdland, NYC
Genre:Jazz
Length: (Vol. 1)
(Vol. 2)
Label:Blue Note
BLP 1521 (Vol. 1)
BLP 1522 (Vol. 2)
Producer:Alfred Lion
Prev Title:Blakey
Prev Year:1954
Next Title:Drum Suite
Next Year:1957

A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related live albums by the Art Blakey Quintet. They were recorded at the Birdland jazz club on February 21, 1954 and released on Blue Note in 1956. The performance was originally spread out over three 10" LPs as A Night at Birdland Vols. 1–3 (1954).

Release history

Volumes 1 and 2 were issued on CD in 1987 with new artwork based on the original ten-inches and two additional tracks each: an alternate take of "Wee-Dot" and an improvisational piece titled "Blues" on Volume 1, and "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Lou's Blues" on Volume 2—issued as side's one and two of the 12" A Night at Birdland, Vol. 3 released by Toshiba three years previously in 1984—the first three of which were previously released in 1975 on Live Messengers (BN-LA473-J2), a 2 LP compilation.

The "RVG Editions" were released on CD in 2001, remastered by Rudy Van Gelder with the tracks in a different order and restoring the original album covers from Volumes 1 & 2 of the 10"s.[2]

AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow stated that the first album "launches an initial breakthrough for Blakey and modern jazz in general, and defines the way jazz music could be heard for decades thereafter."[4] Regarding the second album, Yanow wrote: "there are extraordinary high points, along with low points that either result from tiredness or a lack or preparation."[5]

Bob Blumenthal, renowned hard-bop writer, refers to this as a historical jazz milestone.[6]

Track listing

CD reissues

Volume 2

Personnel

Art Blakey Quintet

Technical personnel

Original

Reissue

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=WyAEAAAAMBAJ&dq=blakey+Birdland&pg=PA20 Billboard Jan 5, 1957
  2. Web site: Michael Fortuna . A Night At Birdland, Vols. 1 and 2 . September 2001 . 2006-12-31.
  3. The concert was also included in The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings of Clifford Brown box set.

    Reception

    The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected both albums as part of their "core collection."

    A reviewer for All About Jazz said simply that "Blakey and company had clicked that night at Birdland."[2]

  4. Web site: Scott Yanow . A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 . . 2023-11-28.
  5. Web site: Scott Yanow . A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 . . 2023-11-28.
  6. Web site: Records . Mosaic . 2021-06-09 . Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers A Night At Birdland - . 2021-07-21 . Mosaic Records - Home for Jazz fans! . en-US.