A Night in Tunisia (1958 album) explained

A Night in Tunisia
Type:	Studio Album
Artist:	Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Cover:	Night in Tunisia 1957.jpeg
Released:	Mid February 1958^[1]
Recorded:	April 2 & 8, 1957, NYC
Genre:	Hard bop
Label:	Vik
Producer:	Bob Rolontz
Prev Title:	Hard Drive
Prev Year:	1957
Next Title:	Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk
Next Year:	1958

A Night in Tunisia is a 1958 jazz album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, released by the RCA Victor subsidiary label Vik.^[2] It features the only recorded instances of saxophonists Jackie McLean and Johnny Griffin playing together.^[3]

The album's original five tracks were augmented by up to three alternative takes on CD reissues. The album was also reissued under the title Theory of Art, with two nonet tracks – "A Night at Tony's" and "Social Call" – added.^[4]

Track listing

A Night in Tunisia CD

1. "A Night in Tunisia" (Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli) – 12:55
2. "Off the Wall" (Johnny Griffin) – 7:16
3. "Theory of Art" (Bill Hardman) – 9:46
4. "Couldn't It Be You?" (Art Blakey, Jackie McLean) – 8:12
5. "Evans" (Sonny Rollins) – 6:30
6. "A Night in Tunisia" (Gillespie, Paparelli) – 12:30 Bonus track on CD re-issue.
7. "Off the Wall" (Griffin) – 7:21 Bonus track on CD re-issue.
8. "Theory of Art" (Hardman) – 10:14 Bonus track on CD re-issue.

Theory of Art CD

First five tracks as A Night in Tunisia, above.

6. "A Night at Tony's" (Gigi Gryce)
7. "Social Call" (Gryce, Jon Hendricks)

Personnel

A Night in Tunisia

• Art Blakey – drums
• Bill Hardman – trumpet
• Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
• Jackie McLean (listed as Ferris Benda/Ferris Bender on the cover) – alto sax
• Sam Dockery – piano
• Spanky DeBrest – bass

Theory of Art

• Art Blakey – drums
• Bill Hardman – trumpet
• Lee Morgan – trumpet
• Melba Liston – trombone
• Cecil Payne – baritone sax
• Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
• Sahib Shihab – alto sax
• Wynton Kelly – piano
• Spanky DeBrest – bass

Sources:^[5]

Notes and References

1. Special Merit Jazz Albums . Billboard . Feb 17, 1958 . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . January 24, 2023 . 37 . Google Books.
2. http://www.excitingsounds.com/rca-vik/ RCA Vik Record Label Discography
3. Book: Richard . Cook . Richard Cook (journalist) . Brian . Morton . Brian Morton (Scottish writer) . . 1992 . 1st . . 978-0-14-015364-4 . 111.
4. Web site: Yanow . Scott . Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: Theory of Art . . November 29, 2018.
5. Shoemaker . Bill . May 1, 1997 . Art Blakey: Theory of Art . .