In 1954, pianist
Horace Silver
teamed with drummer
Art Blakey
to form a cooperative ensemble that would combine the dexterity and power of bebop with the midtempo, down-home grooves of blues and gospel music. The results are what would become known as hard bop, and
the Jazz Messengers
were one of the leading exponents of this significant era in jazz history. Before
Silver
's departure and
Blakey
's lifetime of leadership, this first major session by the original
Jazz Messengers
set the standard by which future incarnations of the group would be measured. The tunes here are all
's, save the bopping "Hankerin'" by tenor man
Hank Mobley
. Such cuts as the opening "Room 608," the bluesy "Creepin' In," and "Hippy" are excellent examples of both
's creative composing style and
the Messengers
' signature sound. Of course, the most remembered tunes from the session are the classic "The Preacher" and "Doodlin'," two quintessential hard bop standards. In all, this set is not only a stunning snapshot of one of the first groups of its kind, but the very definition of a style that dominated jazz in the 1950s and '60s.