Great Blue Note 2-fer that brings together a bunch of previously unreleased live sessions from Art Blakey and different incarnations of the Jazz Messengers! Sides 1 through 3 feature a stellar set of tracks recorded in 1961 and 1962 with the sextet lineup that included Wayne Shorter,
Freddie Hubbard, and Curtis Fuller, with the titles "Promised Land", "Arabia", "Mosaic", "Ping Pong", and "Up Jumped Spring". Side 4 has some older material, from 1954 – by the first incarnation of the group that included Lou Donaldson, Clifford Brown, and Horace
Silver – and the titles "Wee Dot", "Blues", and "The Way You Look Tonight". Nice notes, and as usual, the Messengers shine in a good live setting.
(White b label pressing. Cover has some wear and aging, light stains at the spine, small split in the bottom seam, and is lightly bent at the front panel.)