Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers The Big Beat 180g Vinyl LP

$

46

Features:
• Limited Edition of Only 3500 Copies!
• Remastered from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes!
• Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
• Pressed on 180 gram Virgin Vinyl LP by RTI
• Ultra-Durable, Extra Thick Album Jackets
• Gatefold Album with Session Photos in stunning High Resolution
• Stereo

Musicians:
Art Blakey, drums
Lee Morgan, trumpet
Wayne Shorter, tenor sax
Bobby Timmons, piano
Jymie Merritt, bass

Selections:
1. The Chess Players
2. Sakeena's Vision
3. Politely
4. Dat Dere
5. Lester Left Town
6. It's Only A Paper Moon
One of the Finest Blue Note Jazz Titles EVER! 

Cut at 33 1/3rpm by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio from the Original Rudy Van Gelder Blue Note Master Tapes!
Pressed on 180 gram Virgin Vinyl LP by RTI! Top Quality Gatefold Packaging with Laminated Covers & High Quality Session Photos! 

Art Blakey was one of the greatest of all jazz drummers, a masterful talent scout and the inspiring leader of the Jazz Messengers. For 35 years (1955-90), the Jazz Messengers featured brilliant young talent who were pushed by Blakey to write new music and play at their very best. One certainly could not coast with Blakey's explosive drumming constantly egging on the players. The who's who of jazz passed through Blakey's band for several generations, with everyone from Freddie Hubbard and Wynton Marsalis to Benny Golson and Horace Silver benefiting from the hard-swinging experience. But few lineups could compete with the 1960 edition of the Jazz Messengers featured on The Big Beat. Blakey, the "old man" of the band at 30, is joined by bassist Jymie Merritt and three brilliant stylists who were not only exciting soloists but very skilled songwriters: trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Bobby Timmons. The Big Beat introduces Timmons' "Dat Dere" (which practically defines soul jazz) and Shorter's "Lester Left Town" (a tribute to Lester Young) and includes an inventive version of "It's Only A Paper Moon" along with a few other lesser-known but colorful pieces. This is hard bop at its finest from one of the most immortal jazz groups of all time. 

All New Mastering: 
While Music Matters wanted to use the original 33rpm format to honor the 75 years since Blue Note was founded in 1939, they did not want to sacrifice sonically, because only the very best sound can fully reveal the exquisite subtleties contained in this music. Consequently, over this past year they have worked tirelessly with Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio Mastering to refine the mastering process. Nothing was spared to make these the definitive 33RPM Blue Note reissues. With an additional $75,000 worth of studio upgrades, featuring all WEL Signature AudioQuest cable and an all new Class A front end, the results will become apparent when you listen to these exceptional recordings. These studio upgrades have reached a point where Music Matters are confident that the 33 rpm format will not only honor the originals, but also fully and accurately present the sonic wonders contained on these master tapes. 2014 marks the 75th Anniversary Celebration of Blue Note records, here, handpicked are what Music Matters believe are 12 of the finest offerings on the label, all from the original master tapes! These recordings are offered at 33RPM just as they were originally manufactured by the label! 

The Blue Note Jackets:
Music Matters strongly feels that these Blue Note recordings deserve nothing less than the finest graphic presentation. Accordingly, no expense has been spared. Designed from scratch, these jackets are modeled after the most successful work from the Blue Note and Impulse! labels of the 50s and 60s. The materials and craftsmanship of that era produced many jackets that still look new today. With that in mind, the Music Matters Blue Note jackets are designed to last a lifetime, using ultra-durable extra thick cardboard stock and thick, luxurious lamination. The Impulse! LP jackets from the ‘60s were especially renowned for their crisp, sharp spine hinges. Music Matters has retained one of the artisans who worked on the Impulse! jackets from that era to do the design work on these jackets. It’s all about getting the right tone, texture and weight on the jacket — quality you’ll be able to feel in your hand the moment you pick up one of these albums.