Greetings. We’re going uptown tonite! I’ve mentioned this album a few times here but it deserves more than a mention. This Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers’ Blue Note recording is in a sextet format. I like jazz sextets cause the two horns laying out while the other solos can support the soloist by playing in unison behind him or shoveling coal, as it was called. This is heard to good effect on Coltrane’s Blue Train and Cannonball’s recordings with Yusef Lateef. But THIS record is positively a killer!! The title tract will make you despondent that Wayne Shorter ever gave up playing tenor. So slide your disc tray into your player or drop your stylus into the lead groove and hold on to your hat cause Art mercilessly pours it on Wayne Shorter like nobody’s business and Shorter just burns his ass off! Every track is good but the opener is to die for. Free For All is the title and you can thank me later (you will). Post bop at it’s best. Better have a fire extinguisher nearby.
