The Freedom Rider
The Freedom Rider is an album by jazz drummer Art Blakey and his group the Jazz Messengers. Continuing Blakey's distinct brand of hard bop, this album features contributions from Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Blakey himself, and Kenny Dorham, a former Jazz Messenger. This was the final album by this particular edition of the Jazz Messengers, who had been together for 18 months, as Lee Morgan left after this album to be replaced by a young Freddie Hubbard. The compositions themselves are varied, with Blakey contributing an energetic drum solo on "The Freedom Rider"; at least three of the compositions on the album are blues pieces. "El Toro" features a solo by Shorter incorporating the sheets of sound technique pioneered by John Coltrane. The CD version contains three bonus tracks originally released on the album Pisces.
The Freedom Rider | ||||
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Studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers | ||||
Released | February 1964[1] | |||
Recorded | February 12 (#7-8), February 18 (#4), and May 27 (#1-3, 5-6), 1961 | |||
Studio | Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ | |||
Genre | Jazz | |||
Length | 54:01 (CD reissue) | |||
Label | Blue Note Records BST 84156 | |||
Producer | Alfred Lion | |||
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide |
Track listing
- "Tell It Like It Is" (Shorter) – 7:53
- "The Freedom Rider" (Blakey) – 7:25
- "El Toro" (Shorter) – 6:20
- "Petty Larceny" (Morgan) – 6:14
- "Blue Lace" (Morgan) – 5:59
Bonus tracks on CD reissue:
- "Uptight" (Morgan) – 6:12
- "Pisces" (Morgan) – 6:52
- "Blue Ching" (Kenny Dorham) – 6:43
Personnel
- Art Blakey — drums
- Lee Morgan — trumpet
- Wayne Shorter — tenor saxophone
- Bobby Timmons — piano
- Jymie Merritt — double bass
References
- Liner notes by Michael Cuscuna to 2015 Japanese SHM-CD reissue
- The Freedom Rider at AllMusic
- Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 25. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.