A Night at Birdland
Live album by
Art Blakey
ReleasedAugust 1956 (Volume 1)
December 1956 (Volume 2)[1]
RecordedFebruary 21, 1954
VenueBirdland
New York City
GenreJazz
Length37:37 (Volume 1)
32:31 (Volume 2)
LabelBlue Note
BLP 1521 (Volume 1)
BLP 1522 (Volume 2)
ProducerAlfred Lion
Art Blakey chronology
Blakey
(1954)		 A Night at Birdland
(1956)		 Drum Suite
(1957)
A Night at Birdland
Volume 2 (12")
A Night at Birdland
A Night at Birdland (CD)
Volume 2 (CD)

A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1 & 2 are a pair of separate but related 12" live albums by jazz drummer Art Blakey, released by Blue Note in August and December 1956 respectively. The two volume recompile Blakey's performance with his quintet at the Birdland on February 21, 1954, which was originally spread out over three 10" LPs as A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1–3.[2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Tom HullA−[6]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic link
Penguin Guide to Jazz[3]
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide[4]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[5]
Tom HullA−[6]

The two albums that were released from the Birdland sessions are considered by The Penguin Guide to Jazz to be part of their "core collection."[3] A reviewer for All About Jazz said simply that "Blakey and company had clicked that night at Birdland."[7] AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow stated that the first album "launches an initial breakthrough for Blakey and modern jazz in general, and defines the way jazz music could be heard for decades thereafter."[8] Regarding the second album, Yanow wrote: "there are extraordinary high points, along with low points that either result from tiredness or a lack or preparation."[9] Bob Blumenthal, renowned hard-bop writer, refers to this as a historical jazz milestone.[10]

Release history

Volumes 1 and 2 were issued on CD in 1987 with new artwork based on the original ten-inches and two additional tracks each: an alternate take of "Wee-Dot" and an improvisational piece titled "Blues" on Volume 1, and "The Way You Look Tonight" and "Lou's Blues" on Volume 2—issued as side's one and two of the 12" A Night at Birdland, Vol. 3 released by Toshiba three years previously in 1984—the first three of which were previously released in 1975 on Live Messengers (BN-LA473-J2), a 2 LP compilation.

The "RVG Editions" were released on CD in 2001, remastered by Rudy Van Gelder with the tracks in a different order and restoring the original album covers from Volumes 1 & 2 of the 10"s.[11][12]

The concert was also included in The Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings of Clifford Brown box set.

Track listing

Original release

Volume 1

Side one
No.TitleMusicOriginal releaseLength
1."Announcement by Pee Wee Marquette" A Night at Birdland, Vol. 10:58
2."Split Kick"Horace SilverA Night at Birdland, Vol. 18:44
3."Once in a While"
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 15:18
4."Quicksilver"Horace SilverA Night at Birdland, Vol. 16:58
Side 2
No.TitleMusicOriginal releaseLength
1."A Night in Tunisia"
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 29:20
2."Mayreh"Horace SilverA Night at Birdland Vol. 26:19
Total length:37:37

Volume 2

Side 1
No.TitleMusicOriginal releaseLength
1."Wee Dot"
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 27:19
2."If I Had You"
A Night at Birdland, Vol. 33:31
3."Quicksilver [alternate master]"Horace Silverpreviously unreleased8:46
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Original releaaseLength
1."Now's the Time"Charlie ParkerA Night at Birdland, Vol. 39:02
2."Confirmation"ParkerA Night at Birdland, Vol. 39:12
Total length:32:31

CD edition

Volume 1

1987 Edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Announcement by Pee Wee Marquette"  0:58
2."Split Kick" Horace Silver8:44
3."Once in a While"Bud GreenMichael Edwards5:18
4."Quicksilver" Horace Silver6:58
5."Wee-Dot (alternate take)" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2]) J.J. Johnson, Leo Parker6:53
6."Blues (Improvisation)" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2]) Traditional8:37
7."A Night in Tunisia" Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli9:20
8."Mayreh" Horace Silver6:19
Total length:53:07

Volume 2

1987 Edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Wee Dot" J.J. Johnson, Leo Parker7:19
2."If I Had You"Jimmy Campbell and Reg ConnellyTed Shapiro3:31
3."Quicksilver [alternate master]" Horace Silver8:46
4."The Way You Look Tonight" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2])Dorothy FieldsJerome Kern9:59
5."Lou's Blues" (previously released on A Night at Birdland Vol. 3 [Toshiba (Japan), BNJ-61002]) Lou Donaldson3:58
6."Now's the Time" Charlie Parker9:02
7."Confirmation" Charlie Parker9:12

RVG Edition

Volume 1

2001 RVG Edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Announcement by Pee Wee Marquette"  0:58
2."Split Kick" Horace Silver8:44
3."Once in a While"Bud GreenMichael Edwards5:18
4."Quicksilver" Horace Silver6:58
5."A Night in Tunisia" Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli9:20
6."Mayreh" Horace Silver6:19
7."Wee-Dot (alternate take)" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2]) J.J. Johnson, Leo Parker6:53
8."Blues (Improvisation)" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2]) Traditional8:37
Total length:53:07

Volume 2

2001 RVG Edition
No.TitleLyricsMusicLength
1."Wee Dot" J.J. Johnson, Leo Parker7:19
2."If I Had You"Jimmy Campbell and Reg ConnellyTed Shapiro3:31
3."Quicksilver [alternate master]" Horace Silver8:46
4."Now's the Time" Charlie Parker9:02
5."Confirmation" Charlie Parker9:12
6."The Way You Look Tonight" (previously released on Live Messengers [BN-LA473-J2])Dorothy FieldsJerome Kern9:59
7."Lou's Blues" (previously released on A Night at Birdland Vol. 3 [Toshiba (Japan), BNJ-61002]) Lou Donaldson3:58

Personnel

Art Blakey Quintet

Production

  • Alfred Lion – producer
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, mastering (Original, 2001)
  • Francis Wolff – photography
  • Reid Miles, John Hermansader – cover design
  • Bob Bluementhal, Leonard Feather – liner notes
  • Michael Cuscuna – reissue producer
  • Ron McMaster – digital transfers

References

  1. ↑ Billboard Jan 5, 1957
  2. ↑ A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1 & 2 at Discogs (list of releases)
  3. 1 2 3 Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2006). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. Penguin Books. p. 124.
  4. 1 2 Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. pp. 25. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
  5. 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  6. 1 2 Hull, Tom (n.d.). "Jazz (1940–50s) (Reference)". tomhull.com. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  7. ↑ Michael Fortuna. "A Night At Birdland, Vols. 1 and 2". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
  8. ↑ Scott Yanow. "A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1". Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  9. ↑ Scott Yanow. "A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2". Retrieved 2023-11-28.
  10. ↑ Records, Mosaic (2021-06-09). "Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers A Night At Birdland -". Mosaic Records - Home for Jazz fans!. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  11. ↑ A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1 & 2 at Discogs (list of releases)
  12. ↑ A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1 & 2 at Discogs (list of releases)
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