European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Profile by Jeffrey Halik about boy ears ago when the music business was one of America s last wild frontiers a Man put a gun loan Blakes head. Ii Wasa magnum with Dum Dum bullets incl says Bliskey wide eyed perhaps needlessly embellishing the already frightening Story. He said. Gel up Here and your Drums " by Ray laughs and adds i Ain l come Down in full appreciation of that fact a near capacity crowd sheltered in he heal of the Cambridge Corn Exchange in England recently to hear the 69-year-old 212 drummer and his latest crop of jazz messengers ranging in ago from 21 to 30, a study of Art Blakey i azz messengers a name under which some of the greatest Young talents in jazz have played since the mid-1950s, is a Good look at the evolution of straight ahead jazz a swinging hard driving music i hat lakes a Standard melodic tune jazz musicians love Cole Porter and puts it into orbit with Solo and group improvisations with a different result with each performance. The Way Blakey makes his music fresh is both the t is Iest Way and the hardest Way by completely turning Over the personnel in he group every few years the and conflicts that come from trying la be creative wild the same people Over a Long period of Ime an avoided. But sometimes the breakups happen when his croup it maturing nicely and that s like ending a love affair at it Peak. When the breakup comes Blakey makes a gift to the musical world of his new graduates Tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter went on to become one of the Drej no forces behind weather report. Chuck Mangione writing his lilting musical ditties has found spectacular commercial Success playing his flugelhorn. Though his life was Cut Short by Accident Lee Morgan still i Spires Young would be trumpeters. No brass player is holler Lotic in in jazz and classical than trumpeter Wyndlon Marsalis and his brother. Leno sax player is carving out a Lui Mlivic sub career for himself Loo. Of his recruitment policy Blakey they find me. One musician begets another my gets recommendations visits clubs to hear Pri spelts perform and invites some in see a in a with in instrument lie says and As soon is tie Pis is it up i can Lull if he con Onu they became messengers instruction is . I leis Ibert whirl not to ," Blakey says i hey do it themselves. The player has got to be left to Juji i on ii ii h evil hour being Iod he s stupid before he Luok up playing with the about to be famous Blixt y played with the already famous. Those who have shared his bandstand include Miles Davis Ella fit Gierald dizzy Gillespie. Billie Holiday the Anius Monk Ami Charlie Bird Parker. As for characterizing his Iii is no about to be pinned Down to any style any Label. He recalls being asked Why he plays unfurl Duclos. I get results he shot Back. What is orthodox of Okay remembers being on a to show with buddy Riih. And the woman says to buddy he s my Friend you maj or. Rich who is the Gruel my drummer in the xvmu.1 and buddy says i am so Slit says to me what Sci you think about that or. Bl.itwy11 said you heard what i lie Man said " Lila key explains his sudden attack i humility. I m an inno visitor not a drummer. 1 Don i want to sound like buddy Rich or any of a him other its. They sound like Lihty off a conveyor Suruj Iii Gly Hukey t atty been .1 drummer. Oni of his earliest musical accomplishments at 12, was trailing a band an piano player. Now lit s that instrument As limiting. It s Only from thai. I could have any setup i his Early in Ensor was Choik Webb Anil this was the first Rule when you get in trouble rib i was now w in sight or Vaund a Turing his Receil performance but the Rol s were in perfectly control de crescendos in places where few other drummers would dare try them. As Blaky describes in Webb old him to Start a Roll on a drum for a slow metronome count to 100. Webb s office was one floor Down and directly underneath the practice area and he kept an ear cocked to Monitor the result. 10 19b8 an innovator not a drummer1 after watching Blakey twirl his is icks a common drummer s affectation Webb old him. The rhythm Ain t up in the air. It s on the hearing Blakey for the first Lime can be unnerving. Unlike most Rock and jazz Dru miners his accents Are not in expected agreed upon places. His use of the snare and ride cymbal combination for instance is not an automatic response or filler routine. On this Dale a entered quietly Only after All the other musicians had been under Way for i play Ulakey delights in recalling i Nano comments and questions put to him by interviewers and famous people. He quoted Lee to Cocci in Lonnor tit hum Ixl new xxx Amto inno Dwillis. . It Itten wow Nuutt a Luck Kif a enl us
