Artist: Art Blakey Album: Drums Around the Corner

Year: 1999
Duration: 0:0-1

A of Art Blakey's Drums Around the Corner Album

Art Blakey, an American jazz drummer, was known for his contributing role in the hard bop era of jazz music. He was a member of many influential jazz bands and led his own band called the Jazz Messengers. One of his most recognized albums, Drums Around the Corner, was released in 1959 and has become a classic of its own. In this post, we will take a critical look at this album, its genre, its best songs, and its most innovative features, and put forth our thoughts about it.
Drums Around the Corner was an album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, who were known for their hard bop sound. The album combines elements of Afro-Cuban music, with its emphasis on percussion, and hard bop jazz, with its complex rhythms and harmonies. This combination resulted in an album that stands out in the history of jazz music.
The album's most notable songs include Crisis, Swingin' Kilts, and The Carioca. Crisis is a standout track for its hard-hitting drum beats and the energy it brings to the album. Swingin' Kilts is unique in its use of a bagpipe-like instrument in a jazz track, resulting in a sound that is both familiar and foreign. The Carioca features a call and response between the percussion and piano, creating a dynamic that enhances the song's groove.
One of the album's most innovative features is its use of percussion instruments. Along with the standard drum kit, Drums Around the Corner featured a range of percussion instruments such as bongos, congas, and timbales. This use of percussion instruments gave the album a distinct Afro-Cuban flavor that was unique to the hard bop genre of music.
In retrospect, Drums Around the Corner was a well-crafted album that showcased Art Blakey's percussion skills and his ability to adapt and innovate within the hard bop genre. Its blend of hard bop and Afro-Cuban styles adds a unique flavor to the album, making it unique in the history of jazz music.
However, the album's greatest flaw is that it fails to provide listeners with a cohesive listening experience. The album seems to jump from one style to another, making it difficult for listeners to fully appreciate and absorb the sound. This lack of cohesion may distract the listener from fully enjoying the album.
In conclusion, Art Blakey's Drums Around the Corner album is a classic example of the hard bop genre of jazz music. It is well-crafted, innovative, and unique, with the presence of percussion instruments adding an Afro-Cuban texture to the sound. While it may lack cohesion as a full album, the individual tracks still stand out as being exceptional. Overall, it's a must-listen for any jazz lover.