Art Blakey Goes to the Movies

Back in October 2010, I posted twice (here and here) about a little-known Art Blakey session recorded in May 1956 in New York for The Cool Voice of Rita Reys, a Dutch singer. On the album, Jazz Messengers Donald Byrd (tp), Hank Mobley (ts), Horace Silver (p), Doug Watkins (b) and Blakey (d) accompanied a singer, a rarity for the hard-bop group. Another one of these superb Blakey oddities is the soundtrack to Des Femmes Disparaissent.

These tracks were recorded in Paris in December 1958 during a week-long European road trip by the Jazz Messengers—Benny Golson (ts) [pictured], Lee Morgan (tp), Bobby Timmons (p), Jymie Merritt (b) and Blakey (d)—recorded incidental music for a French film.

Much of the music was written by Benny, with some of the rhythmic blues pieces credited to Blakey. The 18 brief, improvised sketches are largely fragments, though I like to think of them as Jazz Messengers potato chips.

What you have here is an interesting series of incidental music sequences by the Jazz Messengers at the height of the hard-bop band's creative power. The music was recorded after a particularly prolific period for the musicians on the date. Moanin', one of Blakey's finest albums, was recorded two months earlier in October. Blakey recorded Drums Around the Corner and Holiday for Skins in November while Benny recorded The Other Side of Benny Golson and Benny Golson and the Philadelphians in the months leading up to the trip.

According to Leslie Gourse's book, Art Blakey: Jazz Messenger (2002):

"Although American movies had not yet begun to employ jazz composers for soundtracks, French director Louis Malle had used Miles Davis to create the soundtrack for his Ascenseur Pour l'Échafaud in 1957. On December 18 and 19, 1958, Blakey recorded music for Édouard Molinaro's film Des Femmes Disparaissent (The Disappearing Women) with Benny Golson, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons and Jymie Merritt; he would record music for Roger Vadim's Les Liaisons Dangereuses, on July 28 and 29, 1959, using French saxophonist Barney Wilen in place of Golson."

Note that these are largely concepts recorded to add tension behind scenes in this black-and-white film. But there are tracks that run over four minutes in length. If you're a fan of Blakey and this lineup of Jazz Messengers, you'll find these chips rewarding.

JazzWax tracks: The least expensive way to get your hands on Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' Des Femmes Disparaissent is via download. You'll find it on Jazz In Paris: Jazz & Cinema, Vol .2. The movie tracks are Nos. 5 through 22.

JazzWax clip: Here are the opening credits and the Jazz Messengers' music to Des Femmes Disparaissent...

 

Comments

[Rab Hines]

Also, Blakey at another movie: one of the odder Blakey efforts in my collection is "Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Play Selections from the New Musical Golden Boy"

Blakey is said to have considered it his best, and it features Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller and others - its a 10 member band.

For some reason, the cover is a picture of Blakey wearing a karate outfit. Very odd, but being a TOCJ release, great sounding.

[Steve Barrow]

Just an addendum to your Rita Reys paragraph - she contributes 4 tracks to an album called
"New Voices" on Dawn DLP 1125, recorded May 1957. The group backing her is led by Mat Matthews, and features Harry Lookofsky and Barry Galbraith with bass & drums handled by Messrs Hinton & Johnson.

Thank you for maintaining the Jazzwax site - I enjoy it & your taste very much !

[Gregg Akkerman]

Wonderful information. Besides recording with the vocalist mentioned here, Blakey also took male singers on two trips to Japan: Bill Henderson in 1961 and Johnny Hartman in 1963. While in Japan, Bob Thiele called Hartman and invited him to record an upcoming album with John Coltrane that turned out pretty good.