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Art Blakey
Art Blakey was an influential American jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader, renowned primarily for his role as the leader of The Jazz Messengers. He was born on October 11, 1919, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and passed away on October 16, 1990, in New York City, New York.
Blakey was raised as a foster son in a Seventh-day Adventist family, where he learned to play the piano alongside his study of the Bible, mastering both disciplines early in life. In the early 1930s, while performing at the Democratic Club in Pittsburgh, an unexpected turn of events shifted his musical path; he was compelled to switch from piano to drums to accommodate pianist Mary Lou Williams, a change he often recounted as occurring under duress from the nightclub's owner. This transition led to his apprenticeship with drummer and bandleader Chick Webb, for whom he also served as a valet.
Upon returning to Pittsburgh in 1937, Blakey established his own band, accompanying pianist Billy Eckstine. In 1939, he joined Eckstine's group and toured for three years before spending a year performing at Boston's Tic Toc club. He later worked with various artists, including Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan. Following the disbandment of Eckstine's ensemble in 1947, Blakey formed the Seventeen Messengers, a rehearsal band, and recorded with an octet known as the Jazz Messengers, marking the beginning of a series of groups under that name.
Blakey's journey took him to Africa in 1948, where he embraced polyrhythmic drumming and converted to Islam, adopting the name Abdullah Ibn Buhaina. Throughout the early 1950s, he collaborated and performed with notable musicians such as Horace Silver and Wayne Shorter. Blakey and Silver's partnership culminated in the formation of The Jazz Messengers, a band that evolved under Blakey's sole leadership and featured a rotating lineup, serving as his primary ensemble until his death. From 1947 to 1972, he intermittently recorded with various artists, solidifying his reputation as a pivotal figure in modern jazz and a significant drumming stylist.
Additionally, Blakey was the uncle of renowned artist and musician, Wynton Marsalis.
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Description
Hank Mobley And His All Stars - MONO Blue Note BLP 1544 - 47 W 63rd New York DG RVG Rudy Van Gelder Pressing!!! THE REAL DEAL!!
This is clearly a significant amount of money, certainly more than I have ever spent on an album, let alone a collection. I know you're going to have questions, please reach out. I'm a solid guy, I've been selling with my dad for 4 decades, he's been gone and now it's me and one of my daughters online and at the Austin Record Convention. Check our feedback, super solid and reasonable prices.
For me, this is/was a holy grail album, the playing is just phenomenal; I have thoroughly play tested this several times(lol) with our Ortofon VMS 20 E Mk II Cartridge on our Yamaha turntable; it's super solid. Please read and review photos carefully, it's really close to a VG+/EX but there's a few light sketchy-looking surface scratches, very few hairlines and some scuffing here and there (the old inner was obliterated), but these sides play through extremely well, so from a visual and play-through grade, it's a super strong VG, probably a decent VG+, but grading down so if you go all in, you'll be very pleased. (I think there's a huge gap between VG+ and EX on eBay). It really looks great, pulling it from the new inner is pretty exciting; it's obviously better than a VG.
The record has been cleaned manually and using ultrasonic technology and is in a strong VG/VG condition, likely a better grade - very shiny and we're being extremely conservative, for obvious reasons. The cover is nice and crisp, only a VG+ because of age, some mild spine chipping and, of course, the gentleman's stamp on the back. At least he didn't write on it LOL..
It should be noted, discogs has 5 copies from a rough VG at $978.26 then immediately jumps to $1495 and the last that sold on eBay was $1300ish..
As always, will be shipped USPS Ground Advantage, insured, signature required, packed with the audiophile jazz purist in mind.
- Record was initially cleaned manually, then ultrasonically cleaned with iSonic Ultrasonic Cleaning prior to grading
- Records are packaged with a poly outer sleeve, the LP is placed in a fresh white inner sleeve directly after cleaning, (we include the accompanying sleeve, we send you both), separate from the cover to protect the seams during shipment, and of course, shipped within thick cardboard insert pads in a thick cardboard record mailer.
- We offer discounted shipping on multiple records: calculated shipping for the first one and $2 for each additional one
SRO Records Record Grading Guide (Goldmine, but modified for eBay):
SEALED/Mint:
Vinyl: Assumed mint, unverified until opened.
Sleeve: Visible through shrink wrap, graded as above.
NM (Near Mint):
Vinyl: Nearly flawless, with possible minor scuffs or hairlines only visible under strong light.
Sleeve: Appears new, as if freshly printed.
EX (Excellent):
Vinyl: Bright, with minor surface wear and hairlines, not affecting play.
Sleeve: May have faint creases or abrasions, but artwork is clean.
VG+ (Very Good Plus):
Vinyl: Obvious wear, scuffs and hairlines, plays with some noise but no major sound issues.
Sleeve: Worn with creases, noticeable wear, acid deterioration, corner dings, chipping, and possible seam wear.
Here's the typical SRO Records line in the sand. Anything below VG+, unless it's rare, unusual or just awesome, we're NOT going to sell online, much less go through the hassle of an ultrasonic cleaning, we're going to put it in one of many $10 Record boxes that we sell at Record Conventions and events. Some will wind up in the $1 Box, just to get it back out into the world for someone to enjoy or make a planter out of.
VG (Very Good):
Vinyl: Dull appearance with many hairlines and scuffs, somehow plays with persistent noise but no skips.
Sleeve: Worn with possible seam splits and moderate ring wear.
G+ (Good Plus):
Vinyl: Numerous marks and scratches, plays with significant noise but music usually overpowers flaws.
Sleeve: Rough appearance with possible seam splits and water damage.
G (Good):
Vinyl: Copious unforgettable marks, probably a skip or jump.
Sleeve: Heavy ring wear and damage, likely large seam splits or water damage.
F (Fair):
Vinyl: It's round with nearly infinite damage, skipper gonna skip
Sleeve: It's basically what's left of the sleeve for the album
International Buyers: We charge $7 for the first record and $2 a record thereafter for Domestic Shipping in the continental United States. This only includes shipping to the International hub here in the United States. Please carefully review the total shipping and VAT charges for your order before committing to a purchase, which will be different from what we are able to view or control on the US eBay site.
SRO Records Office
Record Testing Equipment:
Turntable:
Yamaha Direct Drive YP-D6
Ortofon VMS 20 E Mk II Cartridge
Amplification:
Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver
Speakers:
JBL 4312 Studio
We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy Dept.
We kid! Since 1983, we simply don't exist without happy customers; we offer hassle-free returns on all vinyl LP record album purchase that are returned in the exact condition they were sent. We cannot accept returns on factory sealed/mint new/unopened lp albums that have been opened. Please send us a message if you have any questions, concerns, or issues with your purchase; please do not open a return or an eBay case without contacting us first, we will make it right!
We are professional, quite reasonable to a fault and are ALWAYS willing to work to resolve any issue with a purchase!
Thank you for buying from SRO Records! You can catch us at the Spring and Fall Austin Record Convention, many Austin popups, so drop by and say hello to Gabi and Jeff!
