A Night at Birdland Vol. 2
Encyclopedia
A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 is a 1954 release by jazz
drummer
Art Blakey
. It was first released by Blue Note Records
as BLP 5038 (10") and two years later as BLP 1521 (12") incorporating material from the third 10" release
. The band is notable for the brief inclusion of Clifford Brown as a Messenger.
It has been reissued several times on CD
since 1987 by Blue Note with two previously issued additional tracks recorded this night.
The recording was produced by Alfred Lion
and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
.
Production:
to be part of their "core collection." Allaboutjazz.com reviewer said it simply with "Blakey and company had clicked that night at Birdland." Allmusic mentions that, on this second album, "all of the musicians are inspired, none more than Blakey."
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Art Blakey
Art Blakey
Arthur "Art" Blakey , known later as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, was an American Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer and bandleader. He was a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community....
. It was first released by Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records
Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...
as BLP 5038 (10") and two years later as BLP 1521 (12") incorporating material from the third 10" release
A Night at Birdland Vol. 3
A Night at Birdland Vol. 3 is a 1954 jazz 10" LP release by Art Blakey Quintet for Blue Note Records. It was originally the third in a series of albums recorded during a pre-Jazz Messengers date at Birdland Jazz Club with Blakey leading...
. The band is notable for the brief inclusion of Clifford Brown as a Messenger.
It has been reissued several times on CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
since 1987 by Blue Note with two previously issued additional tracks recorded this night.
The recording was produced by Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion
Alfred Lion was a Jewish German-born American record executive who co-founded Blue Note Records in 1939 Blue Note recorded many of the biggest names in jazz throughout the 1940s, 50s, and 60s.-Biography:...
and recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Rudy Van Gelder
Rudy Van Gelder is an American recording engineer specializing in jazz.Often regarded as one of the most important recording engineers in music history, Van Gelder has recorded several thousand jazz sessions, including many widely recognized as classics, in a career spanning more than half a century...
.
Track listing
- "Wee Dot" (JohnsonJ.J. JohnsonJ. J. Johnson was a United States jazz trombonist, composer and arranger. He was sometimes credited as Jay Jay Johnson....
, Parker) – 7:19 - "If I Had You" (CampbellJimmy CampbellJimmy Campbell may refer to:* Jimmy Campbell , Scottish footballer* Jimmy Campbell , English singer-songwriter* Jimmy Campbell , British songwriter and music publisher, known for his collaborations with Reg Connelly...
, Connelly, ShapiroTed ShapiroTed Shapiro was a United States popular music composer, pianist, and sheet music publisher.Shapiro was born in New York City. He became a Tin Pan Alley songwriter and accompanied notable star vaudeville singers of the day, including Nora Bayes and Eva Tanguay. In 1921 he was hired as accompanist...
) – 3:31 - "Quicksilver [alternate master]" (SilverHorace SilverHorace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
) – 8:46 - "The Way You Look Tonight" (FieldsDorothy FieldsDorothy Fields was an American librettist and lyricist.She wrote over 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films...
, KernJerome KernJerome David Kern was an American composer of musical theatre and popular music. One of the most important American theatre composers of the early 20th century, he wrote more than 700 songs, used in over 100 stage works, including such classics as "Ol' Man River", "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man", "A...
) – 9:59 - "Lou's Blues" (DonaldsonLou DonaldsonLou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
) – 3:58 - "Now's the Time" (2001 bonus track) (ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) – 9:02 - "Confirmation" (2001 bonus track) (ParkerCharlie ParkerCharles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) – 9:12
Personnel
Art Blakey Quintet:- Art Blakey — drums
- Clifford BrownClifford BrownClifford Brown , aka "Brownie," was an influential and highly rated American jazz trumpeter. He died aged 25, leaving behind only four years' worth of recordings...
— trumpet - Lou DonaldsonLou DonaldsonLou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
— saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(altoAlto saxophoneThe alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in 1841. It is smaller than the tenor but larger than the soprano, and is the type most used in classical compositions...
) - Curly Russell — bass
- Horace SilverHorace SilverHorace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
— piano
Production:
- Bob Bluementhal, Leonard Feather — liner notes
- Michael Cuscuna — reissue producer
- John Hermansader, Reid Miles — cover design
- Alfred Lion — producer
- Ron McMaster — digital transfers
- Rudy Van Gelder — engineer, mastering
- Francis Wolff — photography
Reception
The two albums that were released from the Birdland are considered by The Penguin Guide to JazzThe Penguin Guide to Jazz
The Penguin Guide to Jazz is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which are currently available in Europe or the United States...
to be part of their "core collection." Allaboutjazz.com reviewer said it simply with "Blakey and company had clicked that night at Birdland." Allmusic mentions that, on this second album, "all of the musicians are inspired, none more than Blakey."