A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1–3

A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1–3 are three separate but related 10" LPs by the Art Blakey Quintet recorded live at the Birdland jazz club on February 21, 1954, and released on Blue Note later that year, in July, October and November respectively. The quintet features horn section Clifford Brown and Lou Donaldson and rhythm section Horace Silver, Curly Russell and Blakey.

Background

Recording

The recording was produced by Alfred Lion and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder for Blue Note. The reissues were produced by Michael Cuscuna.

They are considered some of the earliest hard bop recordings.

Release history

After Blue Note discontinued their 10" series, A Night at Birdland was recompiled on two 12" LPs and given new artwork. A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 (BLP 2037) was put on Side A of Volume 1 (BLP 1521) backed with two tracks of the three tracks from A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 (BLP 2038) ("Mayreh" and "A Night in Tunisia"), with Volume 2 (BLP 1522) comprising A Night at Birdland, Vol. 3 (BLP 2039), "Wee-Dot" and an alternate take of "Quicksilver."

The complete recordings weren't available commercially until 1984 when the remaining four tracks were released in Japan by Toshiba as A Night at Birdland, Vol. 3 and the whole concert was released as part of the Complete Blue Note and Pacific Jazz Recordings of Clifford Brown box set, before being released on the CD reissues of the twelve-inches three years later.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
AllMusic
AllMusic

The Penguin Guide to Jazz put the recording in their "core collection."

A reviewer for allaboutjazz.com said simply that "Blakey and company had clicked that night at Birdland."

AllMusic mentions that, on this first album, "all of the participants in inspired form. Classic bop."

Bob Blumenthal, renowned hard-bop writer, refers to this as a historical jazz milestone.

Track listing

A Night at Birdland, Volume 1

Side 1
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Announcement by Pee Wee Marquette"		0:58
2.	"Split Kick"	Horace Silver	8:44
Total length:			9:42

Side 2
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Once in a While"	Bud Green Michael Edwards	5:18
2.	"Quicksilver"	Horace Silver	6:58
Total length:			12:16 21:58

The spoken announcement by Pee Wee Marquette is sampled in the US3 song "Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia)."

A Night at Birdland, Volume 2

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Wee-Dot"	J. J. Johnson Leo Parker	7:19
2.	"Mayreh"	Horace Silver	6:19
Total length:			13:38

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
3.	"A Night in Tunisia"	Dizzy Gillespie Frank Paparelli	9:20
Total length:			9:20 22:58

A Night at Birdland, Volume 3

Side 1
No.	Title	Music	Length
1.	"Now's the Time"	Charlie Parker	9:02
2.	"If I Had You"	Jimmy Campbell and Reg Connelly Ted Shapiro	3:31
Total length:			12:33

Side 2
No.	Title	Music	Length
3.	"Confirmation"	Charlie Parker	9:12
Total length:			9:12 21:45

Personnel

Art Blakey Quintet

Clifford Brown – trumpet
Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone
Horace Silver – piano
Curley Russell –bass
Art Blakey – drums

Technical personnel

Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, mastering
Alfred Lion – producer
Reid Miles – cover design
Francis Wolff – photography

References

Art Blakey Quintet, Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-01-09
Art Blakey Quintet, Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland, Vol. 2 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-01-09
Art Blakey - A Night at Birdland, Vol. 3 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 2024-01-09
Michael Fortuna (September 2001). "A Night At Birdland, Vols. 1 and 2". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
Scott Yanow. "A Night at Birdland, Vol. 1". Retrieved 2006-12-31.
Records, Mosaic (2021-06-09). "Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers A Night At Birdland -". Mosaic Records - Home for Jazz fans!. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
A Night at Birdland, Vols. 1–3 at Discogs (list of releases)

v t e The Jazz Messengers
Art Blakey Dale Barlow Mickey Bass Terence Blanchard Joanne Brackeen Cameron Brown Donald Brown Bobby Broom Donald Byrd George Cables Buck Clarke Chick Corea Steve Davis Spanky DeBrest Sam Dockery Kenny Dorham Essiet Essiet Robin Eubanks Charles Fambrough Curtis Fuller Carlos Garnett John Gilmore Benny Golson Benny Green Johnny Griffin Bill Hardman Donald Harrison Philip Harper John Hicks Freddie Hubbard Dennis Irwin Javon Jackson Carter Jefferson Geoffrey Keezer Frank Lacy Brian Lynch Branford Marsalis Wynton Marsalis Jackie McLean Jymie Merritt Mulgrew Miller Hank Mobley Lee Morgan Billy Pierce Lonnie Plaxico Valery Ponomarev Wallace Roney Gregory Charles Royal David Schnitter Woody Shaw Clarence Seay Wayne Shorter Horace Silver Victor Sproles Bobby Timmons Jean Toussaint McCoy Tyner Cedar Walton Peter Washington Doug Watkins Bobby Watson James Williams Reggie Workman
Studio albums	The Jazz Messengers (1956) Hard Bop (1957) Ritual (1957) Selections from Lerner and Loewe's... (1957) Cu-Bop (1957) Hard Drive (1957) A Night in Tunisia (1958) Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1958) Moanin' (1959) The Big Beat (1960) A Night in Tunisia (1961) Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (1961) Mosaic (1962) Buhaina's Delight (1963) Caravan (1963) The Freedom Rider (1964) Free for All (1964) Kyoto (1964) Golden Boy (1964) Indestructible (1965) 'S Make It (1965) Soul Finger (1965) Tough! (1966) Like Someone in Love (1967) The Witch Doctor (1969) Roots & Herbs (1970) Child's Dance (1972) Buhaina (1973) Anthenagin (1973) In Walked Sonny (1975) Backgammon (1976) Gypsy Folk Tales (1977) In My Prime Vol. 1 (1978) In My Prime Vol. 2 (1978) Reflections in Blue (1979) Night in Tunisia: Digital Recording (1979) Album of the Year (1981) Oh-By the Way (1984) Blue Night (1985) Feeling Good (1986) Not Yet (1988) I Get a Kick Out of Bu (1988) Chippin' In (1990) One for All (1990)
Live albums	At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 (1956) At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 (1956) A Midnight Session with the Jazz Messengers (1957) 1958 – Paris Olympia (1959) At the Jazz Corner of the World, Vols. 1 & 2 (1959) Art Blakey et les Jazz Messengers au Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (1960) Paris Jam Session (1960) Meet You at the Jazz Corner of the World, Vols. 1 and 2 (1960) A Jazz Hour with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers: Blues March (1961) Three Blind Mice (1962) Ugetsu (1963) Buttercorn Lady (1966) Jazz Messengers '70 (1970) In This Korner (1978) Live at Montreux and Northsea (1980) One by One (1981) Art Blakey in Sweden (1981) Straight Ahead (1981) Keystone 3 (1982) Live at Kimball's (1985) The Art of Jazz: Live in Leverkusen (1989)
Compilation albums	Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (1956) The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (1956) Drum Suite (1957) Pisces (1979) Africaine (1981) Originally (1982)
Soundtrack albums	Des Femmes Disparaissent (1959) Les liaisons dangereuses 1960 (1960)
Art Blakey solo albums	Blakey (1954)* A Night at Birdland Vol. 1, Vol. 2 & Vol. 3 (1954) Orgy in Rhythm (1957) Art Blakey Big Band (1957) Holiday for Skins (1958) Drums Around the Corner (1959) The African Beat (1962) A Jazz Message (1963) Hold On, I'm Coming (1966) Killer Joe (1981) Bluesiana Triangle (1990)
Related	Discography

v t e Clifford Brown
Years given are for the recording(s), years in square brackets refer to the listed 12" LP/CD release.
Albums as leader	Memorial Album (Blue Note, 1953 ) Memorial (Prestige, 1953 ) Arranged by Montrose (Jack Montrose, 1954)/Jazz Immortal () Jam Session (with Clark Terry & Maynard Ferguson, 1954)
Co-led/with Max Roach	Best Coast Jazz (1954) Clifford Brown All Stars (1954) Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1954) Brown and Roach Incorporated (1954) Daahoud (1954) Clifford Brown with Strings (1955) Study in Brown (1955) Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (1956) Sonny Rollins Plus 4 (CB/MRQ, 1956)
Sideman with others	A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 (Art Blakey, 1954) A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 (Art Blakey, 1954) A Night at Birdland Vol. 3 (Art Blakey, 1954) Dinah Jams (Dinah Washington, 1954) Helen Merrill (1954) Sarah Vaughan (1954)
Compilations	Alone Together: The Best of the Mercury Years (with Max Roach, )

v t e Horace Silver
Years indicated are for the recording(s), not first release.
Blue Note albums	New Faces New Sounds (Introducing the Horace Silver Trio) (1952)/Horace Silver Trio and Art Blakey-Sabu (1952–53) Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers (1954–55) 6 Pieces of Silver (1956–58) The Stylings of Silver (1957) Further Explorations (1958) Live at Newport '58 (1958) Finger Poppin' with the Horace Silver Quintet (1959) Blowin' the Blues Away (1959) Horace-Scope (1960) Doin' the Thing (1961) The Tokyo Blues (1962) Silver's Serenade (1963) Song for My Father (1963–64) The Cape Verdean Blues (1965) The Jody Grind (1966) Serenade to a Soul Sister (1968) You Gotta Take a Little Love (1969) That Healin' Feelin', The United States of Mind, Phase 1 (1970) Total Response, The United States of Mind, Phase 2 (1970–71) All, The United States of Mind, Phase 3 (1972) The United States of Mind (compilation of the 3 'Phase' albums, 1970–72) In Pursuit of the 27th Man (1972) Silver 'n Brass (1975) Silver 'n Wood (1975–76) Silver 'n Voices (1976) Silver 'n Percussion (1977) Silver 'n Strings Play the Music of the Spheres (1978–79)
Albums released on other labels	Silver's Blue (1956) Live 1964 (1964) Guides to Growing Up (1981) Spiritualizing the Senses (1983) There's No Need to Struggle (1983) The Continuity of Spirit (1985) Music to Ease Your Disease (1988) Rockin' with Rachmaninoff (1991) It's Got to Be Funky (1993) Pencil Packin' Papa (1994) The Hardbop Grandpop (1996) A Prescription for the Blues (1997) Jazz Has a Sense of Humor (1998)
Art Blakey/The Jazz Messengers	A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 (1954) A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 (1954) A Night at Birdland Vol. 3 (1954) At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 1 (1955) At the Cafe Bohemia, Vol. 2 (1955) The Jazz Messengers (1956) The Cool Voice of Rita Reys (1956) Originally (1956)
With others	Introducing Nat Adderley (1955) Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver (Dee Dee Bridgewater, 1994) Byrd's Eye View (Donald Byrd, 1955) Whims of Chambers (Paul Chambers, 1956) Bohemia After Dark (Kenny Clarke, 1955) Al Cohn's Tones (Al Cohn, 1950) Miles Davis, Volume 3 (1954) Miles Davis Quartet/Blue Haze/Miles Davis Quintet/ Miles Davis All-Star Sextet/Walkin' (1953/54) Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins/Bags' Groove (1954) Quartet/Quintet/Sextet (Lou Donaldson, 1952) Afro-Cuban (Kenny Dorham, 1955) The Art Farmer Septet (1953–54) When Farmer Met Gryce (Art Farmer/Gigi Gryce, 1955) The Complete Roost Recordings (Stan Getz, 1950–51) Nica's Tempo (Gigi Gryce, 1955) Disorder at the Border (Coleman Hawkins, 1952) Milt Jackson Quartet (1955) Plenty, Plenty Soul (Milt Jackson, 1957) The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson Volume 2 (J.J. Johnson, 1955) Blowing in from Chicago (Clifford Jordan & John Gilmore, 1957) Hank Mobley Quartet (1955) Hank Mobley Sextet (1956) Hank Mobley and His All Stars (1957) Hank Mobley Quintet (1957) J. R. Monterose (1956) Lee Morgan Indeed! (1956) Lee Morgan Sextet (1956) Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2 (1957) Clark Terry (1955)
Selected singles	"Opus de Funk" (1953) "The Preacher"/"Doodlin'" (1955/54) "Señor Blues" (1956) "Sister Sadie" (1959) "Nica's Dream" (1960) "Song for My Father" (1964)
Discography

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