Art Blakey wird am 11. Oktober 1919 in Pittsburgh, USA geboren, wo er in seiner Kindheit auch aufwächst. Blakey versucht sich anfangs zuerst als Pianist in der Pittsburgher Jazzszene, aber die Präsenz eines jungen Pianisten namens Erroll Garner, ein kleiner Typ, der später als eines der besten Pianisten des Jazz in die Geschichte eingehen soll, in Blakey’s selbst geleiteter Band, macht ihm ziemliche Schwierigkeit. Es stellt sich raus, dass Garner schon zu dieser Zeit viel besser als herkömmliche Pianisten ist und der erst 15-jährige Blakey muss mit anblicken, wie er aus seiner eigenen Band rausgeworfen wird, Just because he plays much worse than Garner. A club owner in Pittsburgh threatens to Blakey during his playing even once with the weapon, he should free up the space and Garner remains Blakey no other choice than to clear the square and look for a different instrument.
but Blakey is not his wish to be musician, despite this negative event for him, but then warping the drums, where he now runs up unexpectedly, their best. He later said that he has never regretted this step and it was not until the drums his true love for music and jazz.
In den Vierziger Jahren betritt Blakey dann als Schlagzeuger die Jazzszene und erzielt fortan große Erfolge. Es war eine Zeit, in der die Bebop-Revolte grade, angeführt von Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie und Thelonious Monk, wütete und den Big-Band-Swing schwer erschütterte. Blakey ist grade zu fasziniert vom Bebop und beginnt ebenfalls in dieser Stilistik zu spielen.
Ende der Vierziger Jahre tourt er dann mit einer waren All-Star Band, angeführt durch den Sänger Billy Eckstine, Sarah Vaughn, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, oder auch zeitweise Miles Davis durchs ganze Land und wird zunehmend berühmter. Zunehmend eignet sich Blakey nun seinen eigenen Stil an, der ihn später so einzigartig machen sollte. Geprägt ist dieser Stil, wie bei den meisten Drummern, vom Bebop-Drummer Kenny Clarke, der das Schlagzeugspielen in den nächtlichen Jassessions im Minton’s Playhouse, einem New Yorker Jazzclub, wo der Bebop entstand, neu „erfand“, indem er den Groove von der Bassdrum aufs Ride-Becken verlegte. angeführt von einem erdigen, dynamischen Beckenbeat, der so viel Farben in sich barg wie ein ganzes Ensemble von Melodieinstrumenten in anderen Bands, seinem legendären Snare-Drum Wirbel und vorantreibenden Akzenten, wie es ihn vorher noch nie gegeben hat. Seine Schlagzeugtechnik ist nicht so filigran wie die eines Max Roach, aber sie zieht den Beat der Band nach vorne und schafft ein indescribable feeling every listener, and also in the band. Even with Fletcher Henderson and singer Mary Lou Williams Blakey is now working closely together.
late forties Blakey then converts to a longer trip to Africa to Islam and takes some time for the name of Abdullah Ibn Buhaina. From Africa, he takes but also musically with some things that he includes in his later games, and describes his experiences in Africa on tracks like "ritual" or "Drum Suite".
In 1954 he then formats with pianist Horace Silver, a group called "The Jazz Messengers, "which he should now belong to the end of his life. However, it will probably never be entirely clear who is from the both the name of that band now. Blakey said very clearly it was his idea, but Silver is because different opinion, claiming the other hand, Blakey had stolen his idea. Whatever the case, the group is developing now a success for Blakey and catapulted him in no time become one of the most successful band leaders of New York (and history).
Over the years, Horace Silver, however, leaves the band in order to found his own, but there are rumors also that quarrels between him and Blakey was about the band. Clearly, however, that even from Blakey Anfang an der heimliche Leader der Gruppe war, sie am Schlagzeug antrieb und auch meistens die Band und die Stücke am Mikrophon vorstellte. Daher musste Silver schon von Anfang an eine untergeordnete Rolle annehmen, was ihm schließlich am Ende nicht mehr passte und der Hauptgrund für sein Gehen gewesen sein mag.
Doch am Erfolg der Messengers kann auch der Ausstieg von Silver nichts gegen tun. In verschiedenen Besetzungen ist die Geschichte der Band bis zu Blakey’s Tod eine Erfolgsgeschichte. In wandelnder Besetzung sorgt der Schlagzeuger jedoch auch immer dafür, dass die Gruppe jung und frisch bleibt. So ist die Liste der Musiker in der Geschichte der Gruppe lange und geht von Lee Morgan Benny Golson and Wayne Shorter, and up to Bobby Timmons. In these occupations he played famous albums such as "Moanin," "The Big Beat", "A Night In Tunisia" or "Free For All".
Blakey is also considered the discoverer of the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the son of pianist Ellis Marsalis from New Orleans, which caused a sensation in the eighties and today is one of the best jazz musicians. Blakey heard him play the first time at a gig in New York and immediately took him into the band, where he announced, a phenomenal debut, and later as leader of his own band had much success. Later he also followed his brother Branford Marsalis in the band and other talented young musicians like Terence Blanchard, Jean Touissant, Bill Pierce, Donald Harrison, James Williams, Geoff Keezer, Mulgrew Miller, Lonnie Plaxico.
Even as a sideman was Art Blakey in the fifties and sixties very active and has participated in many recordings of the record label Blue Note Records. Many musicians chose him for their sessions on the drums, because his presence on the drums unique.
Art Blakey was a musician who was incapable of giving less than his best. This and the youth of most of his partners made the Jazz Messengers to a constantly better ensemble. Yet for all its ferocity and dynamics Blakey was also a good listener and trained his young musicians carefully to the sound of the band to listen. Blakey was unique as a leader and although he wrote no own songs for the group was he always good musicians, who took over as musical director for the ensemble (such as the saxophonist Benny Golson end of the fifties and Wayne Shorter in the early sixties).
Art Blakey died on 16 October 1990 in New York, but his drumming is still legendary and unique among all the drummers that existed in jazz and still are.
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