A lot of Blakey for the buck

If you check some of my earlier posts about Art Blakey you will find my listening recommendations. Specifically, Some of my favorite Jazz Messenger albums Part 1, and a follow-on post titled Part 2.

I just stumbled across a nice compilation from some of Blakey's best live concerts: Art Blakey: Prime Source

This value-priced compilation contains some of the cream from great performances. The first set of performances is my favorite because it's the 1954 dates with Clifford Brown at Birdland: A Night at Birdland Volume 1 and the companion, Volume 2.

Another classic set of live performances that I think anyone who is a Blakey of Jazz Messenger fan should have is captured on these two albums: At the Cafe Bohemia and the companion, Volume 2. The compilation has some of the better tracks from those performances.

Finally, there are tracks from The Jazz Messengers, which I consider to be prime material too.

Another compilation I think deserves consideration (and I have previously mentioned) is Art Blakey: 8 Classic Albums

See this post for details regarding which albums are included.