ALBUM STORY
MOANIN’. (Art Blakey)
Moanin’ brings together gospel feeling, blues, and hard bop. Discover how Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers turned six pieces into a cohesive jazz album.
Click to load the Spotify player. Spotify determines what you can play.
Open in Spotify ↗A QUINTET WITH A SHARED VOICE.
Moanin’ grew out of a 1958 session with Art Blakey, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Bobby Timmons, and Jymie Merritt. The original album comprises six pieces. They pair instantly recognizable themes with solos that open the music up. The record thus serves as both an introduction to hard bop and a portrait of this particular group. The horns have distinct tonal colors; piano, bass, and drums let those differences coexist.
THE TITLE TRACK OPENS THE DOOR.
Bobby Timmons wrote Moanin’. The piano introduction sets out a short, recurring idea for the group to answer. The gospel feeling comes from that interplay, the blues character from the color and weight of the phrases. The melody is easy to recognize, but the performance keeps moving. Listen to what Blakey does beneath the solos: his accents draw attention to a new phrase or give a player extra momentum.
GOLSON SHAPES THE ALBUM.
Benny Golson’s Are You Real?, Along Came Betty, Blues March, and The Drum Thunder Suite reveal different sides of the band. The variety is especially clear in the shift from a lyrical theme to a more clearly marked pulse. The suite gives the drums more room, and the whole group shifts along with them. Come Rain or Come Shine closes the original sequence. This makes Moanin’ more than its famous title track: the album builds its own series of contrasts.
MOANIN’ ON VINYL.
As an LP, this album invites you to hear the six original pieces as a coherent sequence. Don’t keep starting over with the opener; give the quieter melodies and the drum suite their place, too. The reissue on offer and the digital player may include additional recordings. For the tracklist of a specific pressing, the product page is therefore the point of reference. This story focuses on the original album’s core and makes no general claims about the sound or mastering of every release.
THE RECORD
DISCOGRAPHY.
A selection from Art Blakey’s repertoire. Follow the album links for the corresponding records or stories.
- 01
- 02
- 03
- 04
- 05
TRACKLIST.
The tracklist as listed for the linked LP release. Reissues and digital editions may include additional material.
-
01Moanin
-
02Are You Real
-
03Along Came Betty
-
04I Remember Clifford
-
05The Drum Thunder Suite
-
06Blues March
-
07Come Rain or Come Shine
-
08Whisper Not
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Who plays on Moanin’?
Art Blakey plays drums, Lee Morgan trumpet, Benny Golson tenor saxophone, Bobby Timmons piano, and Jymie Merritt bass.
Who wrote the title track?
Bobby Timmons wrote Moanin’. Benny Golson contributed four other pieces to the original album.
How many pieces are on the original album?
The original album comprises six pieces. Reissues and digital versions may include additional tracks.
Where can I find Moanin’ on vinyl?
Use the product link in this story to find the LP on offer. Check the tracklist, release details, and current availability there.
Read the Art Blakey Artist Story. Find his records and more stories together on the Art Blakey artist page.
Want to listen to this album on vinyl? View Art Blakey’s Moanin’ on LP. The product page lists details and availability for the release on offer.
A RECORD TO FOLLOW AGAIN.
On your next listen, try following one musician at a time. Timmons makes the theme tangible, Merritt holds the groove together, and the horns give their solos a direction of their own. Blakey is at the center of it all. It is precisely this constant interplay that makes Moanin’ an album that can feel familiar without losing its tension.
Discover more records and stories on the ARTIST PAGE for Art Blakey.
