AMG Review of Night at Birdland, Vol. 1 [Reissue]

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Just prior to forming the first edition of the Jazz Messengers, drummer Art Blakey led a superb quintet at ~Birdland for a brief gig in 1954. The band featured the great trumpeter Clifford Brown, altoist Lou Donaldson, pianist Horace Silver, and bassist Curly Russell in addition to the leader/drummer. All of the music has since been reissued as part of a Clifford Brown box set for Mosaic, but this is the original LP. The first volume is highlighted by "A Night in Tunisia," "Quicksilver," and "Once in a While" and finds all of the participants in inspired form. Classic bop.