Blakey, Arthur “Art”

BLAKEY, ARTHUR “ART” (aka Buhaina Abdullah Ibn, 11 Oct 1919, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 16 Oct 1990, New York, New York). Trained as a pianist and essentially self–taught as a drumset artist, Art Blakey performed with the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra (1939, 1943–44), Mary Lou Williams (1942), Billy Eckstine Orchestra (1944–47), and Buddy DeFranco’s combo (1951–53). With pianist Horace Silver, he initiated the long–lived combo Jazz Messengers in 1955 and took over as leader from 1956 until 1990…