Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers – First Flight to Tokyo: the Lost 1961 Recordings (2LPs, Blue Note)

Previously unpublished Art Blakey archive discovery on Blue Note: First Flight To Tokyo captures a great concert by the drum legend with the classic line-up of his jazz messengers: trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Bobby Timmons and bassist Jymie Merritt. The swinging evening was recorded on January 14, 1961 in the Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo, during the band’s first tour of Japan. The Deluxe 2 LP 180g Vinyl Edition and the 2 CD Edition will come with extensive booklets.