Blakey

Blakey is the performing name of Art Blakey, also known as Abdullah Ibn Buhaina. He is an American jazz drummer and bandleader born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He works in bebop, hard bop and related jazz styles, and is associated with a powerful, bluesy and funky approach to drumming.

Career

Blakey is one of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming, alongside Kenny Clarke and Max Roach. His playing is regarded as a major influence on mainstream jazz, and he develops a distinctive hard bop sound that becomes widely imitated.

Over more than 30 years, he leads the Jazz Messengers, a group that brings through many young musicians who later become major jazz figures. The band has an important reputation both for its music and for serving as a training ground for successive generations of players, with a legacy often compared to Miles Davis's groups in that respect.

Associated track

A key track associated with Blakey is Prism of Love.

Personal life

He is a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.