Few jazz followers would think of trumpeter
Chuck Mangione
and pianist
Keith Jarrett
as former members of
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers
, but in 1966, they both worked in the drummer's classic hard bop unit and the stint gave them needed exposure and helped the pair to develop their own individual voices. With tenor saxophonist
Frank Mitchell
and bassist
Reggie Johnson
completing the quintet, this particular version of
the Jazz Messengers
only had the opportunity to record this one excellent live LP but proved to be a worthy successor to their more acclaimed predecessors. ~ Scott Yanow