Art Blakey

Art Blakey (1919-1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader from Pittsburgh. He came up through the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine in the 1940s, then co-founded the Jazz Messengers with pianist Horace Silver in the mid-1950s and led the group until his death. The Messengers became the model hard bop band, and Blakey is known for powerful, forward-driving drumming and for training generations of young players. Art Blakey made his first session as a leader for Blue Note in 1947, and also used the Muslim name Abdullah Ibn Buhaina.