Throwback: Happy 106th Birthday, Art Blakey!

We’ve managed to get through to October. Man, what a brutally stupid, cruel slog it has been. But we’re here.

October is a busy month in music history

• Donny Hathaway, was born 80 years ago on October 1
• The Human League‘s Philip Oakey celebrates his 70th birthday on October 1
• Sting celebrated his 74th birthday on October 2
• Chubby Checker, one of the pioneers of rock ‘n’ roll and R&B celebrates his 84th birthday on October 3
• Arguably one of the greatest guitarists and bluesmen ever, Stevie Ray Vaughan was born 71 years ago on October 3
• The Roots‘ Black Thought, arguably one of the greatest living emcees celebrated his 52nd birthday on October 3
• AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson celebrated his 78th birthday on October 5
• John Mellencamp celebrated his 74th birthday on October 7
• Radiohead and  The Smile‘s Thom Yorke celebrated his 57th birthday on October 9
• PJ Harvey celebrated her 56th birthday on October 9
• The Who‘s John Entwistle, one of the most criminally under-appreciated bassists in rock history was born 81 years ago on October 9
• The legendary John Lennon was born on 85 years ago on October 9
• Thelonious Monk was born 108 years ago on October 10
• David Lee Roth, one of the greatest rock/metal frontman to ever live, and a member of the most beloved Van Halen lineup, ever, celebrated his 71st birthday on October 10

The legendary Art Blakey, was born on this day 106 years ago. Blakey initially made a name for himself playing in the big bands of Fletcher Henderson and Billy Eckstine. He then went on to work with bebop legends Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. But he might be best known for co-founding The Jazz Messengers with the equally legendary Horace Silver in the mid 1950s. 

Blakey went on to lead the Jazz Messengers for the next 35 years. Originally formed as collective of contemporaries, the band became known incubating young talents, including the likes of Wayne Shorter, Donald Byrd, Chuck Mangione, Chick Correa, Keith Jarrett, Terrance Blanchard and Wynton Marsalis, among a lengthy list of others. 

His influence on jazz and on contemporary music has been towering. So let’s celebrate the man’s life and music. Happy birthday, Mr. Blakey! Happy birthday, wherever you are!

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