Art Blakey is one of the fathers of modern bebop drumming. For decades his group the Jazz Messengers was a proving ground and launching pad for many young musicians who became jazz giants in their own right. As part of his enduring legacy, it’s our privilege to honor the memory of Art Blakey 100 years after his birth.

Come join drummer Jeff Minnieweather and four Bay Area legends for an evening celebrating Art Blakey’s centennial birthday.

Warren Gale, trumpet
Darius Babazadeh, saxophone
Grant Levin, piano
Chris Amberger, bass
Jeff Minnieweather, drums

Says Jeff, “I have chosen several tunes from only a handful of LP’s. With over 100+ LP’s recorded, it’s really hard to pick from such a vast library.

“I’ve tried to pick tunes that are groove based. I recently saw an interview from 1985 where Mr. Blakey said, ‘If people can’t tap their feet, it’s too fast and not grooving.’ I hope to present an evening of toe tapping grooves on August 18th.

“The band, man I am excited! Another tip from that interview is that the band’s personalities must click! And with Warren Gale on trumpet, Grant Levin on piano, Chris Amberger on bass and Darius Babazadeh on sax, I love the way we click!

“Come join us. I hope to have this band in the studio in the coming months. Stay tuned, but see you in a couple weeks at Bird & Beckett.”