It takes one to know one. Which is why jazz drummers have alwaysbeen ready to join the queue when assessing Art Blakey's influence,not only in the field of percussion but in the shaping of his chosengenre. Max Roach described him as "An original - the only drummerwhose time I recognise immediately. When I first met him on 52ndStreet in 1944, he already had the polyrhythmic thing down. He wasdoing it before anybody else." Thelonious Monk Jr concurred: "WhenI became a drummer, I learned how to swing from Art Blakey. Whathe did with the hi-hat and his roll got pressed into my soul. He had aprimal approach to drums." All of which warmed the ears of Blakey,who admitted that his aim was to be one of the greatest drummers inthe world- an ambition which he undoubtedly achieved.

• 1. The Chess Players
• 2. Sakeena's Vision
• 3. Politely
• 4. Dat Dere
• 5. Lester Left Town
• 6. It's Only a Paper Moon