Art Blakey: Jazz Messenger

In the 1950s, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers introduced "hard bop," a blend of bebop, blues, gospel, and Latin music that has defined jazz mainstream ever since. Although Blakey’s influence as a drummer and bandleader was enormous, his greatest contribution may have been as a mentor to younger musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, and Wynton Marsalis. Leslie Gourse chronicles Blakey’s colorful life and career, from his hardscrabble childhood in Pittsburg to his final years as an international jazz icon.