The Jazz Messengers News

One of today's foremost jazz musicians and composers Terence Blanchard's achievements have soared since his formative days in Art Blakey 's Jazz Messengers to a trajectory of successful bands, recordings and award winning film scores such as 2007's A Tale of God's Will .

Chucho Valdes, Cuba's most famous jazz musician, has rebalanced the repertoire of his Afro-Cuban Messengers on Border-Free, mixing its American-jazz agenda with more extended Latin-American input, and some Native American and Andalusian connections, too.

Drummer, composer-bandleader, talent scout and Jersey native, Ralph Peterson has carried on in the tradition of his mentor and idol Art Blakey, who was known for his hard-driving approach to the kit and his knack for discovering new talent.

Wayne Shorter is the most unassuming of musical geniuses. To watch him onstage, patiently hanging back to find the right opening for his pithy, lyrical phrases, you would never guess the tremendous impact he has had on whatever band stands around him.

There is some kind of Jazz for everybody. And kids are no different. While the music presented here is by no means only for kids it does happen to have the necessary qualities for kids to gravitate toward it.