The formation heard here marks the third incarnation of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers,
which included trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Bobby
Timmons and bassist Jymie Merritt. In 1954, the band came upon its first stable formation, which
consisted of Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley, Horace Silver and Doug Watkins. Blakey’s second stable
band began in 1957, and included Bill Hardman, Johnny Griffin (or Jackie McLean), Sam Dockery
and Spanky Debrest.
Lee Morgan was only 20-years old at the time the Jazz Messengers recorded Moanin’.
His recording debut with Blakey had occurred the previous year at a session which featured
an expanded version of the Jazz Messengers (called ‘the Jazz Messengers plus four’) on April
2, 1957. On April 6, the drummer hired him again for a septet session including John Coltrane.
Morgan and Blakey would record together twice in early 1958 as sidemen for sessi