Art Blakey: Hold On, I'm Coming (1966)

A most unusual Blakey album: pop hits, soul-jazz, guitar, organ... 

It was Grant Green's presence that made me look out for this album and he does have a few nice features, "Secret Agent Man" or "Sakeena" for instance. Can't think of any other Blakey album with a guitarist, btw.

The second half of the 1960s saw very few albums from Blakey and most with changing line-ups. There's one remaining track from a 1965 Messengers session here, that proves that the classic Messenger sound was still intact in '65, but was probably considered out of fashion. Which may be why the people at Limelight grouped the leader with arrangers Tom McIntosh and Melba Liston and had them do some pop tunes.

Not surprisingly it's the "groovier" tunes that work best, like "Hold On I'm Coming" or "Secret Agent Man". Yes, they even manage to breathe some soul into the novelty hit  "Walking My Cat Named Dog". But i've yet to hear convincing jazz versions of "Daydream" or "Monday, Monday"...


Appropriate review from AMG's Thom Jurek:

This 1967 Limelight album finds Art Blakey without his Jazz Messengers and in a variety of studio settings in an attempt to record a commercially viable crossover jazz record. The results are mixed, though the playing on most of the album is quite fine. 

Arranged by Melba Liston and Tom McIntosh and produced by Luchi DeJesus, these 11 tracks feature Blakey playing the hits of the day, such as the Lovin' Spoonful's "Day Dream," P.F. Sloan's "Secret Agent Man," Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Workin'," John Phillips' "Monday, Monday," and even the theme from "Mame". In addition, there are a few bona fide jazz numbers such as John Hicks' "Slowly But Surely," Blakey's own "Sakeena," and Ramsey Lewis' "She Blew a Good Thing." All of these tracks are given the cheesy, souled-out boogaloo treatment. 

With players like Grant Green, Liston, Frank Mitchell, and Reggie Johnson, it is easy to see where the arrangements are going -- particularly in 1966. And though the tunes are funky, and some are schlocky and overly polished, the playing here is top-notch. Blakey is as graceful and full of gusto as ever, often double-timing the band, and Liston's trombone solos are always tasteful and swing hard. 

But the entire production seems just a tiny bit stilted, as if the band were more concerned with getting the arrangements right than with playing the tunes. Ultimately, this is a very enjoyable if not mindblowing soul-jazz date that offers a very relaxed and subtle view of Blakey.


I've been looking for this for a while now and the copy i finally found is a UK pressing, which unfortunately is in pretty poor shape. Fortunately it sounds better than it looks. Click Repair eliminated most of the clicking, plenty of background noise remains audible, though, especially in the fade out sections. The sound of the album is a bit flat and shrill, too, which may be due to the production or may be caused by the condition of the vinyl.

All of this doesn't matter too much anyway, i guess, as this will hardly turn into anyone's favourite Blakey platter. Yet it's a pretty entertaining listen with some smoking soul jazz grooves and some nice soloing from GG.


Art Blakey: Hold On, I'm Coming
Mercury / Limelight LM 82038, 1966

A1 Daydream (J. Sebastian) 3:00
A2 Hold On, I'm Coming (D. Porter, I. Hayes Jr.) 2:30
A3 Secret Agent Man (P.F. Sloan, S. Barri) 2:54
A4 I Can't Grow Peaches On A Cherry Tree (C. Monte, E. Levitt) 2:07
A5 Walking My Cat Named Dog (N. Tanega) 1:48
A6 Sakeena (A. Blakey) 3:39

B1 Got My Mojo Working (H. Morganfield) 3:16
B2 Mame (From The Broadway Production ''Mame'') (J. Herman) 2:51
B3 She Blew A Good Thing (H. Murray Jr., R. Lewis) 2:15
B4 Monday, Monday (J. Phillip) 2:17
B5 Slowly But Surely (J. Hicks) 7:05

Personnel:
Chuck Mangione (trumpet) Garnett Brown (trombone) Melba Liston (trombone, arranger A1,B2,3) Tom McIntosh (trombone, arranger A2-6,B1,4) Frank Mitchell (tenor saxophone) Malcolm Bass (organ) Grant Green (guitar) Reggie Johnson (bass) Art Blakey (drums) Johnny Rodriguez (congas)
NYC, May 27, 1966

For "Slowly, But Surely":
Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan (trumpet) Gary Bartz (alto saxophone) John Hicks (piano) Victor Sproles (bass) Art Blakey (drums)
NYC, May 12, 1965