Art Blakey - Holiday For Skins Vol. 1 FLAC download

I think this is my favorite Blakey because I listen to it so much. I have most of his collection and he has so many gems. I have so many records to listen to and I regularly come back to this. The players are on point with a thick mood. It's deep and drum centered using an Afro-Cuban vibe, but it's stripped back and more focused on rhythm than structure or anything else. The structure is still there but it wanders around, takes it's time to build up, and when it builds up, it's a party. You get Ray Bryant, Donald Byrd and Wendell Marshall checking in periodically while also developing a groove for the all-star drum line-up. Sabu, Philly Joe Jones, Art Taylor, and Ray Baretto are all present with a team of other players that deliver as well. There are minimal chants, barking, screaming that really contribute to the song and give it more of an atmosphere that would be difficult to define. It's intricate while being still simple. Nobody shows off, with rare solos and when they do, they are very relaxed feeling with a hard swing. Under-sung and un-stoppable-