Art Blakey, also known as “Buhaina” or “Bu,” was often called the father of hard bop. He was responsible for producing and developing more jazz talent than any other band leader of his era. As ex-Jazz Messenger, Terrance Blanchard said, “No one has brought more to jazz than Art Blakey”.
During his career, which spanned more than 6 decades, Art Blakey’s band, The Jazz Messengers, was considered the quintessential forum for musicians who wished to hone their talent and leave their own mark on the jazz scene. For this reason, The Jazz Messengers also became known as the Blakey School of Music.
Below, please find a list of more than 200+ Jazz Messengers alumni. These Jazz Messengers, along with countless others whom Art Blakey inspired and mentored, continue to play his music, refine their craft, and to honor Art Blakey’s legacy as one of the original legends of jazz:
- Ahmad Abdul Malik (b)
- Airto Moreira (perc)
- Al Cohn (ts)
- Albert Dailey (p)
- Andy Delannoy (maracas)
- Art Davis (b)
- Art Taylor (ds)
- Barney Wilens (ts, ss)
- Bennie Harris (t)
- Benny Golson (ts)
- Benny Green (p)
- Ben Tucker (b)
- Bernard Griggs (b)
- Bill Barber (tu)
- Bill Barber (tu)
- Bill Graham (as)
- Bill Hardman (tp)
- Bill Pierce (ts)
- Bill Slapin (bs)
- Billy Harper (ts)
- Bobby Timmons (p)
- Bobby Watson (as)
- Branford Marsalis (as, bs)
- Brian Lynch (tp)
- Bud Powell (p)
- Buddy Terry (ss)
- Buster Williams (b)
- Cameron Brown (b)
- Candido Camero (cga)
- Carlos Garnett (ts)
- Carter Jefferson (ts)
- Cecil Payne (bs)
- Cedar Walton (p)
- Charles Davis (bs)
- Charles Fambrough (b)
- Charles Tolliver (tp)
- Charles Wright (ds, tympani, gong))
- Charnett Mofett (b)
- Chick Corea (p)
- Chief Bey (cga, telegraph-ds, db-gong)
- Chin Yoshio Suzuki (b)
- Chonguito Vincente (bgo, cga)
- Chris Amberger (b)
- Chuck Mangione (tp)
- Cindy Blackman (ds)
- Clarence Seay (b)
- Clifford Brown (tp)
- Courtney Pine (ts)
- Craig Handy (ts)
- Curly Russell (b)
- Curtis Fuller (tb)
- Dale Barlow (ts)
- David Schnitter (ts)
- Dennis Irwin (b)
- Don Byas (ts)
- Don Smith (p)
- Donald Brown (p)
- Donald Byrd (tp)
- Donald Harrison (as)
- Doug Watkins (b)
- Duke Jordan (p)
- Eddie Gomez (b)
- Eddie Henderson (tp)
- Emmanuel Rahim (cga)
- Ernie Thompson (bs)
- Essiet Okon Essiet (bs)
- Evilio Quintero (maracas, tree log)
- Frank Lacy (tb)
- Frank Mitchell (ts)
- Frank Rehak (tb)
- Fred Pagani (timb)
- Freddie Hubbard (tp)
- Freddie Redd (p)
- Gana M’Bow (cga)
- Gary Bartz (as)
- Gary Mapp (b)
- Gene Ramey (b)
- Geoff Keezer (p)
- George Cables (p)
- Gernie Griggs (b)
- Gigi Gryce (as)
- Grant Green (g)
- Hal Dodson (b)
- Haleen Rasheed (Howard Bowe) (tb)
- Hank Mobley (ts)
- Harold Mabern (p)
- Henry Durant (ts)
- Horace Silver (p)
- Ibrahim Ibn Ismail (Walter Bishop Jr.) (p)
- Idrees Sulieman (tp)
- Ira Sullivan (ts)
- Ivan Rolle (b)
- Jackie McLean (as)
- James Ola Folami (cga)
- James Spaulding (as)
- James Williams (p)
- Jan Arnet (b)
- Javon Jackson (ts)
- Jean Toussaint (ts)
- Jimmy Cleveland (tb)
- Jimmy Cobb (ds)
- Jimmy Owens (tp)
- JoAnne Brackeen (p)
- Joe Gordon (tp)
- John Coltrane (ts)
- John Faddis (ts)
- John Gilmore (ts)
- John Hicks (p)
- John O’Neal (p)
- John Ramsay (ds)
- John Rodriquez (bgo, cga)
- John Gilmore (ts)
- Johnny Coles (tp)
- Johnny Griffin (ts)
- Jon Hendricks (voc)
- Jose Valiente (cga)
- Julian Priester (tb)
- Julio Martinez (bgo, cga)
- Julius Watkins (frh)
- Juni Booth (b)
- Junior Mance (p)
- Jymie Merritt (b)
- Kasal Allah (p)
- Keith Jarrett (p)
- Kenny Barron (p)
- Kenny Dorham (tp)
- Kenny Drew (p)
- Kenny Garrett (as)
- Kevin Eubanks (g)
- Ladji Camara (fl, vo)
- Larry Evans (b)
- LaVerne Barker (b)
- Lawrence Evans (b)
- Lee Morgan (tp)
- Leon Dorsey (b)
- Locksley Wellington “Slide” Hampton (tb)
- Lonnie Liston Smith (p)
- Lonnie Plaxico (b)
- Lou Donaldson (as)
- Lucky Thompson (ts), (ss)
- Malcolm Bass (org)
- Manny Boyd (fl)
- McCoy Tyner (p)
- Melba Liston (tb)
- Michael Howell (g)
- Michael Philip Mossman (tp)
- Mickey Bass (b)
- Mickey Tucker (p)
- Mike Nock (p)
- Montego Joe (bambara-ds, db-gong, corboro-ds, log-ds)
- Mulgrew Miller (p)
- Musa Kaleem (Orlando Wright) (ts)
- Nathaniel Bettis (perc)
- Olu Dara (tp)
- Oscar Pettiford (b)
- Patato Valdez (cga)
- Paul Chambers (b)
- Percy Heath (b)
- Peter Washington (b)
- Philip Harper (tp)
- Ralph Peterson, Jr. (ds)
- Randy Brecker (tp)
- Ramon Morris (ts), (fl)
- Ray Brown (b)
- Ray Bryant (p)
- Ray Barretto (bgo, cga)
- Ray Copeland (tp)
- Ray Mantilla (cga)
- Reggie Johnson (b)
- Reggie Workman (b)
- Richard Landrum (perc)
- Robert Crowder (bata-ds, cga)
- Robin Eubanks (tb)
- Ronnie Mathews (p)
- Russell Ferrante (p)
- Sabu Martinez (bgo, cga)
- Sahib Shihb (Edmund Gregory) (as)
- Sam Dockery (p)
- Sam Fargus (b)
- Scotty Holt (b)
- Skip Crumby (b)
- Solomon Iiori (vo, penny whistle, taking-ds)
- Sonny Donaldson (p)
- Sonny Lewis (as)
- Sonny Morgan (perc)
- Sonny Red (as)
- Sonny Rollins (ts)
- Sonny Stitt (as, ts)
- Spanky DeBrest (b)
- Specs Wright (tymp)
- Stanley Clarke (b)
- Steve Davis (tb)
- Steve Turre (tb)
- Terence Blanchard (tp)
- Terence Tony (as)
- Thelonious Monk (p)
- Tim Williams (tb)
- Tommy Lopez (cga)
- Tony Waters (cga)
- Tony Williams (p)
- Tony Willaims (ds)
- Ubaldo Nieto (timb)
- Valeri Ponomarev (tp)
- Vincent Herring (tp)
- Victor Gonzales (bgo, cga)
- Victor Sproles (b)
- Wallace Roney (tp)
- Walter Davis Jr. (p)
- Wayne Shorter (ts)
- Wendell Marshall (b)
- Willie Rodriguez (cga)
- Wilbur Ware (b)
- Woody Shaw (tp)
- Wynton Kelly (p)
- Wynton Marsalis (tp)
- Yoshio Suzuki (b)
- Yusef Lateef (fl, oboe, ts, cowbell, thumb-p)