Arthur Blakey (October 11, 1919 – October 16, 1990) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. In the mid-1950s Horace Silver and Blakey formed the Jazz Messengers, a group that the drummer was associated with for 30 years. Blakey assumed an aggressive swing style of contemporaries Chick Webb, Sid Catlett and Ray Bauduc early in his career, and is known, alongside Kenny Clarke and Max Roach as one of the inventors of the modern bebop style of drumming. His drumming form made continuing use of the traditional grip, though in later appearances he is also seen using a matched grip.

Art Blakey’s explosive jazz drumming style is characterized by a powerful drive and rocksteady time, both of which remain unmatched in the hard-bop idiom. Blakey can light a fire under any soloist or ensemble with his hard-driving energy. Here’s a look at a few of the elements that make up the burning Blakey style. The distinguishable Blakey time feel is noticeably intense for several reasons:

1. His heavy accentuation of 2 and 4 on the right-hand time pattern, activated by a whip-like wrist action, moves in a circular motion over the ride cymbal.
2. A biting hi-hat which supports and blends with the solid cymbal work.
3. A remarkable ability to stay on the very front edge of the beat, without rushing, which gives a strong sensation of forward momentum.

The penetrating click of the head and rim (butt end of the stick place across the snare drum rim) on for example the fourth beat of every bar is another Blakey technique used to nail down the time behind soloists and ensembles. Another dominant trademark of the powerful Blakey style is the roaring snare drum roll placed at the end of phrases, or as a lead-in to a new soloist. The dramatic effect of this technique is enhanced by the crescendo as the roll swells from a whisper to a roar.

Blakey will often interrupt the flow of the biting 2 and 4, to incorporate the hi-hat as an independent rhythmic voice behind a soloist. Quarter-note triplets which sing out beneath the time beat is one approach. The West African, Afro-Cuban flavor is prevalent in much of Blakey’s music. Art Blakey is considered one of the greatest drummers of all time and influenced hundreds of people for years to come.

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