Art Blakey - Cranky Spanky (vinyl record “Black Giants “)

From the compilation vinyl LP “Black Giants“ featuring: Art Blakey, Drums; Bill Hardman, Trumpet, Song writer; Jackie McLean, Alto; Sam Dockery, Piano; Spanky De Brest, Bass. Recorded 12/12/56. Art Blakey, also called Abdullah Ibn Buhaina, (born October 11, 1919, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died October 16, 1990, New York, New York), American drummer and bandleader noted for his extraordinary drum solos, which helped define the offshoot of bebop known as “hard bop” and gave the drums a significant solo status. His style was characterized by thunderous press rolls, cross beats, and drum rolls that began as quiet tremblings and grew into frenzied explosions. Blakey taught himself to play the piano while he was a teenager and performed on piano (and later drums) in jazz clubs in the evenings while working in the steel mills by day. Beginning in 1939, as a drummer, he performed with several bands, most notably (1944–47) with that of Billy Eckstine. Among the artists he met and pe