Art Blakey at Birdland, photo by Marcel Fleiss
Benny Golson wrote four compositions for the album Moanin, acclaimed as the best recording by arguably the best edition of Art Blakeys Jazz Messengers. Blues March, the first piece he composed for the group, became the most popular arrangement in the bands repertoire. Much of the tunes appeal lay in its uniqueness. It opens with a military-style drum cadence and roll-off that reappears several times and features a driving, march-like beat that eventually fades away. But superimposed over the unorthodox format are a clever Golson melody and swinging solos by Golson, trumpeter Lee Morgan, and pianist Bobby Timmons.