Limited Edition Reissue on 180-Gram Red Vinyl

1958’s Moanin’ features the great drummer Art Blakey along with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Merritt for the perfect crystallization of the band’s bluesy, soulful sound. Moanin’ marked both a homecoming and a fresh start for Blakey’s return to Blue Note after several years of recording for several other labels. The first choice had been to have the LP self-titled, but the instant popularity of pianist Bobby Timmons’ “Moanin’,” which was the album’s first track, led to its becoming known by that title. The composition became a jazz standard and an iconic representative of the hard bop genre — still covered to this day by countless other musicians. It is also a definitive work by this all-star aggregation of Blakey’s Jazz Messengers.

This special limited edition is pressed on 180-gram red vinyl with front and back cover photos by Jean-Pierre Leloir (1931-2010), who captured some of the most iconic images of jazz life in France during the 1950s and 1960s.

Released: 11/21/25