Art Blakey: The Legacy Continues at The Appel Room

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What To ExpectMultiple generations of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers playing together in a world-class ensembleThe Art Blakey Festival kicks off with a reunion of elite alumni from Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, led by Ralph Peterson—the only drummer ever to play in the band alongside the drum maestro himself. A quintessential jazz band for nearly 40 years, the Jazz Messengers remained vital thanks to a constant influx of top up-and-coming talent, including every musician featured in this show.Blakey’s reputation for hiring "only the best” provided his young players with experience, exposure, and life-changing apprenticeship, and you’ll witness the fruits of that labor tonight when saxophonists Bill Pierce and Bobby Watson, trumpeter Brian Lynch, pianist Geoffrey Keezer, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Ralph Peterson pay tribute to their storied mentor.