A Night in Tunisia (1958 album)

For the 1961 album, see A Night in Tunisia (1961 album).

A Night in Tunisia is a 1958 jazz album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, released by the RCA Victor subsidiary label Vik.^[3] It features the only recorded instances of saxophonists Jackie McLean and Johnny Griffin playing together.^[4]

A Night in Tunisia
Studio album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Released	Mid February 1958[1]
Recorded	April 2 & 8, 1957, NYC
Genre	Hard bop
Label	Vik
Producer	Bob Rolontz
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers chronology
Hard Drive (1957) A Night in Tunisia (1958) Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1958)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]

The album's original five tracks were augmented by up to three alternative takes on CD reissues.^[2] The album was also reissued under the title Theory of Art, with two nonet tracks – "A Night at Tony's" and "Social Call" – added.^[5][6]

Track listing

A Night in Tunisia CD

1. "A Night in Tunisia" (Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli) – 12:55
2. "Off the Wall" (Johnny Griffin) – 7:16
3. "Theory of Art" (Bill Hardman) – 9:46
4. "Couldn't It Be You?" (Art Blakey, Jackie McLean) – 8:12
5. "Evans" (Sonny Rollins) – 6:30
6. "A Night in Tunisia" (Gillespie, Paparelli) – 12:30 Bonus track on CD re-issue.
7. "Off the Wall" (Griffin) – 7:21 Bonus track on CD re-issue.
8. "Theory of Art" (Hardman) – 10:14 Bonus track on CD re-issue.

Theory of Art CD

First five tracks as A Night in Tunisia, above.

6. "A Night at Tony's" (Gigi Gryce)
7. "Social Call" (Gryce, Jon Hendricks)

Personnel

A Night in Tunisia

• Art Blakey – drums
• Bill Hardman – trumpet
• Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
• Jackie McLean (listed as Ferris Benda/Ferris Bender on the cover) – alto sax
• Sam Dockery – piano
• Spanky DeBrest – bass

Theory of Art

• Art Blakey – drums
• Bill Hardman – trumpet
• Lee Morgan – trumpet
• Melba Liston – trombone
• Cecil Payne – baritone sax
• Johnny Griffin – tenor sax
• Sahib Shihab – alto sax
• Wynton Kelly – piano
• Spanky DeBrest – bass

Sources:^[4][6]

References

1. "Special Merit Jazz Albums". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Feb 17, 1958. p. 37. Retrieved January 24, 2023 – via Google Books.
2. Yanow, Scott. "Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: A Night in Tunisia (1957)". AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
3. RCA Vik Record Label Discography, accessed November 30, 2015
4. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (1992). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, LP & Cassette (1st ed.). Penguin. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-14-015364-4.
5. Yanow, Scott. "Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers: Theory of Art". AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
6. Shoemaker, Bill (May 1, 1997). "Art Blakey: Theory of Art". JazzTimes.