Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers 　　Ugetsu (subtitled Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers at Birdland) is a jazz live album by the Jazz Messengers. It was released in 1963 by Riverside as RLP-464. The album remarks Riverside's recording debut at the Birdland, one of the most famous and celebrated American jazz clubs. The original LP featured only six tracks. According to the liner notes, Keepnews, the producer, stated that "there were other performances taped that night that couldn't be fitted into the resulting album". So, when finally the album was released on CD, Keepnews added three new tracks taped that night. The Jazz Messengers' tour in Japan had ended a few months before this live performance, so the band decided to play two tracks as a homage to Japan: the eponymous "Ugetsu" and "On the Ginza". 　　by Scott YanowArt Blakey's 1963 Jazz Messengers (which included trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, tenor-saxophonist Wayne Shorter, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Cedar Walton and bassist Reggie Workman in addition to the drummer-leader) was one of his finest. The CD reissue (which adds two songs to the seven on the original LP) has plenty of strong moments, particularly on "Ping-Pong," Shorter's feature ("I Didn't Know What Time It Was") and the memorable "One by One." This high-quality hard bop session is recommended. [Ugetsu was reissued in 2006 and includes bonus tracks.]