More than any other album in the canon of Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 1958s Moaninfeaturing the great drummer with trumpeter Lee Morgan, tenorsaxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Bobby Timmons, and bassist Jymie Merrittwas the perfect crystallization of the bands bluesy, soulful sound, and it still stands today as perhaps the most quintessential hard bop recording of all-time. Originally self-titled, the album was later renamed Moanin due to the popularity of Timmons unforgettable opening track. The album also introduced several indelible Golson compositions that would become standards of the jazz songbook including Along Came Betty and Blues March.

Blue Note Essentials titles are mastered from hi-resoution digital masters on 140 gram vinyl.