“Free For All” is considered by many critics to be the best album that Art Blakey recorded with his Jazz Messengers in the legendary sextet line-up. The band had been playing together in this formation since 1961, but had not been in the studio for Blue Note for over two years. The music of the album, which was released in February 1964 (which was originally to be titled “Free Fall”), is clearly influenced by the civil rights movement of the time and is bursting with energy.
