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Roots & Herbs
Studio album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers
Released	October 1970
Recorded	February 12, 1961 (#8–9) February 18, 1961 (#1, 2, 4–6) May 27, 1961 (#3, 7)
Studio	Van Gelder Studio Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Genre	Jazz
Length	42:11 (LP) 61:52 (CD)
Label	Blue Note BST 84347
Producer	Alfred Lion
Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers chronology
The Witch Doctor (1969) Roots & Herbs (1970) Child's Dance (1972)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings

Roots & Herbs is a jazz album by Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers, recorded in 1961 at the same sessions which produced The Freedom Rider, but not released on the Blue Note label until 1970. The CD reissue features three alternate takes, two of which originally released in 1979 on Pisces.

Track listing

All compositions by Wayne Shorter.

1. "Ping Pong" – 7:06
2. "Roots and Herbs" – 6:05
3. "The Back Sliders" – 7:51
4. "United" – 7:29
5. "Look at the Birdie" – 6:45
6. "Master Mind" – 6:55

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

7. "The Back Sliders" (Alternate Take) – 6:57
8. "Ping Pong" (Alternate Version) – 5:58
9. "United" (Alternate Version) – 6:48

Personnel

The Jazz Messengers

• Lee Morgan – trumpet
• Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
• Bobby Timmons (#1, 3, 5–9), Walter Davis, Jr. (#2, 4) – piano
• Jymie Merritt – bass
• Art Blakey – drums

References

1. Billboard Oct 24, 1970
2. Roots & Herbs at AllMusic
3. Swenson, J., ed. (1985). The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide. USA: Random House/Rolling Stone. p. 25. ISBN 0-394-72643-X.
4. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (9th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-14-103401-0.

• 1970 albums
• Art Blakey albums
• The Jazz Messengers albums
• Blue Note Records albums
• Albums produced by Alfred Lion