Saw him in 1961 with the Jazz Messengers at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester. Also in the band were Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Timmons.
Wow! That was some band. I really like that period of Blakey's. I would have loved to have seen that show. I wasn't that far away actually. I was in first grade living in Frankfurt, Germany at the time.
Yes, it was a great show. The Messengers opened the show; the second half was the Monk Quartet with Charlie Rouse, Frankie Dunlop and John Orr.