Art Blakey was an American jazz drummer and bandleader. He led the Jazz Messengers and played with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Fats Navarro in the '40s. As the leader of the Jazz Messengers, he was instrumental in the development of hard bop. Blakey released albums including Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk, Soul Station with Hank Mobley, and Ugetsu. Throughout the '60s, '70s, and '80s, he persisted in performing hard bop jazz, a genre in which he was acknowledged as a master by the '80s. He performed popular songs such as Skylark, Nica's Dream, and Caravan. Art Blakey passed away in 1990.