found: Grovemusic WWW site, Sept. 18, 2003:Jazz (Blakey, Art (Buhaina, Abdullah ibn; Bu); b. Oct. 11, 1919, Pittsburgh, d. Oct. 16, 1990, New York; American drummer and bandleader; in the late 1940's he traveled in Africa to learn about Islamic culture, hence the name Abdullah ibn Buhaina and the subsequent nickname, Bu)
found: African American National Biography, accessed June 10, 2015, via Oxford African American Studies Center database:(Blakey, Art; Art William Blakey; Abdullah Ibn Buhaina; "Bu"; bandleader, jazz musician, percussionist; born 11 October, 1919 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; worked in steel mills (1932); taught himself to play the piano, later switched to drums; played in Fletcher Henderson Orchestra (1939); led his own group in small nightclub in Boston (1942); assimilated the innovative bop drumming style (1940s); was a drummer at Billy Eckstine big band, Club Plantation, St. Louis (1944-1947); made Blue Note recordings with Thelonious Monk (1947); organized and made Blue Note recordings, rehearsal band Seventeen Messengers (1947); traveled to Africa, converted to the Islamic religion, changed his name to Abdullah Ibn Buhaina (1948); formed and led Jazz Messengers ensembles (1950s), made numerous recordings, recorded several film soundtracks (1959-1972), documentary film (1988), appeared at jazz video series of Sony (1982); was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame (1981), Jazz Messengers received a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Group Performance (1984); died 16 October, 1990 in New York, New York, United States)
