In the summer of 1980, the jazz world bore witness to an electrifying fusion of talent, rhythm, and soul as Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers Big Band took the stages of two iconic European festivals: Montreux and North Sea. The Big Band performers, next to Art Blakey on drums, consisted of a stellar line-up with Bill Pierce, Bobby Watson, Valery Ponomarev, James Williams, Charles Fambrough, Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, Robin Eubanks, Kevin Eubanks and John Ramsey. For the Marsalis brothers, Wynton and Branford, and also Eubanks brothers Robin and Kevin these were their first ever recordings of them together. Tracks include "Minor Thesis", "A Wheel Within A Wheel", "Bit A Bittadose" and two more compositions serve as a testament to the power of improvisation.

Live At Montreux and North Sea includes liner-notes on the back sleeve written by Robert (Bobby) Watson.