Are You Real was composed by Benny Golson and first recorded in 1958 by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers for the landmark Blue Note album Moanin', alongside Golson's other compositions Blues March and Along Came Betty. The tune showcases Golson's distinctive compositional voice, featuring intricate yet singable melodies, unconventional harmonic choices including half-diminished chords that create tonal ambiguity, and clever melodic development. While not as widely known as some of Golson's other standards such as Stablemates, Along Came Betty, or I Remember Clifford, it remains a valued part of his enduring catalog. The original Moanin' session features solos from Golson on tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, Bobby Timmons on piano, and Jymie Merritt on bass, all of which are featured on AllSolos. Golson quickly re-recorded the tune just weeks after the Messengers session with a different lineup that included Philly Joe Jones, Barry Harris, and Curtis Fuller, and revisited it on his 1959 Riverside date The Other Side of Benny Golson. The composition exemplifies the period when Golson's writing was central to the Jazz Messengers' identity, contributing a body of work that elevated the group's repertoire and helped define the hard bop aesthetic. Are You Real continues to be performed and arranged, appreciated by musicians for its distinctive harmonic personality and the depth of improvisation it invites.
