Jazz for aficionados
Jazz for aficionados
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
I'm going to review records in my collection, and you'll be able to decide if they're worthy of your collection. These records are what I consider "must haves" for any jazz aficionado, and would be found in their collections. I wont review any record that's not on CD, nor will I review any record if the CD is markedly inferior. Fortunately, I only found 1 case where the CD was markedly inferior to the record.
Our first album is "Moanin" by Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers. We have Lee Morgan , trumpet; Benney Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie merrit, bass; Art Blakey, drums.
The title tune "Moanin" is by Bobby Timmons, it conveys the emotion of the title like no other tune I've ever heard, even better than any words could ever convey. This music pictures a person whose down to his last nickel, and all he can do is "moan".
"Along Came Betty" is a tune by Benny Golson, it reminds me of a Betty I once knew. She was gorgeous with a jazzy personality, and she moved smooth and easy, just like this tune. Somebody find me a time machine! Maybe you knew a Betty.
While the rest of the music is just fine, those are my favorite tunes. Why don't you share your, "must have" jazz albums with us.
Enjoy the music.
Showing 50 responses by orpheus10
Back in 58, Grant Green was on the stand every weekend at a local club where me and my two compadres hung out. This was before he recorded his first record. Grant was lean and had the physique of a cowboy in his jeans, with a full head of thick black hair. The reason I mentioned that is because I saw him many years later and failed to recognize him; he was bald and not so lean. Since that time I have bought his records and enjoyed his music; however, just recently, his music has taken on a different dimension. You know that warm feeling you experience when you hear a dear and valued friends voice, that's how I feel when I hear Grants music. Again, when you are talking to an old and dear friend, you understand clearly everything he's saying because you two think alike, and so it is with Grant's music; every note seems to be the right one. Lately, I can even feel his presence in my listening room. Here is a tune that is a re-creation of a regular weekend experience of mine. The late night weekend warriors of the good times (people who partied all night Friday and Saturday) met up at Maud's flat on Sunday morning. Tired, broke and sleepy, but not wanting to go home, they knew where people just like them congregated. "Blues In Maud's Flat"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbAmaTzHYjM |
I was listening to an album by Aretha Franklin titled "Aretha Sings The Blues" and she was singing these very mature lyrics of a woman who had been around and seen the world, but after I got engrossed in these worldly blues songs, I happened to notice how young her voice sounded; it had the youth of the same voice I heard in 65. Sure enough, that was when these songs were recorded; at about the same time I saw a young Aretha perform in Detroit. That brought back such wonderful memories, and it's for sure I could use some good memories about now. That was when Detroit Michigan was a fantastic city; it was the most prosperous city I had ever been to, before or since; it seemed that everyone had a brand new car and dressed elegant. I almost stayed in Detroit, but I didn't like the weather. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzKtAOQWmYk&list=PLvxWibFr0wiLw0a4PVZ14izW2OVyJqSwI |
Frogman, I'm basing my thesis on a Brazilian film festival that lasted two weeks where they had movies from all parts of Brazil, not just what we see in Rio, and Bahia, but the interior of Brazil as well. These movies were about getting to know the entire country, and the music was incidental to the movies, not all of the music was even Afro Brazil, although I heard some Afro Brazilian music that was very unique, but I can't find it. Africa is a continent, not a country; those countries are European boundaries that put tribes who hate each other together, and to add to the confusion; before slavery, Africa was divided into "villages", and tribal areas, not cities. Each village had it's own rhythms and dances, which are presented by different dance troops based in New York. When they present these dances, they specify what "village" the dance is from, and from what part of Africa that village could be found, and last, what country that part of Africa is now called. I am basing my statements on nothing but my musical ear, and what I've heard that was Afro in Brazil which is so different from anything I've heard from Africa. I stated that some of Africa was transported to the America's and no longer exists on that continent. I still believe this but it is impossible to prove. |
Frogman, this link is very important to the music in "Salvador Bahia". It's impossible to separate the specific music I'm speaking of from "Capoeira", neither exist without the "Berimbau". The music I'm speaking of exists independent of "Capoeira" but not independent of the "Berimbau". Brazilian musicians who are not into "Capoeira" utilize the Berimbau. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3xDH40f_jk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CjhkCFA7hI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnFZqji8OiY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ZSBw5kKmY You certainly won't find this on the continent of Africa, yet it is very African. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0ZSBw5kKmY |
Nina Simone sang "Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood". It seems that I’m being misunderstood, but when music is intertwined with religion, and music is intertwined with Capoeira, and although I want to focus on the music as opposed to Capoeira or Religion, it’s difficult for me not to be misunderstood, but I will proceed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ckv6-yhnIY In the future, I will find the music without the Religion or Capoeira. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFBi5AmctAU |
Frogman, do you hear that rhythm at the beginning of this movie? That’s from Africa, and there are other spots in this movie with rhythms brought there by slaves that have been passed down over generations, the same as the religion, the same as "Senteria". A rose by any other name is still a rose, the religion is "African", not Spanish. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blJ8v-Q2Zb4 Maybe being able to distinguish various African rhythms is partially in the DNA, and some got it, and some don’t. Rhythms that you won’t hear on the African continent because they left on slave ships. |
Dom Um Ramao was the man with the Afro-Brazilian groove like no other; he incorporated Africa in his music like sugar in cake, and it was the Africa that was unique to Brazil. There are many African rhythms, but there is a certain African rhythm that’s unique to Brazil, and I can hear it, but not everyone can distinguish the different rhythms from Africa. Although from Africa, it is no longer heard on that continent, like so many things from Africa, it is gone for good from that continent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sttkxPzizY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXXXIs8XWxw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRmlCe9ghQ4 Dom’s tune takes me to a place between here and there where I want to be forever. |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qrcl73IsK5E Malou Beauvoir is every bit as beautiful as her music, and I must have her music; it resonates with ancient spirits that reside within that existed since time began. (I like the sound of that) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F39gFFAIjAA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iarLmtjAJds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB9CEiP3VqQ |
All the musicians on the album "Happy Frame of Mind" posted by Alex are leaders; that's why I'm reviewing it further. Some of my favorite albums feature Horace Parlan as a sideman on piano with Mingus. Blues & Roots (Atlantic, 1959) Mingus Ah Um (Columbia, 1959) A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (Bethlehem, 1957) That's where I heard him before. Here's another tune from that album; solid straight ahead jazz that makes you feel good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrjTGPZcyjM |
When this VHS tape that I have was made, Sun Ra and his merry band all lived in a huge house in Philadelphia that was done up in the style of the ancient Egyptians. They had a lot of fun and made a good living; who could ask for more? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ioFrtlNXZk |
I have been listening to "Wes Montgomery", both of them; he's two musicians rolled into one, the more jazz oriented Wes before 65, and the Pop oriented Wes who became famous after 65. I like them both; as to which one, that depends on my mood. This is the most beautiful version of "Round Midnight" ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Xozvcf0FA Later on there was "Bumpin on Sunset"; thus began another period in his music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER8Q504Vro8 Wes played some beautiful music and I enjoyed it all; his music has so many beautiful memories to go along with the music for me. |
Has anyone ever wondered why absolutely nothing that came from Africa survived US slavery? All throughout the Caribbean and South America, stuff survived that came over with the slaves from Africa. But not even one drum lick that came from Africa survived US slavery; voodoo over here came from Haiti. Blackey had to go to Africa to discover the African drum. |
"The spirit of the drum is something that you feel but cannot put your hands on," Babatunde Olatunji, had the spirit of his Nigerian ancestors; that says it all; "Drums of Passion " is my favorite. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TVRNWAI/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_8 |
To my ears, the most beautiful music comes from Brazil. This decision was made ages ago, it was made when I didn't even know where the music I had heard came from, or even the name of the tune playing, I simply heard some music on the car radio, and I liked it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVkDfnGobmI |
Originally from Africa where it receives different names, the berimbau was eventually incorporated into the practice of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, the berimbau leads the capoeiristas movement in the roda—the faster the berimbau is playing the faster the capoeirista moves in the game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uuSaOZg8hI The berimbau originated in an early nineteenth-century Brazilian slave culture. How often do you hear this instrument used in the music from the continent which it originated? Who knows how many things that left that continent for good on those slave ships. Reality is what it is, not what it ain't. History can be written any way those who chose to write it wish, but reality can not be altered. “The moving finger writes; and, having writ, moves on: nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jl4bZnmtCcs |
Schubert, I liked this music from the very beginning, it started out mysterious and dramatic, although I have a hard time relating it to Brazil. Apparently their perception of Brazil and my perception of Brazil are entirely different. But that's true of every country; the people on Fifth Avenue have an entirely different perception of this country than I do. While the music was of a different 'genre" than most of the music in my collection, I liked it still. |
Some of the things I've written might seem controversial, but in my mind they're not even the least bit controversial. Before the Portuguese went to Brazil, there was just the native inhabitants and Anacondas there making music; that means any music coming from Brazil was made by the Native South Americans, and Anacondas. After the Portuguese it's possible to have included their music with the Anacondas, and the native inhabitants. I don't think that music at all resembled present day Brazilian music. Something had to be added to the Anacondas, Native Americans, plus the Portuguese music to make the music that is so common in Brazil today. Could it have come in on those slave ships I see on the horizon? Could it have sounded like this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KznlNRyjUg&t=44s The interesting thing about this music is that although it sounds African, it's not so common on that continent. I "theorized" that some music left the continent of Africa permanently. First of all, before slavery, Africa existed in "villages", not cities; villages were much smaller. Africans identified themselves by tribe and village. Nigeria was one of the few places with big cities and armies, Nigeria also did most of the slave capturing. Slaves were imprisoned in a factory while awaiting shipment. Current estimates are that about 12 million to 12.8 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic over a span of 400 years. That's a lot of slaves and a lot of "villages". Each village had it's on peculiar rhythms and dances. It stands to reason that some of those rhythms and dances no longer exist on the continent of Africa, but only exist in this hemisphere because the entire village was transported over here on a slave ship. My ears have detected rhythms that are common in Brazilian music which are African in nature, but are uncommon on the continent of Africa. If those rhythms came from Africa, but are no longer heard on that continent, what other explanation could there be? We can appreciate the music, but some find it inappropriate to examine the people who made the music; is that so? Makes no sense to me. |
What a fantastic start to my day; first, my all time favorite album, "Somethin Else", is mentioned, followed by all that rhythm and dance from Africa, it couldn't get better than this. There was a drum library in Haiti which stored all the different rhythms from Africa. I know I read it, but now I can not find anything on it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanbou I've told this story a dozen times, but now I will tell it again. I was on a tour up a mountain in Haiti to see this place; https://www.google.com/search?q=fortress+in+haiti&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS858US858&oq=fortress+in+ha... and we stopped to rest at a clearing where some kids were playing, about six of them I guess. (these kids had nothing to do with the tour) The oldest one who was about twelve, picked up a work shovel that had been left laying by the side of the road, and with a rock in each hand, began beating out these intricate voodoo rhythms on the steel blade of the shovel while the other kids danced. As they moved like their bodies had no bones, I was totally hypnotized, the dance and rhythms were so natural and spontaneous, this was something they were doing to simply amuse themselves. That was the most fascinating part of my vacation and it had nothing to do with anything. |
How about a little "Afro Peruvian" soul; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keboPv6ZAvE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anBQisairgk |
Frogman, there are enough different kind of rhythms from Africa to fill a library. As a matter of "fact", there was a library in Haiti in which someone cataloged the different drum beats and rhythms from various parts of Africa. This was presented once. Because you can not distinguish or hear the different rhythms, they do not exist to you, I can hear and distinguish the different beats and rhythms, but first you give me an example of that Portuguese music you are speaking of? |
Frogman, a drum is a drum, but there is no comparison as to what one man can do with a drum as opposed to another. There is no comparison to what Brazilians do with the "Berimbau" and what you presented. Why don’t you give me a presentation of the Portuguese music so I’ll know exactly what you’re talking about? |
Before slavery in the 1600's, a typical African village consisted of about 100 people. Since there were 12 million slaves imported to this hemisphere, that means we can divide 12 million by 100 to determine the number of villages that were transported on slave ships. That means there were 120000 villages transported to this hemisphere on slave ships. Each village had it's own rhythm and dance, that means 120000 different African rhythms and dances were transported to this hemisphere. It's for certain the US forbid the drum, that means that all rhythms transported to the US were lost. Only rhythms transported to South America and the Caribbean survived. Since dancing made slaves happy, there is the possibility "African dances" were forbidden, maybe the slaves were allowed to do the "Turkey Trot", or square dance. There is a possibility that the village next door copied some rhythms and dances, that means those remained in Africa, but that continent still lost quite a few drummers and steppers, along with their steps. Kunta Kinte, Alex Haley's ancestor, was born 1750 in the Mandinka Village of Jufureh, in the Gambia. He was most unfortunate, his masters forbid him to play the drum and changed his name to "Toby". Times were tough for a slave, but they were even tougher in the US. By sheer mathematical probability, a lot of song and dance, rhythm and boogie, left Africa that was not replaced. |