Jazz for aficionados

acman, I'm not much of a fan of big band jazz, but Herman is one of my exceptions.  I have this album and enjoy it, other than the electric piano.  I know they were popular around this time but I never cared for them.

Here's an earlier version of his band, also in my collection.  It swings nicely.  Thanks for the reminder.

mahgister, here is a trumpet/flugelhorn player not often mentioned, Art Farmer.  Nothing flashy, just great, melodic playing.  This is a favored album from my man Mulligan.

Speaking of Clark Terry, friends recommended his film, "Keep On Keepin' On".  They were somewhat familiar with Terry's work but had no idea how many musicians he influenced.  Unfortunately I've not been able to see it yet myself.  But this interview with the director will give you a good idea.

acman, here's something similar from a great album, "Country, Rhythm and Blues".

pjw, I realize I'm commenting among the heavyweights here, once frogman joined in.  But I'm a big fan of Brubeck individually, many of his quartets, and particularly when accompanied by Morello.

In fact I've posted "Castilian Drums" here previously.  I respect many other jazz drummers but if picking a single favorite to listen to it would be Morello.  His rhythm is relentless and impeccable, as frog pointed out.  But for me it is also his melodic and creative playing.  There is continual inventiveness, not repeated and boring.

Being a Brubeck fan for decades I've thought about the controversies of his popularity.  No doubt some of that is the "white factor" frog suggested.  But I believe the biggest issue was his popularity itself.  I think possibly some other jazz musicians resented his success in record sales and concert attendance.  And some jazz fans felt he couldn't be that great when he was acknowledged by non-jazz fans.  From both sides, he was so "in" he was "out"!

OK, we're off jazz a bit here.  But this is what started it all for me.

This was released in 1948 and became a big hit.  I was very young but into the whole cowboy hero thing.  The result was "Ghost Riders" became the first song I remember being really aware of and wanting to hear again and again.  My first favorite tune.

And Vaughn Monroe's version set the standard for the many, many others that followed.  The emphasis here was his voice, no surprise since he was a singing star on records and radio.  The later versions, The Outlaws and others, showed what a hot guitar could add.

Driving home a short while ago I heard this on the car radio.  It reminded me of hearing it at a live performance.

In college in the early '60s we were fortunate to be within driving distance of The Minor Key in Detroit.  Fortunate because they continuously booked top level performers and since they didn't have a liquor license those of us under 21 could be admitted.  That night my best buddy and I took our dates to see the Cannonball Adderly Sextet, which included Yusef Lateef.  At intermission my friend went to the men's room, which was in the lower level.  He said coming back upstairs he ran into Yusef in the stairwell, "Maybe the biggest guy I've ever seen.  I had to back down as there wasn't room for us to pass".  

Hi all, and Happy New Year to be spent with great music.

I've been away for some time, but reading Tom Moon's book "1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die", a comment raised a question I thought might be of interest here.  Tom is a music critic, contributor to multiple publications, and experienced as a professional musician.  His book covers jazz, rock, classical, opera, blues, world music and whatever else you might think of.  I found his comments on many recommended recordings I am familiar with to  be very insightful.

But one really jumped out at me.  Included in his list is "Take Ten" with Paul Desmond and Jim Hall..  In that review he references "Take Five" as one of the most important jazz records of all time.  But what surprised me was his statement that album "suffers from a fatal flaw.  Brubeck's piano playing."  He goes on to say, "The esteemed leader is revealed as something of a musical clod .  .  ."

Now as someone who has enjoyed various Brubeck albums for decades I was amazed by that opinion.  I do remember back in the '60s that Brubeck was put down by some jazz fans as being "too commercial", I suppose because of his sales and concert success.  But I do't remember him ever being disparaged to this degree.

I say this because I find Moon's other reviews to be so well considered and revealing.  So surprising to say the least.

Thanks @frogman for replying.  I always enjoy your sharing your knowledge and perspectives on music and this was helpful.  Tom Moon obviously has great love for and broad experience in music.  He is admittedly more inclusive than I am for types and styles he enjoys.  But in this case he was more restrictive, which was why I commented.

I've admitted here and elsewhere I don't have any training in music.  So many technical elements of style or performance escape me.  But I've been listening for decades and have formulated my own tastes.  I can appreciate that Brubeck often has a rather "heavy" rhythemic sense.  Quite different from someone like Basie who was so smooth and flowing while really swinging, if often minimalist.  But maybe that is why I and many others enjoy Brubeck playing with Desmond so much, they are opposite while complementary.

On the complementary side for Mr. Moon, I've been surprised by how many of his recommendations (not just jazz) are in my collection, and how often I appreciate and agree with his insights and picking those recordings.

@msbel, some years ago Mingus' Haitian Fight Song was used in a commercial.  A younger man comes to pick up an older man (his father?) from what appeared to be a care facility.  Then they hit the highway and that music was perfect as an expression of the old guy's freedom.

As a long time Mingus fan I liked it before that, but it produced a commercial I was always happy to see -- a rare situation.