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 mary_jo
From the same link above, from National Public Radio site is also Black, Brown and Beige, Duke Ellington and his orchestra featuring Mahalia Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0PlS8nuceA (Come Sunday) what I have first heard of when frogman posted it a quite while ago. Although I am not quite into gospel as musical genre, could not help noticing the expressive contralto voice of Mahalia Jackson. Later found out that she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel". Jackson on her choice of gospel: "It gives me hope. With the blues when you finish, you still have the blues." Today, being massively bombed with inhumanely auto-tune voices, she sounds to me like the oasis of a warm, natural, emotional, human voice. |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HpYsUlBWFQ
"Bobby Watson, saxophonist: "When I was in the Jazz Messengers, [bandleader] Art [Blakey] had us play 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' — the Black National Anthem — at the opening of every show. That was his musical statement. He didn't go to the mic and talk about why he was doing this song; he just did it. He never made any speeches, but we all knew why. He was very political, and there was always an undercurrent of social awareness and black pride in the music. Art also demanded respect by the way he had us dress in the band. We wore overalls, and it was because as black men, off-stage, you could not just walk around free and get any respect dressing that way. But Art would not allow perceptions to dictate anything. He was saying, 'You're going to respect me for who I am, because I'm great at what I do.'" Resource National Public Radio, Inc https://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2012/06/18/155318747/five-jazz-songs-which-speak-of-the-freedom-struggle?t=1560240321155 |
Thank you schubert for the journey through the part of the USA history. I have just read several articles on Paul Robeson, a musician and social activist, including articles on Joe Hill, a labor activist and labor folk hero. "Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." Martin L. King Schubert, if we continue writing like this, we might both end up behind bars. You should appoint somebody in time, to bring you lunch and cookies there. I count on Alex to bring me the cake with the file baked into it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G5KtQynWvc |
Pjw, thank you for introducing me more into Heath. And yes, that album is great. Peppe is one of my favorite and I think that you have mentioned once that you were his completist. True, handsome both, Peppe even more to me ’cause he looks more mature (although look can deceive). The dangerous combination for the girls, good looking and good music. That girl is breath taking. And I love the dress. I’ve never been to Ipanema, but if all the girls are like that one, I might reconsider. |
Guys, I will be off line for quite a while. You all take care and enjoy the good music. Art Pepper - Winter Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQPh4f9wrqk |
pjw, I did not know about the story that was going on behind the cover shooting. And nope, as you have noticed, he does not look bad at all. In fact, he looks good...You see, the storm lasts inside, but from the outside we can see only a breeze... Thank you for the help regarding bossa nova. One can find bunch of things on the internet but you can never be quite sure of the source. |
It feels good just to check your postings guys. It seems as if you always have an ace up your sleeve when you speak about jazz. Great music, love it. pjw, when I saw the news about Gilberto, I remembered you and your admiration for Gilberto. Speaking of jazz sessions, had a privilege to attend one yesterday. The live jazz show as the part of the summer festival was held in a small but pitoresque town called Solin - a town with rich cultural and national heritage, located on the river called Jadro and in the very vicinity of second largest town in Croatia - Split. The romantic place with warm and intimate atmosphere. A perfect place for jazz. I went there alone since my friends do not listen jazz at all. Why they do not listen it, can’t tell but I am sure that the reason is, among other things, in the fact that jazz shows are not happening that often. You can’t learn to love, what you can’t see or hear, right? Anyway, I was in my little black dress, all dressed up, looking all shiny under the city lights. Ok, maybe I was not quite like Bety from orpheus first post but I surely felt like it. That counts too, right? The guys were good. Their rare YT link: https://youtu.be/Twg_5XRlxCw The audience numbered maybe 20 enthusiasts at the beginning. Those were serious listeners. Later, when the session was on it’s peak, more people came. Couldn’t figure was that because they heard good music (the door were widely opened) or it was getting too cold outside so they had to take a cozy shelter somewhere. All in all, jazz rules. Ok, maybe not all jazz. Other music sucks. Ok, maybe not all other music. But... |
schubert, pjw... :--)) ;-) Well, its’ a nice day today. Time to move on... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR7A9MgD5Y8&list=PLM5bmJNI5rA1G2ToGMxC5l29vqDiRMgAX&index=3 Can't find this one on YT https://www.storyvillerecords.com/products/time-to-move-on-stcd4238 |
fro, haven't heard that long cool woman in years :thumbs up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JskztPPSJwY |
Can't help it, it's because of Emily and that fro's Long cool woman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFYOHrwi-W8 |
The Girl from Ipanema hits just the right place. Hardly anyone else could sing that better or more right than Astrud. I guess that the song selection gives Astrud certain power in voice expression. Meaning, not just any song could fit her. Yep, out of tune she is but she compensates that (up to some point but not always entirely, obviously) with the innocence and lightness in her voice. As if her voice is the voice of the little girl in grown ups world. Plus there is that off-key charm. She is off but you still like her. I wonder if she is aware of that out of tune singing. I wish that she is. Well, this is how I see her. The same is with the voice of Chet Baker. You say: what an awful singer he is. But let me hear him one more time... |
Emily Remler https://jazztimes.com/features/profiles/emily-remler-rise-decline/ Firefly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ef7uqh_IJ5o Softly as in a morning sunrise https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btc3sEHINBM pjw, I think I have read somewhere that Emily toured with Astrud Gilberto. |
Astrid, among other things, on her relation(ship) with Stan Getz: (interview part 2) http://www.astrudgilberto.com/interview.htm p.s. I might be extremely liberal but dislike that "observation" about affair. Imho, in my book nobody owns (posseses) anybody. I guess that the burden of the freedom is the hardest to deal with. |
Hi guys... Today is jazz again in that pittoresque little place I was telling you about, but the weather forecast calls for the extremely bad weather plus I have so many errands to do today...bah, non... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Z_K5wcfNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVYtXjjO7YA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdhi2E7hmtI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI5pYtSFNgo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgXyJEfAjOg |
Oh my, guys like it rough... So I guess you liked that part when Tyson bit the part of Holyfield’s ear off during that unforgettable fight. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/mike-tyson-evander-holyfield-ear-10466354 Never accept defeat... |
Lot’s of fantastic links from you guys, thank you. You made me google about Bill Evans again. Seemed like very introspective man (agree with frogman) and musician. So was his music just like that, gentle, soft-spoken and in a way, shy but with complete absence of anything resembling compromise - which is quite stunning - to be able to reconcile the strong and the weak in the same phrase in a way to make it sound compact and matching. Imho, it looks like he definitely haven’t received the credit he deserved. Thank you pjw for the lessons from boxing. Now and then, like to observe of what is expected to be a "big boxing event". Last time that was a fight between Andy Ruiz and Anthony Joshua, that ended in a quite unexpected way. What the hell happened there? Curious to know... Boxing and jazz by Matthew Shipp "To an untrained ear jazz can sound crazy, to an untrained eye boxing can seem mad - as the ear and eye becomes trained one learns the complex patterns that underlie the boxing match or the jazz solo - the theater of Kinetic Gesture - a kaleidoscope of intelligent quicksilver action generates a structure of intense beauty. For the body becomes poetry in motion whether through a keyboard or in the ring - complex patterned action generates a poetic time and space - violent yet dancelike, uncivilized yet graceful, raw yet sophisticated." |
p.s. ’Just one more thing.’ To make things simpler and life easier...regarding the Cohen, the man is obviously good but I simply do not feel the same when listenin’ Cohen in comparison to Bill Evans for instance. I would have to make an effort and learn to love Cohen. Being too old and too lazy for the process, will just choose to enjoy the Evans. I am terrible in embracing the new stuff. Evans hit the right spot from the moment I first heard his music. ...so by simplifying the things, I might have even found few answers to some of my questions but it still rings: why? |
...nsp, good for you that you did not take that bet... Very interesting theme, brought by alex. And pure coincidence, I was reading some articles about leaving the comfort zone precisely yesterday. One of my favorite theme. How much we can change or stretch our field of interest or personal taste in music, movies, literature, relationships, etc...once we reach certain level (one learns as long as one lives but still and over the years, one can hardly change that often and that significantly...) If we do change, what drives the change? I recently watched a movie when woman, being asked to explain her affection to a certain man, says: He is not my type but in a time he got closer to my heart. Is that's it? Can we learn to like anything or anybody if we just allow ourselves to like? If yes, what really counts at the end? And what happens with our previously created preferences? Do they melt in the process, do we lose eventually our individuality - something that makes are specific - because if you like everything and everbody, what will make you different from another person that does the same? Lot's of questions. If on the beginning there was a light, at the end will be definitely a question. |
//mary jo Frank Zappa is not for everyone. Mingus' music, as well as Zappa's also requires an "acquired taste" I'm happy you like Gene Ammons' "Angel Eyes" Beautiful song and album.// pjw, I am glad that I do not have that acquired taste. My current limitations suit me just fine. ;-) His music just does not have a sense to me. He can't lure me in, instead I manage to stay out just watching what he does, not participating. However, to Mingus I am giving a chance. Because it's jazz. Orpheus' taste in jazz is in many seen ways (if I am not mistaken?) is similar to Alex's so naturally, O-10 I like many of your postings. But that Stanley Turrentine Salt Song is not my cup of tea either. Can't say it's elevator music, but if there weren't some solos that I found extremely good, or religious themes that do not fit just anywhere, I would call it dinner jazz. However, this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkO7LrZIhQM I find fantastic. |