To me, it sounds as though Pharaoh has experienced heartbreak but sufficient time has passed so the initial sting has subsided. Instead of playing from inside the pain, he's able to look at it with a bit of detachment -- sort of wistfully musing. On the other hand, Coltrane sounds rawer to me, like the wound's still fresh... but what do I know? ;o)
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 stuartk
A different side of Hampton Hawes... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vll2IVmYDJA&list=PLEP60J3cg6P-qkoRFLSv1y8HWlo-P3wAU&index=1 |
RE: Sonny Rollins, I can’t tell when he’s being humorous and when he’s unabashedly mocking a tune. It often sounds to me as though he holds standards at arm’s length, refusing to get too caught up in their emotional content and co-opting their harmonic structures as launching pads for heady virtuoso improvisations. Of course, there’s nothing "wrong" with this. I just happen to prefer more overtly emotional playing.
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Joanne Brackeen with a latin flavor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVX9dFbW2zw&list=OLAK5uy_nDC0263fbicKey1kgd0UW4zEDPmk9kiC4&index=2 |
I have difficulty imagining Hendrix moving into harmonic territory that could accurately be described as Jazz but who knows? If I recall correctly, there was at least one session done with horns and he and Evans has spoken about a collaboration but I think it more likely that any additional harmonic complexity would’ve come from Evans in such a scenario.
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Great to have you back ! Auger is seriously underrated. Perhaps this is at least partly due to the fact that his music is somewhat difficult to classify. "Second Wind" is probably my personal favorite. I also enjoy "Encore" with Julie Tippets on vocals. Kenny Barron is great. A few of his that I enjoy are "Other Places", "Wanton Spirit" and "What If". Have you checked out George Cables or Stanley Cowell?
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A few I like (all on Spotify unless otherwise noted). . . S. Cowell: "Live at Maybeck" is solo and one of the more traditionally-programmed, "inside" recordings of his that I'm familiar with. "Angel Eyes" is another pretty straight-ahead solo recording. "Live" is with a trio and actually more to my taste -- Post Bop. "Setup " is in a similar trio vein to "Live", with the addition of horns. "Close To You Alone" is another personal favorite. It's not on Spotify but two tracks -- "Close To You Alone" and "Equipoise" are on youtube. George Cables 'Dark Side Light Side" is probably my favorite (trio). "Quiet Fire" is also a good one (trio). "Beyond Forever" is brightened by the vibes of Joe Locke. There are quite a few others on Spotify by both artists that I've yet to check out. BTW, two of my favorite sideman gigs for K. Barron are "There Goes the Neighborhood" by Gary Bartz and Bobby Hutcherson's "In The Vanguard" (both live recordings). These should get you started -- hope you find something among these you like! Have you checked out Mal Waldron?
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In retrospect, it made little sense for me to have mentioned Waldron in the same post as Cables and Barron, as he’s very different, stylistically. I’m afraid I allowed myself to get overly carried away by my own personal enthusiasms rather than maintaining focus on what you might like. Sorry about that! Still, if you enjoy Monk or Andrew Hill, you might enjoy Waldron, as he’s somewhat of a "kindred spirit". One of my favorites is "Left Alone ’86", co-led by Jackie Mclean. This is quite accessible. Unfortunately, all I can find is the title track on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEMyZDSIvWE The entirety of the terrific trio "You and the Night and the Music" is available on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG4pgpR658I I have no idea if this will appeal to you. At any rate, I’ll do my best to stay on point, moving forward!
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More suggestions... Michel Petrucciani’s "Complete Concert in Germany" Tommy Flanagan Hank Jones Cedar Walton Jim McNeely with Stan Getz ("Pure Getz", "Blue Skies", "Live In Paris"). His recent "In This Moment" is stand-out piano trio Jazz. James Williams with Art Farmer Quintet ("Blame it on my Youth", "Something to Live For") Kenny Kirkland, on Kenny Garrett’s "Songbook" and others. Mulgrew Miller with Woody Shaw and Tony Williams. As a leader "Hand in Hand" Kenny Werner, his trios and as a sideman, on Tom Harrell’s "Labyrinth"
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Glad I could help! Don't forget "Out Of The Afternoons" led by Roy Haynes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbirLC_yujg
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BTW, the "spiritual Jazz" series is on the British label "Jazzman". Here is the discogs page for the series: https://www.discogs.com/label/528518-Spiritual-Jazz Not sure if they’ve all been released on both vinyl and cd. Thanks, @mahgister for turning us on to this series.
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" I still really enjoy listening to simple 50’s-60’s style jazz and closing my eyes and imagining that I’m in some smoky nightclub on the lower east side, tapping my toe." Nothing wrong with that! I listen to that sort of stuff, too! I grew up not too far from Manhattan but a generation too late to see such greats at that time, in that place. I didn't suggest any recordings from the early careers of the artists mentioned because I assumed others would probably mention those. Happy listening!
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My Jazz listening journey was, for quite awhile, very much influenced by the Penguin Guides to Jazz. I started out collecting the usual "classics" but the Guides also turned me on to lesser known recordings from the 50’s and 60’s as well as excellent Jazz recordings from the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s. We live a couple hours from Oakland and for a number of years, we made regular "pilgrimages" to Yoshi’s to hear the likes of McCoy Tyner, Joe Lovano, Bobby Hutcherson, Cedar Walton, Jack DeJohnette, Bobby Watson, Dave Holland, Billy Harper, etc. Now, Yoshi’s rarely features Jazz and it’s probably just as well -- Bay Area traffic is insane! I’ll be happy to suggest more artists/recordings whenever you’re ready. Let me know and I’ll PM you a list.
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Hah -- very funny. Now you know why the authors are such ardent proponents of Cool Jazz! The Guide, like any, has its pros and cons. If you read Amazon reviews, I expect you’ll encounter plenty of complaints and criticisms. Each edition only covers those discs that were available in the UK in the year of publication. There are no out-of-print titles. The authors mystifyingly leave out artists who deserve inclusion and are big fans of European Free Jazz that simply doesn't sound very "jazzy" to me. They can come across as being overly impressed by their own cleverness.. Nevertheless, for me, the pros have significantly outweighed the cons; it’s served as a gateway to so much great music. But keep in mind, when I first encountered it, I hadn’t listened to Jazz for very long. At that point, I’d heard (or at least heard of) Dizzy, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard and Miles. The Guide introduced me to the likes of Art Farmer, Booker Little, Woody Shaw, Charles Tolliver, Kenny Dorham, Kenny Wheeler, Johnny Coles, Tom Harrell and Eddie Henderson, greatly expanding my horizons. As my tastes and exposure to more and more music developed, I turned to the Guide less often but I still pick it up now and then. For example, "The Unforgettable NHOP Trio Live" CD was one that I found in the Guide only a few months ago. I get the sense you are far from a neophyte. I’ll be interested to hear what you think. Another one I’ve used: "The All Music Definitive Guide to Jazz". It includes out of print titles but the main problem I’ve encountered is the fact that there are many more reviewers involved. It’s rendered the task of determining to what degree reviewers’ tastes align with my own much more challenging. But it does list titles the Penguin omits and I have discovered some good stuff in its pages.
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That's an admirably open-minded approach!
It's good you're getting it from the library first. Then, if you like it, you can decide which edition you want to buy. You're welcome! If you like early Fusion, have you heard Horacee Arnold's "Tales of the Exonerated Flea" and "Tribe" ? If not, check 'em out -- they've been released as a two-fer.
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Unfortunately, there are few opportunities to hear top-tier live Jazz unless one lives in a major city and even that is no guarantee. For example, my wife and I are Dave Holland fans and we were able to see his Quintet (3 times), his Big Band and the Gateway trio, all in the the Bay Area. The associated venues no longer feature Jazz at all or do so very rarely. Jazz seems to be significantly less popular (relatively speaking) now than it was in the 90’s, at least in the US.
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Yes; Geri Allen was a remarkable artist. Some of her recordings are a bit too outside for my current tastes but I still enjoy "Life of a Song" with my favorite bass/drum duo Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette and the much earlier "The Nurturer". I saw Allen just once, as part of (surprisingly) a Lee Morgan memorial band that also featured Eddie Henderson and Billy Harper. On that occasion, I actually found Harper most impressive. A towering presence, both in musical and spiritual terms. Another equally characterful and seldom-mentioned pianist is Michelle Rosewoman. |
Hah ! I'm sure you've enjoyed your share of live music! It's true, though; we were very fortunate to have access to Yoshi's while we were still young enough to be willing to drive two and a half hours each way. Now, looking back, I'm sorry we didn't go more often. I would've loved to have seen Kenny Garrett, for example or my favorite (living) Jazz singer Jackie Ryan. Now, Yoshi's offers very little Jazz and Bay Area traffic has gotten even worse, so having a nice audio system is more important than ever! ;o)
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To be honest, I mostly went to hear DeJohnette. Not that Holland or Abercrombie were disappointing! Yes; I’ve heard Prism. Interesting, how Holland has found it invigorating to re-visit that electric Miles type sound, even to the extent of playing some electric bass. Also with Eubanks: "Another Land". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUl5Iey6iq8&list=OLAK5uy_mN6r6bCS1mZdiUMPuBptT6oV3YHQC1wDU Are you familiar with Abercrombie’s group with organist Dan Wall? Here’s a taste: : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orLhW847tk4&list=RDorLhW847tk4&start_radio=1 That Trio of Doom version of "The Black Prince" is ferocious! the only time I ever saw Jaco was with J. Mitchell, at the Santa Barbara County Bowl show that was later released as "Shadows and Light". Thanks so much for your affirming comments. This is my favorite section of the Forum. I’d rather talk about music than gear any day! I wouldn’t claim to have "good taste" -- only that I know what I like. I saw RTF on the original Romantic Warrior tour; my favorite portions of the show were the solo acoustic interludes. In fact, I’ve always preferred Di Meola’s acoustic playing. I have "The Rite of Strings" and the "The Guitar Trio" and enjoy his playing very much on those. If you’re a big Di Meola fan you might enjoy Rick Beato’s interview with Al. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU745UovT2g I first heard Booker Ervin on Mingus recordings. From there I went on to explore his recordings as a leader. Here’s a somewhat rare one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCWPCvb0gmo&list=PLyHn3f7-9IULJ3w8PqZyuOPhF0LbtOY4O
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Hah! I’ll confess that never occurred to me! ;o) I hope "going back to school" will be fun for you!
Glad you think so. I’ve found it very useful over several decades of exploring Jazz. I don’t have a problem reading it with glasses but I’m a bit younger than you, I suspect. I think I mentioned I saw T. Akioshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was at the same venue where I saw Oregon and Bill Evans trio -- Campbell Hall, UCSB.
It was ’76 for me. |
Yes; I mentioned the Mosaic 3 CD set. Did you buy it? last I checked, most of their recordings were out of print or only available as expensive Japanese’s imports. Here’s their discogs page: https://www.discogs.com/artist/257337-Toshiko-Akiyoshi-Lew-Tabackin-Big-Band I don’t usually enjoy big band music either but another I like is led by bassist Dave Holland. I wasn’t able to find the full albums on youtube but here are a few excerpts; https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXlq4LVUyCx6owrYdaneAiXDxMpCeAeM7
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You are most welcome! BTW, Tabackin is no slouch, either! I dislike most Jazz flute playing but his, with its distinctive "oriental" flavor, I find very enjoyable. A sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfyT25pJmOU
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Yes. Filling a room with gear is easy. Choosing gear that works well together in a particular space is not so easy. Another big band recording I enjoy; Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra "Song for Chico": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ltDgtpJt4
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Two more Canadians: Neil Swainson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkVuWEgNSvc&list=OLAK5uy_l4ML1KERpzYwhrKkkbZQJGuqwlJ5m0Yi8 and Ingrid Jensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIdmE2vKCWk&list=OLAK5uy_nXtCQ99n4i74uDiQrMfBEyxVuO8khDZy8&index=2
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Michael Carvin is certainly not a name that comes up, often! I had a duo album he did with Jacki Mc Lean, at one point -- back when I listened to vinyl. The main reason I switched to CDs was that a lot of Jazz had gone out of print at that point (80's) and the prices were quite high. There were many more titles available at more affordable prices on CD.
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I have a few D. Murray CDs but most of his stuff is too outside for me. I’m curious -- what are some of your favorite D. Murray recordings?
No, unfortunately, as many of us are discovering. Hope the issues get figured out and that treatment is on the mild rather than extreme end of the spectrum.
I'm not sure why but I've never found S. Rollins particularly engaging on an emotional level. As a result, I only own 3 or 4 albums and don't often listen to them. Intellectually, I admire his brilliance as an improvisor, but, to utilize an old-fashioned phrase, he doesn't "tug at my heartstrings". I often wish my personal tastes were more flexible but I've found that going back and re-listening rarely results in changing how an artist or recording impacts me.
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I've got S. Colossus, Newk's Time, and Plus Four (w. Clifford Brown). At this point, these are the three I like the most. I like Stitt so I'll try Sonny Side Up.
Fair enough. Of the three you've linked, I do like the Live at the Vanguard trio stuff. I've been remiss in not buying that one! I'd like the Bridge if it weren't for Jim Hall -- he always sounds so "polite" and "professorial" to me. I have Boss Tenors by Ammons and Stitt, so it's no stretch for me to enjoy the "All Stars Sessions" you've linked to. It may be a heresy but I much prefer Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter to Coltrane, Rollins. |
I suspect this is true for many of us, to one degree or another, of a certain age. For one thing, the Jazz influence was pervasive in Pop music at the time, which eased the transition from listening to "jazzy Pop/Rock" to more commercial-sounding Jazz and from there, to more creative forms of Jazz. I still listen to some 70's Jazz such as Oregon, Mahavishnu O., the early acoustic version of RTF, J. L. Ponty and various ECM titles.
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Good one! I believe that particular group released three records. You might also like "Hear Y, Hear Ye" by Harold Land/Red Mitchell Quintet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta1YjhRhrMw
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Thanks. I have "Ming’s Samba" but none of the others on your list. Will check them out. I have "Ballads" and "Lovers" as well. These are probably fairly conservative, for him. I used to favor more atonality but as I’ve aged, my taste for it has definitely waned. For example, I can’t listen to Eric Dolphy anymore -- it just sounds out of tune to me. BTW, I was fortunate to see D. Murray in the eighties with a stellar group: John Hicks, Reggie Workman and Ed Blackwell.
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