Acman3:
No thanks necessary. Just doing my duty as chief of Jazz police.
Cheers
1102
No thanks necessary. Just doing my duty as chief of Jazz police.
Cheers
1102
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 rok2id
Learsfool: Excellent response to all my questions. Thanks. You mentioned that the principal players are 'The Leaders', does that mean they have duties other than just playing? I am sure you are correct about The Frogman. Once he comes out of his latest 'Pouting' episode, we all look forward to his continued input. Cheers |
Learsfool: Not trying to make a mountain of a mole hill, or bore you to death. I don't pretend to know much about Paganini, or follow all the author's musical reasoning, but I always thought the composer's intent was sacrosanct. This is the relevant portion of the article: CUT VERSIONS I want to hear every note Paganini wrote, which means, sadly, that several otherwise fine versions are 'hors de combat', including two by the tragic, extravagantly gifted Michael Rabin. In the score, after the opening 12 bars, a second theme is heard in D major. With Lovro von Matacic in 1954(SCH) this is ignored and a terrible cut is made of eight bars to letter A, meaning that you hear this theme for the first time not in the Tonic but in F. A further cut of 57 bars omits the first statement of the important third subject, and the music resumes just four bars before the soloist's first entry. It makes no musical sense. The cadenza is by Carl Flesch. In 1960 with Eugene Goossens, in addition to the same cuts in the opening tutti, Rabin makes another one in the last movement, which jumps from letter L to letter R, omitting 151 bars--a whole section in G major with material that is otherwise never heard again. Sadly, as far as this survey is concerned, it's 'au revoir' Rabin, who first made me fall in love with the work art the age of 12. He goes on the mention cuts by Ruggiero Ricci -- the opening tutti goes from 94 bars to 26. and another 26 bars of the finale. He mentions several more, but you get the drift. I used the term 'rhyme or reason', because no one seemed to make the same cuts. They were all different. I did Google this. It seems as if this is not just limited to Paganini. I do recall reading once, that Paganini wrote music that he felt only he, had the skill to play. Could that be a factor in all these cuts? :) Your comments will greatly appreciated. Cheers 1106 |
Learsfool: Excellent Posts. Very educational. After all this, I think I will play my Paganini CDs today. I only the '24 Caprices'. One CD by Fischer, and one by Midori. I appreciate the time you took to respond in such detail. I am beginning to have a much better understanding of the workings of an orchestra. I assume you realize, that you and The Frogman have the best jobs in the world. I don't know why I was so determined to get to the bottom of the 'cuts' thingy, after all, I always get the 'highlights' versions of Operas. But I did learn something. If you ever have the time you might go a little more in depth concerning the 'bowing' of the string parts. The Frogman mentioned this some time ago, but did not get into it. If it's somethinmg that can be explained to a non-musician. Thanks. Cheers |
I found this last night while looking for Christmas DVDs. Turns out, it's by the LSO. I wonder if the Trumpet player is the one I read about in the Obit. Colin Davis' comments in the interview after the concert, concerning women in the orchestra, were very interesting. The exact same thing can be said of Women in the U.S. Military. They made/make it, a much better place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGSOkYWfDQ Cheers |
Learsfool: Thanks for the usual in-depth reply. Seems as if nothing is as simple as it appears to the layman. This seems like Minnesota all over again. Ran across it while checking up on CBA's. The article does not mention the conductor. You have any idea where he stands in all this? http://www.peachpundit.com/2014/09/07/atlanta-symphony-management-fail-to-meet-cba-deadline/ Underneath all the beautiful art created or performed, lies the vulgar realities of life. The need to earn a living. Part Musical Wizards, part UAW. :) Cheers |
Learsfool: Given the tremendous financial problems facing many orchestras, what do you think is the answer. I think Government funding, in this country, is a non-starter. Seems like some thinking outside the Box might be called for. If it were sports teams, we could always hope for a shoe deal, or TV deal. Your Horn section, in Nike Air-Mozarts? :) Cheers |
The biggest drawback to most boxed sets with the word "Complete" in the title, is the endless 'alternate takes', and the stuff that was not meant to be released at the time of recording. Best to stick with 'the best of' or 'master tapes' I just had to have the Decca stuff, so I will suffer through them with a smile on my face. :) BTW, the notes writer on vol.9 said that Billie recorded few of what we know today as 'Jazz Classics'. He said most of her output was "Pop Potboilers" and "Standards". hmmmmm I never thought of her that way. Cheers |
O-10: A nice Tenor-Bass duet from the same CD. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJou_YPgbgI This is from my only Quebec CD. What a lineup!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoBhmxHgHig Cheers |
Jim Wright Trio- South Side Soul I loved it. There is an item on Amazon that includes all four of his albums. It's in my cart. He sort of plays in the vein of Gene Harris. And that ain't bad. He is definitely from / in a Blues enviroment. I can name several Blues CDs, with the name South Side Soul. Junior Wells and Buddy Guy come to mind. Thanks for the clip. Cheers |
Alexatpos: *****Speaking of virtouso, Phineas Newborn was one, again, never received enough recognition.****** That is true, but he did receive his proper due from me.:) This is my latest Newborn purchase. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTrH4RECJJY BTW, as nice as it was, you did send the same clip twice last post. Cheers |
****Rok, we seem to be lost in a time warp. I have resigned myself to quit trying to get out of it, and just enjoy.**** O-10, We are no more lost than the millions, including me, that listen to European Classical music. We are just listening to and trying to canonize, American Classical Music. Our 'Golden Age' would be from, Say, New Orleans, up to, but not including, the rise of the Noise makers. We really need to decide on a date for the end of our 'Golden Age'. Basie is just as Classic as Bach! "The term "classical music" did not appear until the early 19th century, in an attempt to distinctly canonize the period from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven as a golden age.[7] The earliest reference to "classical music" recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is from about 1836." - wiki Cheers |
Milt Jackson Ballard and Blues: Excellent as always. I don't think Milt can make a bad album. I am not sure anyone playing vibes can make a bad album. Great Jazz instrument. Never sounds melancholic like Saxophones and Trumpets often do. Always says to me, "the sun is out and everything will be alright". :) Thanks for the clip. Cheers |
Today's Listen: Art Blakey -- ART BLAKEY'S JAZZ MESSENGERS with THELONIOUS MONK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Kw5moQPWg This is the entire CD. Great Stuff. Cheers |
Great Guitar playing all around. I have the Idle Moments CD, and several more by Grant Green. Pat Martino just happens to be on one of my latest purchases,"The Legends of Acid Jazz". Houston Person is the main attraction on that one. I started to present clips of Wes and Kenny, to restore order, but decided, what the hell, it's Sunday. So I'll let you guys slide today. Cheers |
Good for what ails ya!! No tank tops and blue jeans here. The best male singer ever??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxq3SVz3WNU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyYcv3TMM4A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M__j_feCKG0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ_bkuAZD8A Cheers |
O-10: Greatest DooWop ever?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvzNeh4Mq1o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3HXy9mGPpI Loved Miss Reeves doing "Summertime". Cheers |
One of my latest: While you were running all over the Himalayas, you over looked this gem. Seems like an odd pairing, but it's great stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmsddlqVXY The Gaberek was good. Nice visuals also. Esp the women in the field swaying! Wow! Liked it better than the Kilimanjaro clip. Has this site been down? Slow as molasses in the winter time! Cheers |
O-10: Today's Listen: Louis Armstrong -- SATCH PLAYS FATS (SACD) Bet you can't listen to these without smiling. What a talent!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6P5qLCYiWw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcUsapcOVpc Cheers |
Since we seem to be taking a break from Jazz, may I present: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG9X5Ewp15U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RePdIllMJhU Cheers |
O-10: I have the Lady in Satin CD. The wiki entry was sort of contradictory. I guess they all heard different things. I agree it's painful to listen to her, but still compelling. I was surprised to read that it made the Grammy Hall of Fame. Not that I put much stock in the Grammy Awards. Today I will listen to her CD, Lady in Autumn: the best of the verve years. Will get back on it. Cheers |
Today's Listen: THE INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEARTS of RHYTHM I was looking thru some old family photos from way back in the day. Came across a photo of this group. Signed to my Aunt. I think she knew several of the band members, and they did play in Greenville while on tour. They started at the Piney Woods school in Mississippi. Foxes Galore!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Sweethearts_of_Rhythm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piney_Woods_Country_Life_School http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WczP3PyHt20 Enjoy Cheers |
O-10: Glad you enjoyed the girl band. Today's listen: Billie Holiday -- LADY IN AUTUMN:THE BEST OF THE VERVE YEARS I listened to this when I was alone, and the house was quiet. WOW! She is sooo good. She don't need no stinking perfect voice. The feeling she puts into her singing is just amazing. Much better than the 'Quintessentiasl vol 5'. Very good recorded sound. Even the strings on the last few tracks of CD#2 could not mar her performance. From the liner notes: "like the aging fast-ball pitcher who has lost his stuff, she was depending more and more on craft and guile to put across her songs." --- John S Wilson, Jazz Critic. And then, there was this, from a Jazz Musician, shortly before her death.: "I'd rather hear her now. She's become much more mature. Sometimes you can sing words every night for five years, and all of a sudden it dawns on you what the song means. I played 'My Funny Valentine' for a long time-and didn't like it-and all of a sudden it meant something. So with Billie, you know she's not thinking now what she was in 1937, and she's probably learned more about different things. And she has control, probably more control now than then. No I don't think she's in a decline." -- Miles Davis, Jazz Musician. "But, even in her youth, Holiday's voice was not, in itself, remarkable. Compared to Ella and Sarah, she possessed a limited instrument--relatively narrow in range, tone and color. The way Holiday used her voice--her resourceful alterations of melody; her dramatic, often ironic, approach to lyrics; her peerless sense of swing -- is what made her the greatest singer in Jazz history."----Joel E. Siegel, writer of the liner notes. I tend to agree with Siegel, up to a point. No sure about that 'greatest in history' stuff. After all, Miss Fitzgerald was in history! :) But all are interesting. Next up, tomorrow, The Complete DECCA recordings. Cheers |
Different strokes for different folks. Ella http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9yxokrJJ6Q Billie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhdYoWhBKhM Nina http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjOU511yBMg Dee Dee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3C9L6VzOdY Etta http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP97iBFNdiY And the winner is___________??? Cheers |
O-10: You should heed the "Warning Labels" on these sound wave CDs. One of these days you'll wake up, and still be in the dream! That'll Learn Ya! "Celestial Soda Pop" has been on the playlist of my local PBS station for years. Never knew who played it. I love it. Does not really need pictures. Although the pics were great. The P-51 just has to be the most beautiful airplane ever made. I guess I owe Mr Lynch an apology.:( Cheers |
******And the winner is "Nina Simone".****** The correct order of finish: 1. Ella 2. Billie 3. Etta 4. Dee Dee 5. Nina Billie and Ella was a "pick'em". The backing groups on both were awesome. Billie better phrasing, Ella better voice?? After all, it is Billie's song. Etta, just regular great talent. Dee Dee was fun, but I am not sure what she was singing, after the opening. But loved her, and the guys on Sax. Nina just did not do it for me. But I cannot bring myself to criticize Miss Simone. She may have went over my head. Cheers |
Mitch4t: I thought 'carry on' was too much Brecker and not enough Lynne. I thought Iko Iko (my post) was a much better showcase of her talents. I notice she plays a lot of the old classic tunes. Good for her. I have always felt that a lot of the classic stuff can be done better. After all, the hard work has already been done. And maybe modern recording techniques, better instrumentmentation, and fresh insight, can actually improve a lot of the old recordings, if not the creation. Now, if she would only dress a little less revealing, so we can concentrate of the music! Thanks for introducing her. Cheers |
O-10: Enjoyed both tunes sung by Karrin Allyson. She is really good. A Stone Fox also! My problem with a lot of the current artists is not whether they are as good or better than the greats of the past, it's that they tend to discard and ignore the past in it's entirety. By singing the tunes 'Moanin', and 'All Things Must Change', she shows she does not do this. When I heard her sing 'Moanin', I just knew I had heard it sung many times before, but could not remember the performer. Thanks to Google, I remembered it was Lambert Hendricks & Ross. I like Allyson's version better. To refresh our memory: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynZDm50EgBY Thanks for the clips. Cheers |
******I don't think I want to know what that "Super fox" I met over 40 years ago, looks like today.****** Maybe a lot better than you might think. I found that out at my last high school reunion. A Fox is a Fox! Sometimes they get better with age. Esp when you consider there is no longer all that teenage nonsense. CURRO -- I think it's a Spanish word meaning 'work', or showy, flashy or cocky. The truck says work. I have just two by Donald Byrd. One "The Cat Walk" has him with Pepper Adams. They were co-leaders of the group. Byrd was a very interesting, outspoken and highly educated player. One writer said he was Jazz's ultimate loose canon, once Miles passed away. He must have had the habit of telling the truth. :) Nice tune. What method do you use to find all these tunes and artists? Cheers |
Will wonders ever cease? A current day 'Jazz' player that actually plays Jazz. How refreshing! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNkBjsL_M5s Cheers |
Learsfool: I found both of your recommendations on Amazon. Thanks. Not too much into hearing EVERYTHING on a CD. I have a Anne Sophie-Mutter CD I can hardly listen to, due to her breathing. I realize folks gotta breath, but someone in the control booth should have corrected this. I guess they don't call them SACDs for nothing. Cheers |
O-10: Tony Bennett says she is the Ella, AND Sarah of Brazil. Damn!! I think she is the LENY of Brazil, and that's Damn good. Wiki recommends this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d6bZavW7is Cheers |
That time of year once again. If you like the POP stuff. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svo17Dgs3PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svo17Dgs3PM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBFXAEhWsio For Jazz, I recommend Oscar Peterson, and Wynton Marsalis. The REAL stuff, tomorrow. Cheers |
******While Trane's version was killer jazz, it's a long way from the original, and that's why Sheila tops Trane; her version convey's the "essence" of the tune.****** Sometimes the original can be improved upon. What do you think? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-lHrDPjGfQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX2n2EE2hls http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSGc0bx-kKM or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOQwxup-jv4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XurWUn5_S_E9 If I could only listen to one version of "My Favorite Things", I would chose Trane, or, Frederica von Sade. Cheers |