Phil Woods dead. Not many more left.
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
****So I wonder what new is going on in Jazz these days?***** I sometimes wonder myself. I'm just too lazy and uninterested to keep up with it all. I tend to just look for familiar names. Most long dead. I have finally reconciled to the fact that, it's the rare person that can adapt to music genres throughout their lifetime. The artistic world moves on, as people get on and off. Cheers |
*****Like many things, the US role in determining popular music trends seems less***** True. As the world recovers from WWII, Colonialism, Communism, and other forms of dictatorship, and enters the IT age, there are more voices demanding to be heard. The world is no longer the playground of the U.S. Everyone is demanding entry into the sandbox. But, thanks to recorded music, we can live in any era we desire. How I long for the good old days of the cold war. :) Cheers |
With the so-called "Thaw" in relations with the U.S., Cuban music is in mortal danger. Castro may hold out for a while, but eventually, Cuban music will have to pass muster with the typical air-head in the U.S. Sad. And of course, the crowd in Miami will, as Bob Dylan once said referring to the European invasion of the U.S., "Start buying the place with beads." Nice chicks eeerrr I mean clips, but most not Jazz. Or at least not Jazz-Jazz. :) Pray for Cuba. Cheers |
****I'm sure you're both wrong about Cuba***** Once I thought I was wrong, turned out I was not, so that is the only time I have been wrong. You don't get to be one of the world's foremost authorities, by being wrong on anything. ****While economically it looks like a third world country, the fact that it has an educational foundation plus unified people who have been around the block will make all the difference in the world going forward.**** I am not sure there are any more third world countries. Once we had first world Countires,(The West), and second world countries(communist Bloc) and then the un-aligned countries(third World). In any event you are correct about the Cuban education system. They even export Medical Doctors and other science teachers to the rest of Central and South America. Having said that, when the Yanqui Dollar shows up, and travel restrictions are eased, those poor people will not stand a chance. After a while, all those doctors will be practicing in large American cities. The "Brain Drain" will also impact the people. I don't think, THAT, Eddie Fisher ever made it to East ST. Louis. :) Cheers |
There is only one Blues, and it's name is Delta. Not literally true, but close enough. BTW, I think DELTA refers to the land bordering the river, and flatten by eons of flooding by the river, so we are speaking of Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi. BTW, The richest soil on the planet. The Blues does not travel well outside of it's time and place. It was taken to places like Memphis and Chicago by people from the Delta. There is a mild country-tinged version native to the Carolinas., called, Piedmont blues. All else is bogus. The first step in understanding and appreciating the Blues, is to understand the language of the music. Double entendre is the norm. You tend to look at the social conditions and see nothing but the bad, I see a resilient people that contributed great things under trying conditions. Blues, Spirituals, Gospel, Jazz, R&B and Rock & Roll. As Cannonball said, "It's not all the same thing, but it's all from the same thing". Not bad for a bunch of share croppers. BTW, all great music springs from social conditions, quite often, bad ones. Cheers |
some of my favorites by one of, if not, the best ever. should have gone on to Mexico https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C4PsXoFslM poignant. speaks to difficulty in communicating https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0MIQHymToA why they call him howlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VTKsEA-nbs any blues song with the word 'rooster' in it, is xxxx rated https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vr-DR5HdKw |
*****The most deprived people in the United States of America came out of the Mississippi Delta.***** Ever heard of Appalachia? Probably not. No one had, until LBJ went there in 1960, while running for office. Of course, poverty in this country HAS to be Minority. Otherwise it's invisible to the politicians.. BTW, Black people in Mississippi were at the bottom of society legally, but not necessarily on the bottom socially. You had to be there to understand. *****I saw some of those people after they caught that jet to Detroit and went to work on somebody's assembly line making top wages in the middle 60's to early 70's. People I visited lived in nice homes, drove new cars, and dressed elegantly. All people need is an opportunity, they'll do the rest.****** Been to Detroit lately? Better be able to speak Arabic. Many of those nice homes are now abandoned, and used as crack dens. No one works anymore. The women are all married to Uncle Sam. You would be amazed at the number of children fathered by the Government. I applied for a job in that department(baby making) once, but never received a reply. So, what happened?? The Great Society happened. People sold their families and their souls for a welfare check. Ain't progress grand!! Many people in Mississippi were poor in material wealth. They were not poor in spirit or Character. That would come later, in the Northern Inner-Cities. Who left the South for the North, and who did not, is a fascinating discussion. Cheers Gil Scott-Heron still sucks. |
*****"The women are all married to Uncle Sam". This statement is lower than whale feces; it blames the victim for the crime.***** It's also, sadly, often true. When the Government fulfills the role and esp the responsibilities normally reserved for the Male in a family unit, then that woman is married to the Government. Not sure what 'crime' you are speaking of. Cheers |
One last thing: Poverty is an important part of our economic system. It's the motivator. It's what makes Capitalism work. If no one had to fear being poor, I think the morning rush hour, would be a lot less rushed. Some European Countries are trying to eliminate poverty by Government action. The people of those countries are paying through the nose, and they still can't do it. In the U.K., that entire country depends on the Government to an amazing degree. Unbelievable !! The Bible says there will always be poor people. They trick is, to not be one of them. Make smart moves in life. Cheers good for your southern soul https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tm6QEN7ABg |
Mapman, you are a wise man. One of the worst things about Jazz and blues, is that the early recordings are so bad. Some people can listen thru the noise, I am not one of them. :( I have a lot of the early guys, Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith etc..., but seldom listen to them. Question is, can there be Blues, other than the originals. Folks can play / cover blues songs, but that don't make it the Blues. Cheers |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKo80b-QfK0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5IOou6qN1o North Mississippi (hill country) Blues Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TMvxIRDLws fife and drum also from North Mississippi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUjxGra9uBw Cheers |
*****While not wishing to be contrary, "all great music springs from social conditions" must be challenged! Bach's, for one, didn't. It sprung from his genius, and deep religious faith, neither of which do I consider a social condition.***** Social condition does not have to mean anything negative. It can, but it does not have to. Bach sprang from a religious background. Maybe even an musical academic background. Those are social conditions. His environment. Had Bach been born in a forest and raised by nomadic gypsies, hmmmmmmmm. no Brandenburg Concertos for sure. Cheers |
*****Of course J.S.'s music was greatly influenced by his family environment, academic education, and faith, but are those considered "social conditions"? ****** Yes. There may have been other people with his 'genius', just born under the wrong Social Conditions. Wrong side of the tracks. *****might as well say it springs from being alive! ***** Exactly. Being alive and being in the right time/place and conditions. If Elvis had been born in Montana instead of Mississippi, would we have ever known of him. I doubt it. Probably not too much Blues and Gospel on the Radio in Montana in the 50's. Or the 15's :) *****It also minimizes and trivializes the role the individual plays in the creation of his music.****** We were speaking of an entire genre of music, not an individual. Some Blues players were considered great and they were successful, others were great and died in obscurity. Many more should not have quit their day jobs. We are speaking of the conditions that contributed to, or gave birth to the genre called Blues. I wonder how far Bach's 'genius' reaches beyond the Western world. I love his music, but if I had been born in Indonesia, maybe not so much. Cheers |
*****while his words capture the struggles of people living in the city on the lower economic level, and they do this with a delicate sensitivity. **** The CD, THE LAST POETS, by a group of the same name, captures all one needs to know about lower economic people in the city. With delicate sensitivity??? That would a big fat NO!! ahahahaha The Last Poets are not for the true believers or the PC crowd. Truth spoken there. The unvarnished kind!! Cheers |
Bdp24: I remember the first time I saw/heard a CD being played. It was in the mid-80's at the PX in Nuremberg, Germany. The Sony Representative was demonstrating the player. The remote control functions blew me away. I remember saying quietly, "thank You Lord". No more clicks and pops. No more ritual to 'prepare' a record for play. It was amazing how much STUFF you needed just to play and maintain a record. All now in my garage. Along with my once loved/prized Thorens. Sometimes progress is actually better. Cheers |
*****comment on "Pepper Adams Plays Mingus". This music is for "very serious" fans of Charles Mingus***** Now we have, Pepper Adams meets the Rhythm Section?? It was very good. Listening to them back to back, put me into sensory overload. Aural memory is very fleeting. Esp if you don't know what 'nuts and bolts' to listen for. I did Google and Wiki Adams. He had a very big time career. Played with the top people, which makes him one of the top people. I really wanted to find out why he, or anyone else for that matter, would choose to play the baritone sax. He went through everything from the trombone to the clarinet, and ended with the baritone. I assume the Baritone is a lot harder to play, and carry around, without any benefit that I can see. He, and the others, played with Mingus on many dates, so this was sort of like 'Mingus Minus Mingus'. But I enjoyed it. The Mingus clip was more brooding. Cheers |
Recent purchases: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra -- LIVE IN CUBA Excellent Big Band Record. It's a 2-CD set, which was a nice Surprise. Not as much 'Latin' as I was expecting, but, I guess the objective was to showcase different music for the folks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Cn9bGFd13c If "Marsalis and Clapton Play the Blues" was Pops and Oliver, then " Live in Cuba" is Ellington and Basie. Cheers |
*****Mingus was a deep and heavy thinker who expressed his thoughts.***** I agree. I would add ANGRY to the list. Not someone to trifle with. I think he was very disappointed in mankind. *****Can you imagine him and Miles stuck in a car from New York to LA, with Mingus rapping, and Miles unable to put two sentences together before giving out". ****** I can imagine Miles being found in a shallow grave, in the desert outside Vegas. :) Cheers |
*****Speaking of baritone sax, here are couple of albums that I like, perhaps they are not mentioned before...***** All the clips were very nicely done. The Randy Weston / Cecil Payne was just a tad too laid back for my taste. I would have liked a little more dynamics. Their clips were better suited for listening while doing something else. But, well played. Love Weston. I have a lot of his stuff. If Leo Parker was not famous, he sure deserved to be more well known. I am sure there are plenty of noise-makers that are more famous. At least he rated a RvG production. I am not familiar with Serge Chaloff, but it was a nice piece of music. I wonder if playing the baritone limits a player's solos in any way? Would it be like Miles on Tuba?? :) Thanks for the post. Cheers |
I put Serge Chaloff's "BLUE SERGE" in my cart on Amazon. The reviews were excellent, so I'll take a chance. He seems to have lived the stereotypical Jazz life, Drug addict etc.... The reviewers on Amazon did mention the Baritone as being difficult to play. One said, he could play it like a Tenor! Thanks for the clips and info on Chaloff. Cheers |
*****Here's something really different from "Grant Green***** Truer words have never been written!! ::( *****he could come from so many different directions that it boggles the mind,***** Well, this is one direction he should not have come from. Never heard of the movie, but when you mentioned soundtrack I knew it was some of that "Blaxploitation" junk. Hollywood's saddest chapter. Sorry, I just couldn't get pass the movie genre. So sad to see a Jazz great like Grant doing this sort of thing, but I guess it paid well. The music, like the movies, is sterile and empty of feeling. The early 70's were a very mixed bag. Some Great stuff, but also a lot of Junk-Jazz. Many guys selling their names and reputations to get paid. Cheers |
*****Rok, you got the same problem with this as I had with "Da Blues", I can't hear the music because so many other factors surrounding the music keep flooding my mind.***** Well the difference is, the blues is great music, the Green clips were not. Also, next time you start agonizing over conditions in the delta, check out a documentary titled "Harlan County, USA." It was shown tonight on Turner Classic Movies. Places like West Virginia and Kentucky created it's own music because of local "conditions". Makes the Delta look pretty good. Cheers |
Had brother Gene Harris in the player this morning. He played two of the OP's all time favorites. Thought I'd share. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CG10eGWe30o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqIDSwvVR_c Cheers |
Who is/was great, and who is/was not great, and why, is an almost impossible question to answer. Too many variables. Some few Possibles: They could not play as well as the greats didn't work well with others They were drug addicts They were not very attractive people did not kiss the right ass pissed the wrong people off did not want to pay the personal price it takes to be great were one hit wonders, But really didn't have anything to say(brubeck) spent long periods of time in jail. had mental problems. Quite a few musicians were nuts. were satisfied to just make a living. no drive or ambition. played for themselves and not their audience where ripped off my the sharks in the business, quit in disgust. lived in the wrong place/time. Three things that will allow you to understand the universe. Including the Jazz/Music business. Notice the word 'business'. (1) Numbers Count.--- How many times something happens, will determine our attitude towards it, and how we react to it, or perceive it. (2) Facts Matter. Facts cannot be ignored. Reasons can be argued and emphasis placed here and there, even excuses, but, Facts cannot be changed. (3) The unwashed Decide. --- In any capitalist system, the tastes of the masses(the folks with the most money collectively) will decide what is for sale. Which is another way of saying, who/what is successful. The answer is in there somewhere. Alex: The subject is not boring, it's fascinating. Instead of the usual, i.e, the Rich and the Famous, we are discussing the Poor and the unknown. Cheers |
The Frogman's comments on my list: i.e. (my latest test from The Lord) Talent, and I mean extreme talent, will overcome almost anything. Bird was one of the creators of a new music. Had he the been 637th Be-bop player, instead one of the first, we may be having a different conversation. He would have been on a much shorter leash. Ella had the perfect voice, according to my favorite Opera diva, Beverly Sills. Had there been another singer, just as good as Ella in all aspects(even the thought seems silly), and of the same era, but looked like Lena Horne, We would be saying Ella who? Just how we humans are folks. That's the way it works. Good looks will also get an artist fame that their talent does not support. Mainly females. Another factor was the 'escape' to Europe. Jazz could not be nurtured there. The players who did this lived a comfortable contented life. Got picked up on Tours and had a name locally. But, they gave up the chance to be Great and well known. Drugs: some folks seem to be affected to a different degree by drug use. Some do it during a long and successful career, and others take one hit, and are immediately on skid row. And all degrees in between. Cheers |
Now that we have decided who is great and who ain't, the question remains, who do you most enjoy listening to. Not the necessarily the best of all time, but the one you like listening to today. Think about it. All that dedication, practice and sacrifice, and the results can fall on deaf ears. And we be "aficionads" !!! :) Cheers |
I know you all hate this group and this CD, so spare me your boos, hisses and cries of outrage. I have a question that only The Frogman can answer. It's driving me nuts. At 4:26, just as Marcus Printup finishes his solo, Wynton comes in with one note at 4:26. Is this note just the first note of his solo, or is it a musical thingy/event that has a name? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7eeb1MTkUY Thanks Cheers |
Mapman: *****I'm no expert but I have heard Oscar Peterson many times over the years and I always enjoy his recordings.***** You don't have to be an expert to love Oscar Peterson. I had decided to post asking everyone to state the three players they actually listen to most, by instrument. My Piano list included Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris and Horace Silver. cheers |
*****Lorez Alexandria***** Nice enough voice. Born in California and seems to have stayed there. Should have moved to NYC / East Coast if a Jazz career was her goal. The Frogman pretty much nailed it. All the lesser knowns, are lesser known for a reason. Her case falls under my list as, (no drive ambition) and (wrong place/time). not criticisms. I understand she sang in the church. She may have been very happy. She recorded for the KING label. The last KING label I saw was on a 78rpm disc. I wonder what part Record labels play in success or lack thereof. Cheers |
The first Jazz LP I ever purchased. I think he liked trains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mfl5AVTrMfE Cheers |
*****Sam Lazarr***** Nice enough, but the sound, mainly due to the organ, sounded muffled and veiled. You don't need the top end of the freq range to play this. The importance of dynamic range in music cannot be overstated. *****Eddie Fisher***** Same as above, but very bad recording. Organ player?? I recommend Joey DeFrancesco. Cheers |
*****I was only feet away from both players when I heard them; no recording, and no recording equipment can duplicate organ, not even high end.***** I agree. When I lived in Endicott, NY, my favorite Bar, in nearby Binghamton, had a house band based around the organist. Wow!! Live definitely makes a difference. Cheers |
*****Wynton Marsalis***** Love the guy for what he does for the music. I shudder to think where we would be if the 'wrong' guy had the gig at Lincoln Center. He is a great ambassodor for Jazz. His playing? I don't think Be-bop/hard bop is his natural element. He is the obvious and rightful heir to Louis. He is at home with the founders in New Orleans. It shows in his playing and the way he lights up when talking about them. When he plays that style Jazz, his horn sings like no other!! He ain't the angry inner city player. Cheers |