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.
Showing 50 responses by rok2id
Oscar Peterson Interview: Outstanding!!! Very informative, and above all, interesting. You will never see anything like that, and that long, about Jazz / Jazz players on American TV. When Previn made the comment about someone playing BACH with a rhythm section, was he speaking of MJQ? I have 'Blues on Bach', which is a lot more blues than Bach. I have the 'Solo Masterpieces' 7CD set by Art Tatum. Not my favorite pianist, but they seem to think very highly of him and his place in Jazz And they should know. In my mind I always put him in the same place as Bird and Dizzy, too many notes and too fast. I will have to revisit him. Not once did he ask Peterson to comment on another player. I liked that. Most often this 'interviews' are just opportunities to fish for compliments for some up and coming player or a peer. Thanks to The Frogman. Cheers BTW, Previn did slight the blues once in his comments. I would say his playing could use a little more Blues.
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Today's Listen: Blue Mitchell -- THE THING TO DO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXr-Jz5RBn0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv3MlbLnkXM Cheers |
@ghosthouse In my haste to rant, I failed to mention that I found the Alboran Trio piece to be enjoyable to my ears. I don't know if they have a track record or not, because I have never heard of them. And you are correct in saying they were Italians playing Jazz in Italy. I guess there is bound to reflect Italian sensibilities in the music. However, The Frogman's first Law will always apply. The Marketplace is brutal. I hope your curiosity concerning Rampal and Siegel does not lead you to spend money to satisfy it. My excuse was that we didn't have you-tube at that time. The Mayall piece was run of the mill. In Blues, it's the legitimacy of the singer and the lyrics. That's the hardest part for the Rockers to get. Cheers |
If you have to put an adjective in front or behind the word ’Jazz’, there might be a problem. If it’s "Jazz Blues Fusion", you KNOW there is a problem. I speak from experience. Traditionalist are not born, they are created by personal experience. Believe it or not, I paid good / real money for the CD "Corky Siegel Plays the Blues". I was deceived by the word ’blues’. I also paid for the Jean Rampal LP. You would be surprised at the junk on my shelves as a result of trying to be ’progressive’, or ’avant-garde’. We don’t go to the MET to hear the "American" Tosca. We go to hear the Opera ’Tosca’, in Italian! Same with Jazz. I don’t understand what the term ’Italian Jazz’ means. Is there a polish Jazz? Or heaven forbid, Croatian Jazz? Jazz is Jazz. And it’s a lot more than just improvised music. And it’s American. Cheers |
Everyone knows that Wynton is my main man. However, although he is a great Jazz teacher, arranger, player and keeper of the faith, a historian, he is not. He shows a shallow Hollywood - like vision of slavery. What's up with this drum ban stuff? I'll tell you. It's a myth, pushed by black people, to explain the lack of slave rebellions in this country. Nate Turner being the more obvious exception. He went on rampage and killed 60 or so white folks, but drums had nothing to do with it. I.E. if we could have communicated with each other, we would have fought and won our freedom. BS of course. The real reason is, they had enough sense to know that they were in a better place than the place they came from. And you can say the same about all the white groups in this country. New York was a lot better than York. And so on..... Ask yourself this question: What, in practice, was the real difference between black slaves and white sharecroppers in the deep south. What's the real difference between slaves picking cotton and whites mining coal in KY and WV? Where, as the Tennessee Ernie Ford song says,"I owe my soul to the company store. i.e., when payday came, I owed, more than I had earned. The difference? One group were slaves by law. The others were not, by law. BTW, both groups created great music. Louis Armstrong once said, "if there had not been segregation in New Orleans, there would be no Jazz." All the black guys would have been in integrated bands playing Sousa. Ain't it the truth. Cheers |
Thanks for the info on Prez and Bird. I tuned to WKCR and they were playing this tune, from this album. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10mNWm4Ax7k WOW!! Don't like this, git outta Jazz and Music. I actually have this tune on a Box set I have titled "From Spirituals to Swing" It's so precious, I'm afraid to play it. Thanks again. I'll be listening. Cheers |
Today's Listen: Thelonious Monk -- THE THELONIOUS MONK ORCHESTRA AT TOWN HALL Pepper Adams, Charlie Rouse, and Phil Woods comprise the Sax Section. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd5rGoDqTyE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvXOcLi47TY While in the Army, I served in Korea, with a member of Monk's family. His last name was Monk, and he was a dead ringer for the great man himself. Even from NYC. Of course we all know of the great wide receiver, Art Monk, of the Washington NFL football team. Also kin to Thelonious. Cheers |
I am sure this might sound incredulous to some, but the genre that most resembles Jazz to my ear, is Bluegrass. Check the solos. Love it. I have this on CD and DVD. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRi6yhqmuxU BTW, this was recorded at Historic Fisk University in Nashville. Home of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Cheers |
A fusion, or coming together of sorts. Great CD. R&B and Country Songs, each sung by a Duet of R&B and Country singers. Great stuff. Three of my favorites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3o_mDLyCDQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0gAGbmF71U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzZ-FJl_YEY Cheers |
Jazz Musicians: The Oscar Peterson interview drove home one point to me, and that is, there is a method to jazz improvisation. It's not just, let me start from zero and make up something. Building blocks are involved. Did you notice how easily they talked to each other. No explanations required. They both knew all, oh Lord, The Nuts & Bolts. There is a method / system. Cheers |
*****Do you recall an interview with Herby Hancock, where he stated how he goofed (played wrong chord or notes) and Miles came right behind him and made it all perfect; Miles thought that was what Herby intended to play. Improvisation is spontaneous, there is nothing predetermined about it.***** How did Miles know Herbie had messed up? He must have broken some musical rule that was easily noticed by another musician, who being a great player, just made it all right. And also, how did Herbie know Miles had covered his mistake? Maybe they spoke the same language. Cheers |
Some things should just never be attempted. Cringe Cringe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq4yFgyeOjo Cheers |
Today's Listen: The Clark Terry Quintet -- TOP AND BOTTOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-CW6XN1qfY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL5g17q3RXA In Baseball he would be called a damn good journeyman. But folks like him are the backbone of Jazz. They bring it to the masses. After the elite innovators like Trane, had jumped the tracks, and Miles, had morphed into Sinbad, players like Terry carried on. He used to appear on the Johnny Carson show quite often back in day. Art farmer also. Sylvia Cuenca on drums. Top and Bottom indeed!!! Cheers |
Just because music is written, does not mean all the performances will be identical. Since we can assume any competent pianist can play the notes on the sheet of music, what separates Horowitz from any other player? I have a billion CDs of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, but I always play Bohm-Wiener. All of them play the same notes. Cheers |
@orpheus10 : Two more songs with a story. When this movie was released in 1956, I had a little kid's job as ticket collector at the town's movie theater. This movie, 'Rock Around The Clock', was shown on a Saturday night, a special midnight showing, and ADULTS ONLY. :) Such was the mind set in Mississippi. And I lived in the most progressive part of the state!! Of course as an employee I saw it. I thought for a while it would be the real deal. My imagination was running wild. I was gonna see the good stuff. You can imagine my disappointment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwgnL7V1ugo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJOJhwgluE Cheers |
@schubert : Rock and Roll was just fine. You cannot over state it's importance to young people. I can't imagine being a teenager without this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2y7bWN2u1s Rock music was a different thing altogether. Angry, political and drug crazed. Cheers |
Man can't live off of Bebop alone. This is not Jazz, but it's from the same thing. Cannonball Adderley https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kpmiOUfjk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt4PyEFlf6Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSif77IVQdY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPGDBZdXuk Cheers |
*****I beg to differ slightly "Jerry Butler" was R&B, as are most of the tunes you have posted.***** I go by the title and the lyrics. 'For your Precious Love' is definitely not a R&B title. Great R&B titles include this one by Bobby Blue Bland: "She's putting something in my food". No teenage love there!! Cheers |
Today's Listen: George Benson -- TENDERLY When Benson decided to play Jazz, he was as good as anybody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-TeC5wq90 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeJwQvv4PhE Cheers |
@The Frogman I don’t know if my question was answered or not. I was wondering what is the advantage of being classically trained as it relates to playing Jazz. I always assumed it meant you gained total, or at least better control over your instrument. In the other Wynton piece, I was disappointed to hear that he felt he had to make the obligatory statement about segregation in his hometown. Oh,woe is us. He does not seem to understand that if his surroundings had been integrated, odds are, he would not be where he is now. Maybe he would be playing third trumpet in the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. He would not have had the dedicated teachers he had, if not for segregation. Teachers that were dedicated to teaching HIM, instead of teachers that just had degrees from top universities. There is a good chance there would have been no such thing as Jazz We gained a lot from integration, and we lost just as much, if not more. That should not be forgotten. Informative clips. *****but this is why I love Wynton***** I almost fell off my chair!! Finally seeing the light Frogman?? Cheers |
Wynton mentioned playing LOUD. There is always the 10% that don't get the memo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byj8_Ansp14 Cheers |
*****Nothing good came out of slavery, although I wish the civil war had never been fought, and that the Mason Dixon Line would be our southern border***** As Mr. Spock might say, "Most Illogical". A few good things that came out of slavery, staying with Jazz: Jelly Roll Morton,Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Bird, Trane, Miles, Monk, Cannonball, Dizzy, Lee Morgan, Billie Holiday, Ella, Sarah, Dee Dee, Wynton, need I go on???? Our OP? Cheers |
Loved the Sax ensembles. I have a few by 'The World Saxophone Quartet', but they seem to be more into the avant-garde. The music just posted, was much better. I wonder why this is not done more often. When it comes to identifying players on records, I am hopeless. I remember a similar thing Stereo Review used to do every month. Those guys seldom missed. Cheers |
Since we are in a Saxophone frame of mind. An "interval" if you please. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYgow060zOg The Solo that saved the Ellington Band? Slavery ended 91 years before this concert. Cheers |
Today's Listen: Count Basie -- COUNT BASIE AT NEWPORT (1957) Same venue, different vibe. Tight and loud. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hQlcwDbLQY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw1H_0x3_x4 Cheers |
The Count said Lester Young was the best Sax player that has ever Blown. Don’t come in here with that Trane stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrsR2pMKoa8 Cheers |