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 42 responses by stuartk
It’s actually "Booker Little Quartet" on Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGEWBmAw2-0&list=OLAK5uy_lUIq-30MKjoPVl_UkR9R2cdVdCQiyDw5s&index=2 First of the live Eric Dolphy led Five Spot sessions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsJpa2uxkiw
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For the sake of contrast: Sonny Rollins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLFlJIqiMLc Pharoah Sanders: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuaLidIjAw0 Phil Woods: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE9-jK_kSOo Booker Ervin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkjNOS0igXY
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Not sure I follow you. Yes; we all have our favorites and these may differ substantially from one person to another. As an example, in your case, you mention the particular affection you harbor for Coltrane’s "My Favorite Things". Clear enough, so far. But you lose me here:
How does individual preference "do justice to" musicians? And what do you mean by "fit to" ? Compared to what? Which criterion would be "unfit" ? I’m not arguing semantics, here. I honestly don’t understand what you are intending to communicate.
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Thanks for the clarification. Now I understand! I’m not sure that all artists would agree that moving the listener is their top priority, though. We creatives tend to be extremely critical of our work so I’d venture that most artists aim to please themselves first and foremost. In terms of playing music in a group situation, the highest reward may vary from player to player but for many (including me), those moments when everyone is locked in together and the music becomes a channel for a mysterious power that "appears out of nowhere" and dramatically ups the intensity level is something familiar to many players although they may not be able to name it. The Grateful Dead coined the phrase "the music plays the band" to refer to this phenomena and it seems as good as any. Once experienced, it’s unmistakable and when musicians access this state, there’s no way the audience won’t be swept along. I don’t know your musical tastes, but my first exposure to this as a listener was when I was in high school, courtesy of the Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East album, particularly Whipping Post and Elisabeth Reed. There are, of course, many many other examples. I’ve certainly experienced this with live Jazz, especially with the Dave Holland Quintet. I’m not much of a Classical fan, so I can’t speak about how this might manifest in this genre. As a listener, my top priority is emotional engagement, so I can relate to the value you place on this. |
Sorry for my careless sentence construction. I meant the greatest reward/top goal for some players, including me, in playing in a group is accessing that state wherein "the music plays the band". There’s a sense of being propelled along by a powerful force or "riding a wave" that’s incredibly exhilarating/intoxicating. It cannot be made to happen but when all the right conditions are met, magic can occur. |
Hmm. . . I’m not so sure, now that I’ve had more time to reflect. I found performing equally rewarding and frustrating and for me, that phase was short-lived. However, I’ve known guys who would most likely not play at all were they not able to gig! Performing is where most of the enjoyment lies, for them. On the other hand, one must garner sufficient enjoyment from playing alone in order to accrue the skills necessary to play out and not be laughed off the stage. So this brings us back around to pleasing one’s self. |
Wow -- lucky you! I grew up in the lower Hudson Valley (Middletown) but was too young to drive at that point.
I don’t think this comes easily for anyone.
I’d suggest this requirement is not limited to Jazz.
I heartily concur.
I don’t view a tendency to reserve one’s deepest admiration for the class of artists you describe as purely an expression of romanticism, but it’s possible I’m a romantic, too, and as such simply don’t recognize the associated bias in my own perceptions. There have been, of course, many excellent artists in all genres who’ve hewed to tradition -- both in terms of aesthetics, conception and ways of working. Who’s to say that "renegades" are objectively superior to "academic" artists? Well, I do. . . so it would seem we’re in the same camp! ;o)
@ezywind
Fair enough. I’m not a deadhead and don’t pretend to understand that world or the "ragged but right" aesthetic/ethos. I value more mainstream conceptions of musicianship -- playing in time, in tune, etc. More to the point, you’d be mistaken if you’re assuming I’m not aware that audiences can and do significantly contribute to such "elevated" interludes during live musical performances! |
That could be pretty expensive!. Are you aware of the cost of CDs at present? I’ve been shelling out $20 on average for most of my CD purchases. Granted, many are out of print, but still, compared to the pre-Covid era, discs are considerably more expensive and the titles I’m interested in are becoming increasingly difficult to find. I’m actually buying back-ups for some of my favorites, because I have no idea what will be available in a couple years. |
Ah. OK. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Accessing music via streaming does look to be more affordable But the overwhelming impression I’ve gathered from perusing numerous threads over a good many years, is that achieving good sound via streaming is more complex and requires more technical expertise, than vinyl or cd playback. I’m more of a music lover than a gearhead and don’t mind the limitations of physical media so I don’t envision getting into streaming. The one chain of decent used cd shops in the Sacramento area closed several years back. Also, I’m not not typically looking for popular/well known pop, rock. country or metal titles. So, online is the best source for me me, in my location, for what I buy.
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... while on the topic of Jazz guitar, here's a track from an upcoming live Emily Remler release "Live at the Four Queens, Las Vegas, May 28th, 1984": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akjgp20yZ8Y
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I’m afraid I can’t shed any light on the "Cisco" discrepancy but I’m looking forward to buying the Remler release!
The Virtuoso series highlighted Pass’ solo chord melody playing. Here’s one of several that featured his single-line playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBf4kKoqnDc&list=OLAK5uy_mDghlHcFxACNnunc0A6IpNpIFtA5sGoHQ&index=2
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For me, Pharoah’s version is the most immediately appealing but is it too rapturously beautiful? Does he skate around the anguish ? Is Coltrane more courageous ? More obsessively driven to wring out every nuance? As always, I find Rollins rather inscrutable. That’s not the right word, exactly. I always get the sense his intellect is more involved than his emotions but of course, I can’t know this for a fact. I don’t know how else to describe what sounds to me like detachment/aloofness. Maybe it’s me who lacks the sensitivity to pick up on what he’s expressing. |
This points to the challenge of dissecting esthetic experience and attempting to describe it verbally. I didn’t mean indirect or uncommitted. He’s clearly neither. It’s probably best to avoid interpreting my experience in terms of what I think he’s doing or where he’s coming from, as I can’t know those things. My mistake! What I do know: I find his playing unengaging on an emotional level. I have the same experience with Jim Hall and Weather Report, to name two other examples.
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Probably because he so clearly enjoyed what he did. It’s as though he was immersed in a constant process of discovering new delights. With no evident (to me) technical limitations, he was free to instantly play whatever came into his head. Playing music was, for him, just that -- "play". |
I used to be a baker. Mornings when it was my turn to mix, I’d have a couple hours to enjoy working alone, before the other guys showed up. One such morning, I was playing Jack DeJohnette’s "Tin Can Alley" when my boss and his girlfriend (not Jazz fans) walked in. First thing she said : "It sounds like they’re all playing different songs". Never made sense to me but then, I wasn’t hearing it through her ears.
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I was watching a "reaction video" yesterday by a guy who looked to be in his early thirties. He was reacting to a video from the Fillmore of the Allmans (original line-up) playing "Whipping Post". Not Jazz, but what did he say, among other things? "It sounds like they’re each playing a different song". Looks like we have a running theme, here ... Lovely Pass/Fitzgerald duet, BTW.
I can relate, to a point. Even though I enjoy sad music, some of it can be too much for me, sometimes, depending upon my mood. |
I listened to those selections. They are certainly emotionally intense, but as I don’t speak the language, I’ve no clue regarding what they’re singing about, so I could be missing what it is that you find difficult to tolerate. And just to be clear, this isn’t an oblique way of asking you to disclose this-- I’m merely acknowledging what could be a significantly limiting factor in my experience of the music.
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I've been a fan of both Bobby Hutcherson and Gary Burton for a very long time. It's high time I gave Milt Jackson his due. This was one title recommended in The Penguin Jazz Guide. I like it a lot and have ordered a copy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e5fP8-K8Js&list=OLAK5uy_lri5UMjBdNZ2mIUrTa96ZbpJ869ETKYhs&index=2 I also Like "Bags and Wes": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVCeZmOVhDM&list=OLAK5uy_mWfVOOcuhaRpaBi34AJD4pGjuHlRWhY8E&index=2 What are your favorite Milt Jackson recordings???
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Anita ’O Day doesn’t seem to garner much attention, these days... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUcZ9-ps4js https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9_1d3u0_fE
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Yes. Heroin, I believe.... Don't know if this is of interest to you: https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/leo-parker-rollin-with-leo-blue-note-tone-poet-reissue/ |
Ah, OK. No vinyl? I guess you're not a "serious" audiophile, then! ;o) Yes; my best friend was a very talented artist who eventually OD'd on meth. He'd started out smoking pot, like so many of us in the early 70's for whom experimenting with drugs was just a passing phase. The list of Jazz musicians affected by drug use is quite long.
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From what I’ve read, the idea that heroin could improve one’s playing was largely based upon a seemingly "mythological" interpretation of the life of Charlie Parker. By the way, "Celebrating Bird" by Gary Giddins is an excellent biography of Parker. I can’t imagine being blind and trying to shoot up... maybe Brother Ray had help...
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