@frogman Thanks for those in-depth answers. Very concise, informative and well-written.
Best - Henchman #3
Best - Henchman #3
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 keegiam
Hi JFA, I'm easing back into normal life (at least for me). Tonite I focused on albums I haven't played in years, and it was of course rewarding. A few highlights: Some swing from Larry Coryell (the"Major Jazz Minor Blues" collection, all recorded in the 80s): "Joy Spring" (with Stanley Cowell, Buster Williams, Billy Hart) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5FyIW56BOc "The Duke" (with Kenny Barron) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRuB9eizccQ "Sophisticated Lady" (solo, 1982) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f-LqewsYMQ John McLaughlin's sweet, respectful cover of Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby," with The Aighetta Quartet (from "Time Remembered") https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6zOkj5cQfs Larry Coryell & Michael Brecker - "Picean Moon" (from "Difference" - 1978) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yt47SwMlD74 |
@orpheus10 Hi O10, got a big kick out of that "Secret Agent Man" video compilation. Well done by the originator! Thanks! As a kid, I did watch the "Secret Agent" TV show with Johnny Rivers' cool hit as the theme song. The show's opening (1:34): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG0u3-Gbu88 Johnny Rivers live video clips: 1966 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-yaT6fWTP4 1966 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iaR3WO71j4 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHu_ekAq5Js Sometimes you just can't get that old magic back. His sound on "SAM" in the 60s seemed like some new combination of surf and blues to me then. 50+ years later, not so much. |
<<The other regulars don't post as often as they once did. Soooooo, there is no one to communicate with. There are still viewers. >> I don't think I ever made it to "regular" status due to my relative newbie-ness (sp?), but I do intend to return this month. Just checked in this AM because I wanted some new (old?) music to play at a friend's house. So I came to JFA - of course. Rok, maybe your comment will jump start JFA, which used to be downright vibrant and can still be the best online jazz forum I've ever encountered. Life has thrown a lot of stuff my way the past few months. Thanks for the last few days of great stuff everyone. I'll be back soon. |
OP wasn't bebop IMHO. That said... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Leg_AqkGvWc |
Senor Frog, Sure, the phrase "hit the spot" is overused and therefore somewhat trite. That said, "Bye Bye Baby" really did hit the spot tonight. Thanks as always. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMe6YO2Sp10 |
@mahgister Your wonderful post of Aug. 9 did not go as unnoticed or unappreciated as it may seem. Mary Jo was kind enough to respond "that is nice," but I felt you poured your heart and soul into that one - so why not let you know even after a week has passed? I haven't had the luxury of staying current with JFA or the music itself for that matter, but thank you for expressing your thoughts and feelings as you did. "Well done" is an understatement. |
Lovely version of "Concierto de Aranjuez" led by Jim Hall (1975), unfortunately marred by an ill-fitting piano solo at about 12 minutes. Well worth the dive IMO. Chet Baker delivers perfection throughout. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLr56VZhGJk The "run-of-the-mill" line-up: Alto Saxophone – Paul Desmond Trumpet – Chet Baker Bass – Ron Carter Drums – Steve Gadd Guitar – Jim Hall Piano – for you to check |
@schubert I do not think Bley "sucks." You're jumping to conclusions way too fast. I don't have enough experience with him to judge one way or the other at this point in my life. My specific question was, more or less, whether the first 2:00 is indicative of the entire, lengthy piece. I had lost any interest by that time and moved on. I haven't had enough time for music lately, and I decided to "cut bait" because what I heard seemed like "noodling." Sorry for being so bluntly honest. Truthfully, I could have stopped listening and not posted any reaction at all, but I was perplexed. Enjoy the music you love! |
At the risk of pissing off more afficionados than I already have in the last 24 hours, Tony Williams was a vastly better drummer than Buddy Rich. Rich was an amazing speed merchant and put together some impressive big band music (I still enjoy "Bouncing with Bud" on my 40+ year-old "direct-to-disk" vinyl). But Williams was the consummate musician. That's admittedly a hard sell, but, when I listen to Tony, I'm always spellbound with his comprehension of the compositions and the way he wove his playing into the other musicians' grooves. He complemented them, and they dug it. His playing was spatial, thoughtful, playful, musical - almost as if he was singing through his gear. It always comes back to what we individually view as "the best," I guess. Enjoy the music you love! |
@rok2id Well, well, well (as R.L. Burnside loved to say). Just look at how JFA has heated up recently. Not long ago you seemed to be lamenting that it had become a ghost town (paraphrasing of course). A fair amount of noise, but the best contributors keep on keepin' on. 'Nuff said. Good to see you posting again. An oldie I played today: Milt Jackson's "Be Bop." Not a top-notch effort, but it really hit the spot. How is it going over at BFA? |
OK, since I nudged everyone, I gotta weigh in. Would that I had frogman's perspective and experience, but, as Popeye used to say, I yam what I yam. Things that blow me away: Stolen Moments - possibly the best jazz recording of all time Baritone sax - why did they disappear? too difficult to haul around? sad... The tightest arrangements everThe tightest execution of the tightest arrangements ever - phenomenal musicianship Amazing ppp to fff dynamics (in a heartbeat) by the combo - was that Nelson's leadership? Things that don't really blow me away: Freddie Hubbard - I love me a lot of Freddie, but I'd much rather listen to Miles' introspective moodiness than Freddie showing off his amazing talent Eric Dolphy - amazing soul-to-sound player, but he didn't have to always go screechy on us every time out Hoe Down - not for me, it just doesn't work for some reason (an advantage of being an amateur - I don't really have to explain) ;) |
@mahgister Well said re: frogman's heartfelt views on a priceless jazz treasure. On a few occasions I've enjoyed reversing the order of the 26,000+ posts here on JFA in order to read the oldest contributions (from 2013). I think you'd enjoy it too. That's how Nelson's BATAT became a topic again, and it's been rewarding. Let us know what you find, please! |
@frogman @acman3 Great explanation of what "poor Cedar Walton" was doing and why. I tend to zero in on the message I'm hearing from the musician's soul, so the compositional challenges they face escape me. Thanks! Pianos aren't saxes, and vice versa. I should know that by now. One of the most rewarding things about JFA is exploring the links you all post. Acman3 is probably the most prolific, but it's all appreciated! |
@mahgister <<I discovered lately in life that music is the musician first....Not a piece of paper.... >> Well put. As amazing as those (European-style) pieces of paper may be, it's improvisational music that best gets through to our souls, isn't it? Up to age 8 or so, I had mainly experienced mainstream American Swing (via my parents), which, as I see it now, was part of European-Americans' gradual embrace of African-based music. That's when I started "music lessons" in school. Back to reading and playing every note, exactly as written on the pieces of paper (with "feeling," of course). Loved it, and always will. That said, I regret the loss of those formative years to "paper-centric" study. Mahgister, I'm sure you get that. |
@pjw81563 Just looked up my post from last March re: Stan Kenton and the Towson University Jazz Ensemble's 1978 recording. Here ya go... <<Woody Herman always reminds me of Stan Kenton, who used to come to my area every summer to
visit his close friend Hank Levy (who had previously played sax in Kenton's band). Most summers, Kenton would put on "Kenton
Clinics" with various college jazz bands. Hank Levy led his Towson
University Jazz Ensemble (big band all the way) at an outdoor concert every
year. So I just looked him up, and the first hit has a link to the album
I bought at the 1978 concert. I had no idea this existed digitally. |
Tonite's meanderings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtjoQm4ncoc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzcgAaWK5GM (avec Tom Harrell - 1976) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfvfXA2SIRU |
@mary_jo Nice, it's often time for Chet, isn't it? Just listened to Disc 1 of "Live in Tokyo - Memorial Box" yesterday. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dvO5oUG88g Such tragedy, such beauty. |
My link for JFA defaults to showing older posts first, but only those I still haven't read. It's cool because it helps me appreciate the earliest posts on JFA. At the top today is this list posted by Frogman on 2/25/13. Great stuff! (Frogman, my apologies if this is inappropriate): Oliver Nelson,"Blues And The Abstract Truth" Eric Dolphy, "Out To Lunch" Sarah Vaughn, "Live In Japan" Clifford Brown, "With Strings" John Coltrane, "Ballads" Nancy Wilson, "With Cannonball Adderly" Wayne Shorter, "Speak No Evil" Shirley Horne, "Here's To Life" Sonny Rollins, "Way Out West" Joe Henderson, "Inner Urge" Benny Goodman, "Sextet" Cannonball Adderley, "With The Bossa Rio Sextet" Miles, "Birth Of The Cool" |
Re: Mary Jo's "Ne Me Quitte Pas" link (beautiful piece, thanks MJ). It won't play for me, and I got this explanation from YouTube: <<Video Unavailable - The uploader has not made this video available in your country.>> Is everyone else seeing this? I've never run into it before. Of course we can find it by searching - it's just interesting that an upload can be restricted like this. |
JFA audiophiles: power conditioner advice needed. One bank of my venerable Power Wedge 114 got fried during 5 days of unprecedented voltage spikes (every home on my side of the street). The rest of my gear is OK - I disconnected everything after the first event. (The slo-blo fuse for the fried bank looks fine - no current troubles apparently, only voltage. Likely a dead transformer.) Any recommendations for a replacement power conditioner with full protection? I haven't kept up with that arena for decades. |
JFA audiophiles: power conditioner advice needed. One bank of my venerable Power Wedge 114 got fried during 5 days of unprecedented voltage spikes (every home on my side of the street). The rest of my gear is OK - I disconnected everything after the first event. (The slo-blo fuse for the fried bank looks fine - no current troubles apparently, only voltage. Likely a dead transformer.) Any recommendations for a replacement power conditioner with current and voltage protection? I haven't kept up with that arena for decades. |
@acman3 The Power Wedge is almost 30 years old and worked flawlessly until the crazy voltage spikes hit. Maybe it saved the preamp, or maybe not. Given that the unprotected amp is okay, perhaps the preamp would have been okay too. BTW, I'd rather risk losing an amplifier than risk constricting its sound. Protecting front end stuff is fine, but it seems to me an amp should be enjoyed as is. Thanks acman, keep on keepin' on. |
Chet Baker & Steve Houben, "Beatrice" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3kCAPkO7bE&list=OLAK5uy_kWbo2y_JTLv5FuvX1OZac40BC9fTh-x3Y&i... |
Burton, Corea, Metheny, Haynes, Holland - "Question and Answer" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6epTSAq0s4&list=OLAK5uy_ms-PRDnEUGK1o3ncDcURd0MrMKQRGvJ6A |
"My Little Cello." Lovely little tune from Oscar Pettiford. I still get confused - the OP turned me on to OP (Pettiford), but I already knew the #1 OP (Peterson). That said... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGuIbbsMsTI |
@pjw81563 Thanks so much for the McLaughlin interview ("soliloquy?"). In our world, this is priceless history. It's refreshing to learn that Miles was spellbound by another musician somewhere along the line. Maybe I need to dig deeper into Miles the person, because the only other compliment I can remember is something like "that cat is playing piano the way it should be played" (re: Bill Evans). Gotta wonder if he ever expressed being spellbound by geniuses other than Hendrix. Anyone know? |