TY- chazro.
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.
31,552 responses Add your response
| Post removed |
Great stuff, Chazro. The subject of Mazanero came up recently re his beautiful song "Esta Tarde Vi Llover". Paquito kills me...Tarogato!?! Hungarian instrument; think wooden soprano saxophone. Sounds beautiful on it; rich and warm sound. Manzanero wrote some beautiful songs and his singing sometimes makes me think of a Latin Jimmy Scott. Thanks! |
Never get out of the boat! Never get out of the boat! Never change the subject! Never change the subject! Henceforth and forevermore, I will never again change the subject; the subject is jazz. "Grant's First Stand" is the album I would like to bring to your attention. The title of this album is self explanatory; it's Grant Green's first album as leader. The personnel are: Grant Green, guitar; Baby Face Willette, organ; and Ben Dixon, drums. The Allmusic review by Steve Huey awarded the album 4½ stars and stated "Grant's First Stand still ranks as one of his greatest pure soul-jazz outings, a set of killer grooves laid down by a hard-swinging organ trio". "Miss Ann's Tempo" is a fast paced number, and if he were alive, I would ask him if he had Miss Ann, who was a waitress at a popular restaurant in St. Louis at that time, in mind when he wrote that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPvVwUFd7aw Here's a number that will help you understand why that thought came to mind; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB5E97dQU5k Although I like all of the cuts, "Lullaby Of The Leaves" is my favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hxCP_LEniw Enjoy the music. |
Here is ' a forgotten star of the Hammond B-3 organ with a more subtle approach than many of his jazz contemporaries'. 'He often jammed at the Club 83 with musicians like Kenny Dorham, Cannonball Adderley, and Jackie McLean. But the key musical association for Roach was tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec, who asked the organist to join his band. Roach played on the sessions that became Quebec's Blue Note albums Heavy Soul and It Might as Well Be Spring. His playing on the two records impressed Blue Note president Alfred Lion, who offered Roach his own contract in 1962.' As leader, in following years,he recorded 5 albums for BN and 2 for Prestige. Here are the links for first four. I still need to get that last one Down to Earth https://youtu.be/JXgEaq2xVIM Mo' greens please https://youtu.be/VSd7I0URuNk Good Move https://youtu.be/RJrT-weJQPc Brown Sugar https://youtu.be/jTaNRP3yDRU |
I have heard two songs off this record and both times it made me stop and listen. Really like the guitar player, who I had never heard of. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K--X4WA0Bw |
I Listened to these today. Old recordings, but sound so new. Must be Timeless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ionrItWcyEA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdg4W89U3kY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoF7J8_N4GE Cheers |
Alex, nice clips of Roach. Nice player and, as you quote, a more subtle style than some of his contemporaries. Of course, a cynic might say "a less exciting style than....". I wouldn't. I think he is an intelligent player who doesn't have the amazing technical chops and excitement of someone like Jimmy Smith, but has a great feel and uses what he technique he does have to its fullest and to good effect. Kenny Burrell sounds fantastic, but I think Roach and his rhythm section really rise to the occasion when they have Hank Mobley and Blue Mitchell in the front line; their playing gets kicked up a notch as a result. Nice clips, thanks! |
Rok, Nancy Wilson/Cannonball. Timeless indeed. Probably one of my ten favorite records of all time and, if I recall, on my list way back when I first responded to this thread. Beautiful record. One of the things that I think make this record so special is that both Wilson and Cannonball are/were the type of performers who exude a positive and "up" vibe; no brooding introspection. And Dorham. What can one say? Great player and great record. I think you have a soft spot for trumpet players? Wonder why? 😍 |
****Henceforth and forevermore, I will never again change the subject; the subject is jazz. **** O-10, tsk, tak, tsk! Please stop, you're embarrassing yourself. Moreover, you make it so easy to prove you wrong....again. ++++And of course, a single dose of heroin might be more accurately compared with the price of a single cigarette, in which case the legal substance is still much cheaper. I'll leave that debate to all of you.++++ Where, in our previous and unfortunate "discussion", was the price compared to cigarettes? In other words, so what? Not to mention that this proves how stats can always be manipulated to buttress one's point of view. Sure, cheaper than cigarettes, but a pack of cigarettes is twenty doses of drug; vs. a single dose of the other drug ++++A bindle (or bag or single dose) of heroin costs about $10++++ Isn't that exactly what I previously said? Now, a couple of observations to hopefully help keep this silliness from continuing to happen: You could, of course, have said something like: "Hey, frogman, I came across these articles; what do you think?" No, you, as usual, resort to antagonism. Even more importantly, there have been several posts recently of some really good music, but instead you choose to go back to this silliness. I feel like I'm playing shrink sometimes, but....really? |
Here is another ,not so famous, organ player and album that I like. He is perhaps best known as sideman of Wes Montgomery, on four Riverside albums that he made from 1959 to 1964. It is Mel Ryne on his 'Organ-izing' record from1960. ,with strong line up that consits of Mitchell, Griffin and Harris, Heath and Simpkins. Its a jam session, here are the links https://youtu.be/rRK0AQX9rho https://youtu.be/ZX_yBNEQzOs |
Mel Ryne: Very nice. With that line up, what could possibly go wrong. Mel showed the good sense to not try and dominate the proceedings on organ. The Art Blakey approach to being leader? Made for a much better record with the Organ in support. Organ and Piano together in the same group? Unusual. But the presence of Gene Harris can be nothing but positive. Really liked it. Cheers |
Smith and Whitfield: This clip shows that there are Organ players, and then there are ORGAN players. I hear Organ led group and I think, better suited for Lounge / night club. Nice but subdued / muffled sound. Needs some blare and wail. Nice Clip. I have tons of Smith. Will have to listen to him today. He was one of the first I came to know. Cheers |
Today's Listen: One of the best players ever. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlUUbylwdnc&list=RDUlUUbylwdnc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dyip9jykZ7o Cheers |
Frogman, now that you done smoked that, try this; http://mediaroots.org/opium-what-afghanistan-is-really-about/ |
Blast from the Past Among the first Jazz albums I ever purchased. Not as awesome as they once were. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xJC20dmqJk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzNP4NpZ0F8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ENHkZj-YKk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ4rTHHZyv0 Cheers |
Acman3, loved the Nat Cole clip. He was a class act. What a voice, and great piano player. Became famous as a singer and people forget he made his rep first as a jazz piano player, and a good one. Although not on the level of Oscar Peterson; few were. Peterson was an amazing virtuoso; as Rok said, one of the greatest. Some might say the greatest. Great sense of clarity in the way he played; never any ambiguity about what he was trying to do. Great clips. On the subject of organists. The organ/jazz connection came from the church. A child prodigy and very soulful dude; one of my favorites: https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLXnx1wN_qUG9xpQi7SRCzJ0hmwEix0dZE¶ms=OAFIAVgD&v=hwqFUx... |
Interesting article and some fine photos, all about the 'Man who photographed be-bop'... http://www.udiscovermusic.com/photographed-be-bop |
Thanks Alex. I own a couple of of great photograph books, Jazz Portraits,and Overtime, with photos by Milt Hinton. There is one photo of Sun Ra in a hotel room, in 1991, in a wheel chair, with a little keyboard on the bed, and charts everywhere; says it all for me. Jazz is a large part of our lives, till we're gone. |
Taj Mahal, Senor Blues; this is another interesting version of Horace Silver's most famous tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb5QWGLZxZM Enjoy the music. |
Taj Mahal: A blues man playing a Jazz tune. This is a Jazz man Playing a Blues tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cY4YB_6P4qk The transition is so seamless. Almost as if they were kin. :) Cheers |
"Little Niles" by Randy Weston, is one of the more interesting versions of that tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovk5OSa8PrU Here's another version by Abbey Lincoln, which do you like the best? I can certainly see why Max Roach married Abbey Lincoln; I don't know if I've ever seen a picture of her that young. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxlYJSlVUFk Enjoy the music |
Randy Weston’s "Little Niles" has become a kind of modern jazz standard. Beautiful and very interesring tune in 3/4 that lends itself well to different approaches in interpretation. Comparing an instrumental version to a vocal version is not really a fair comparison for me and I couldn’t begin to pick a "favorite" between the two. Weston’s version of his own tune is wonderful with a subtle underlying Latin feel and some of the best playing by Cecil Payne that I have heard (not my favorite baritone player, but perfect for this setting). Abby Lincoln sounds sublime singing this tune and the slower tempo and more subtle approach give the tune a Kurt Weill flavor. Art Farmer interjects some tasty touches on flugelhorn as does Benny Golson on tenor. Great stuff! Although I would be hard pressed to pick a favorite between Weston’s and this other instrumental version, for me, a more relevant comparison might be to: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ibLAar4BafE Abbey Lincoln singing Kurt Weill, and one of my very favorite songs and favorite lyrics: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wwV01ddvLto Happy Easter to all! |
I thought the baritone really set Randy Weston's "Little Niles" apart from most other versions. Kenny Barron's version comes closer to Randy Weston's,and since I like them both, it's hard to choose one over the other; Kenny Barron's piano work makes his very interesting. That tune highlights Abbey's voice to a greater extent than "Little Niles", and I think I have that album. This definitely one of my favorite tunes "Delilah". I think I have it by just about everybody that has one, including Nat Cole; this one is by Milt Jackson and Wes Montgomery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPBqjfA6Kcw Enjoy the music |
That shows you got good taste. Do you have Nancy and George Shearing? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8u_S7H8W4A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbrVv2AggjE Nancy is too beautiful for words. Enjoy the music. |
This is a very special "Round Midnight", it's the one before Wes became famous; if you notice it has a different sound. This is my favorite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Xozvcf0FA Enjoy the music. |
calvinj, thank you for the introduction to Tsuyosi Yamamoto; I was not familiar with this player. ****Tell me what you think everyone.**** Some may balk at this idea, but in my opinion, because jazz is a uniquely American creation, jazz players of a different nationality will inevitably bring their own cultural flavor to the music. This is certainly not to say that there aren’t very good non-American jazz players; quite the contrary. However, in my opinion, the best non-American jazz players don’t try to sound "American", but instead embrace the broader spirit of jazz; freedom of self-expression and creativity while embracing their own unique cultural flavor. I’m not sure Yamamoto accomplishes this. From a technical standpoint, Yamamoto is clearly well versed in the language of jazz. He favors the highest registers of the piano keyboard. His time feel is not always consistently relaxed and there is a sense of "rushing" through the music at times; especially when he, as he is prone to do, repeats a single note several times. His attack is a bit "hard" at times, going back and forth between deliberate and obvious "delicate" attack of notes and hard percussive attacks. From a stylistic standpoint, I find his playing most convincing when he is NOT playing the blues and plays standards like "I’m A fool To Want You". When he plays the blues, and in keeping with my previous comments about not trying to sound "American", his playing is full of blues cliches. The main feeling I am left with is that he sounds pretty good at any five seconds in time, but there is no sense of "the big picture" of a solo. A great player always gives the listener a convincing sense that the solo is going somewhere, of shape, and that one "lick" is somehow and logically connected to the one that came before it and the one the follows. When I listen to Yamamoto playing the blues it sounds like a bunch of unconnected blues licks giving the music a strangely static feeling; like it’s not going anywhere. Glad to have been introduced to his playing; but I think I’ll pass. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ax4HFrdwm50 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka8GEJ_ed04 |
In Re to Tsuyoshi Yamamoto and the "blues"; after someone hears the blues, and attempts to play the blues, they quite often come up short; that's because one has to "feel" the blues in order to play the blues; otherwise it comes across as an imitation of the blues. I can only compare that to me preparing a Japanese dish from a recipe in a cook book, and a Japanese chef preparing the same dish; while mine might be acceptable, the chef's would be so much better. Since you're accustomed to eating the same dish prepared by the chef, mine might not even be acceptable. From a technical point of view, Mr. Yamamoto's is quite good I think; but a lot of jazz requires "soul"; that's the indefinable something that separates the best from the rest. In my humble opinion, Japanese jazz musicians sound best, when they incorporate Japanese soul into American jazz. Enjoy the music. |
Donald Byrd was the most successful jazz artist when it came to different phases or changes, and still maintain fundamentally what I call jazz. Byrd was best known as one of the only bebop jazz musicians who successfully pioneered the funk and soul genres while simultaneously remaining a jazz artist. As a bandleader, Byrd is also notable for his influential role in the early career of keyboard player and composer Herbie Hancock. Let's begin with "Fuego". It is an album by Byrd recorded in 1959 and released on the Blue Note label in 1960 as BLP 4026, featuring Byrd with Jackie McLean, Duke Pearson, Doug Watkins and Lex Humphries. The Allmusic review by Michael G. Nastos awarded the album 4 stars; "Hard Bop" is the core of this music. A New Perspective is a 1964 album by jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4124 and BST 84124. The performances are mainly in a hard bop style, but the recording also features a gospel choir. rack listing "Elijah" (Byrd) - 9:21 "Beast of Burden" (Byrd) - 10:07 "Cristo Redentor" (Duke Pearson) - 5:43 "The Black Disciple" (Byrd) - 8:12 "Chant" (Pearson) - 7:31 Personnel Donald Byrd – trumpet Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone Herbie Hancock – piano Kenny Burrell – guitar Donald Best – vibraphone, vocals Butch Warren – bass Lex Humphries – drums Duke Pearson – arranger Donald Byrd's music went through so many phases and changes, that the only way to cover them all, is to discuss one or two of them at a time. for now we are going into hard bop, and Byrd with voices, which is the album "A New Perspective". Next we'll go into the funk and soul phases. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0LDIxfHXTI&list=PLB25D698B474055D9 Although we went through Byrd once before, I don't think "you tube" was as complete then. Now we can investigate thoroughly, and might even discover a new album we can add to our collection. The search for new music is what motivates me. When we use this method for investigation, we'll know for certain that we have everything worth having by that particular artist. After Donald Byrd, someone else can submit another artist, and we'll investigate what's available by that artist. New music is our life, it's what makes jazz aficionados tick. Enjoy the music. |
Shearing and Wilson: Have only one by Shearing (walkin'). Big time guy in British Jazz. Harmless enough. Only one by Wilson (with Cannonball). She is great but, maybe a little too sophisticated for my ears. Unless seen in person of course. I saw her once at Constitution Hall in D.C. Donald Byrd: A New Perspective Well, the OP finally stumbled into posting a 'must have'. Jazz and Gospel, a match made in Heaven? I think I'll get 'Black Byrd' also. Thanks. Cheers |
Calling all aficionados: I'm trying to get organized on this "New music hunt". This time, we go through a musician phase by phase, evaluating each change as we go. Hopefully I have Donald Byrd in order so that we can go year by year, happy listening. Donald Byrd: Low Life From Fuego (Blue Note, 1959) I could have started with a song far earlier in Byrd’s career but my point here is to establish his bop/post-bop certifiers with a spry, swinging tune that reminds me of Bobby Timmons best work. Donald Byrd: Cristo Redentor From A New Perspective (Blue Note, 1963) Byrd + gospel choir = sublime. And cinematic, no? Couldn’t you imagine this in some spaghetti western where our hero walks atop a sand dune, the sun setting at his back? Have I been watching too many Leone films? Also: best cover ever. Donald Byrd: House of the Rising Sun From Up With Donald Byrd (Verve, 1964) The best known song off this album is probably the cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” but thanks to US3, I can’t really bear to listen to it much. I do like this cover of “House of the Rising Sun” though. No only does it draw from the same choral backing that we heard on A New Perspective but you can begin to hear the hints of the coming soul-jazz movement. It’s the small, subtle things in the rhythm that you’ll hear even more so on… Donald Byrd: Blackjack From Blackjack (Blue Note, 1967) And here we are. It’s not upside your dome funky but clearly, it’s working in that vein, especially with the hard hammer of Cedar Walton’s piano. But heck, let’s take it a step further and let the drummer get some. Donald Byrd: Weasil From Fancy Free (Blue Note, 1969) The first thing that strikes you is that Duke Pearson is tickling the Rhodes on here, apparently the first time Byrd allowed an electric piano to roll in. Combine that with the more aggressive breakbeats by drummer Joe Chambers and “Weasil” belongs firmly in the soul-jazz era that’s since been enshrined through comps like Blue Break Beats and Jazz Dance Classics. Donald Byrd: The Little Rasti From Ethiopian Knights (Blue Note, 1972) To me, Ethiopian Knights represents the deepest Byrd got into this era of the soul-jazz sound before moving more towards proto-disco fusion style. Nearly 18 minutes long, nothing “little” about this. Donald Byrd: Where Are We Going? From Black Byrd (Blue Note, 1972) With this album, Byrd minted a smash and established himself as one of the masterminds of a sound that blended jazz, soul, funk and disco. Black Byrd was, in many ways, a total blueprint for the next five years, not just of Byrd’s career, but the direction of jazz and R&B as a whole. For me, I definitely hear some What’s Going On? elements at play but the sheer smoothness of the track also hints at what you’d hear with yacht rock by the late 1970s. It’s all right here. By the way, I’m going to skip over Street Lady even though it was an important/successful album, yada yada. The only thing I want to say is that the title track is an interesting “throwback” to Byrd’s sound from about five years before. It’s like a retro-hard-bop tune. Donald Byrd: Wind Parade From Places and Spaces (Blue Note, 1975) The Mizell brothers era of Byrd’s career is perhaps his best known to most hip-hop fans given the sheer number of samples that emerged from it. Anyone up on my site should already have “Wind Parade” in heavy rotation but this is one case where I can’t not include it in here. Any song that helps power one of the greatest remixes in hip-hop history deserves that much. The Blackbyrds: Mysterious Vibes From Action (Fantasy, 1977) At some point in the early 1970s Byrd landed a production deal with Fantasy Records and from that, he assembled a group of former Howard University students and they became the Blackbyrds. By the mid 1970s, though Byrd was still recording on his own, he was arguably experiencing more success in producing other groups, especially the Blackbyrds who had a string of hits I’m sure all of you are familiar. “Rock Creek Park” remains a constant staple for any good disco set but I threw in “Mysterious Vibes” here because 1) I like the name and 2) it’s groovy. The 3 Pieces: Shortnin’ Bread From Vibes of Truth (Fantasy, 1975) The 3 Pieces were a short-lived group from the D.C. area that Byrd also produced, albeit not to anywhere near the same success as the Blackbyrds. Pity since the album yielded at least two strong cuts: the jazz dance track above as well as the more mid-tempo crossover track, “Backed Up Against the Wall.” The Blackbyrds: Wilford’s Gone From Cornbread, Earl and Me (Fantasy, 1975) This seems as good a place to close out: the dark, moody, melancholy groove of “Wilford’s Gone” from the soundtrack of Cornbread, Earl and Me. Yet another gem shaped by the hand of Donald Byrd. Enjoy the music. |