I pretty much like all of his recordings. There’s something about the way he pounds those keys and you can tell that his bass player and drummer seem to enjoy playing with him as well.
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.
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Here is a Spiritual Jazz album that I have on constant rotation: Philip Cohran & the Artistic Heritage Ensemble - On The Beach (1968) https://youtu.be/Q_Yfd4me6hs?si=6UzizwsZUrinjh5P
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A very unheralded guitar slanger that some may know and most know nothing about. Stanley Jordan plays Eleanor Rigby Stanley Jordan Trio - Return Expedition (Live in Montreal 1990) Les Paul & Stanley Jordan INSANE Jam
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It was Michael Brecker - Tales From The Hudson - Man, thank you so much kind sir! Michael Brecker - The Mean Time - Is just icing on the cake.
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There has been quite a bit of M Brecker posted by me and others. This is the last Brecker I posted. Perhaps this is it: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l85qqhvqGAA36q_ctKF3ZoE3cqpktgknc Check this out as well. His last. Both are great: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBWjcVWYw1waf3zkCkkNGNAWVR4109BLh&si=7ExrySWN3xPhBleX
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Someone posted a youtube Michael Brecker music audio a while back and I tried to find it but couldn’t. If anyone can find that link for me it would be much appreciated. As I mentioned in another thread I get a lot of ’new’ music here that I have never heard and that muscc audio is exactly what I was talking about and I like to bookmark them.
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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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Another young jazz lion...Robert Glasper - So Beautiful (Live At Capitol Studios) (Official Video) |
It’s good to see young folks not only playing jazz but coming to the shows and supporting the new artists. These are 2 videos of the same song with a whole lot of improvisation with at time, different band members. Chief Adjuah aka Christian Scott - West of the West |
I’ve loved the guitar since I was a kid listening to Duane Eddy playing "40 Miles of Bad Road" and "Pepe". Then one day I saw an LP with a bright red Gretsch on the cover and I thought I might see what someone else played on the guitar Eddy used. Which takes me to my pick for "Aficionados". Still my favorite record of all, Kenny Burrell, "Guitar Forms"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp50jQ_mPAg&list=PLvxWibFr0wiLXaegSULNzwUcrz5c4K5Pm And see what reviewers had to say about these pure silver interconnects: |
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Interesting. Detached or aloof are probably the last two characteristics I would think of. I find his playing to be very direct and committed. The beauty of music in that it can cause different reactions. (Btw, one of the few players who can improvise without piano or guitar and the harmony of the tune remains always clear). |
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. |
Contrasts indeed! Well, let’s contrast 😊 First, one should look at the song’s lyrics. For me: melancholy, tenderness, feeling of the blues (obviously, “You don’t know what love is/Until you’ve learned the meaning of the blues”). Should be played as if spoken. Is the player telling the story of the song? Sonny: Love Sonny. Love that sultry, velvety tone and it mostly works for me, but gets a bit notee (notey?). Pharoah: Great! Incredibly expressive owing a lot to Trane’s approach to that melody and Trane’s tone. He doesn’t improvise and sticks to playing the melody. Said it all with just the melody. Love that. Phil: I normally love Phil Woods, but this is not my cup of tea. Way too many notes (notey?) and no tenderness at all. Yuck! In fairness, the tune is one of those tunes with a chord progression that is really satisfying for players to improvise over. Sometimes leads to over playing. Booker: I like it, but not nearly as much as Sonny’s version while having similar tone concepts. My favorite and the classic. Beginning to end, like someone speaking about a lost lover. Pretty amazing. Trane really was a genius: https://youtu.be/YHAKe26KqG4?si=R3DSVNrAprv_G6h0 You don’t know what love is You don’t know how lips hurt Do you know how a lost heart fears You don’t know how hearts burn You don’t know how hearts burn
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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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Listened to "John Coltrane Quartet Ballads" today flipping sides over and over. Elvin Jones' brushes, climbing cymbal mallets and rolls on within and nearly all the lead outs are pure genius. Rising like a Phoenix to remind us this was not an "easy listening session" - actually complex when I listen to what's happening with the time signatures and rhythms of Tyner, Garrison and Jones underneath Trane. I do consider this one of the best jazz albums of all time, so I am biased. Enjoy this track for a reminder of what (for me) rings true to this ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHAKe26KqG4&list=OLAK5uy_lELmp3lItqC6VDTGJLkvFuFBidfOH_WrQ&index=2 |
I think now there is 6 recordings albums of title "virtuoso"...
I know only 4... Top each one...
In this article they said 6... https://www.allaboutjazz.com/joe-pass-virtuoso-by-c-michael-bailey
Happy new year and big health and perfect hearing and some good surprize to come this year for you...
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@msbel, some years ago Mingus' Haitian Fight Song was used in a commercial. A younger man comes to pick up an older man (his father?) from what appeared to be a care facility. Then they hit the highway and that music was perfect as an expression of the old guy's freedom. As a long time Mingus fan I liked it before that, but it produced a commercial I was always happy to see -- a rare situation.
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@mahgister, I was surprised to find a total of 3, and you say there’s a 4th? Way cool... |
@acman3, Wow! Thanks! I see on wiki there many different version than the original 5 song album release. The 2001 Expanded Edition has total of 22 songs! Check it out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuana_Moods ’Charlie’ Mingus. Lol!
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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aGsVqF-URXc Back at you! |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OFleiE81-E Never been able to sit still while listening to this - more gyrating in some weird dance - which I believe is the intent. Mingus' lead in is one of his best. And throughout more out front that most of his later arrangements of the same tune ... Danny Richmond drumming like a swinging jet engine Jimmy Knepper is phenomenal You know this one.
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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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@tyray , if you’re new to Pat Martino you may like this. I’ve posted it previously, https://youtu.be/2o0AoEqSlB0?si=wvoQQ9f2OhoqI8ga Another with “a little Spanish tinge”…..at least in title. |
@tyray , glad you liked it. Pat Martino was a badass! Very interesting and at times sad personal story. |
@frogman and @mahgister Pat Martino's El Niño and Cisco?! This is some of the best stuff I've heard in a long, long time! I like anything, with a little Spanish Tinge...Thank you both - dearly... |
Happy new year!
One of my favorite three jazz albums
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU_1MROrl9g&list=PLfJndz0utgONMP9gZEqcQNHWKPQD2iMpt |
Great stuff, acman3 and stuartk! Remler sounds great, but I’m a little confused about the title of the tune. “Cisco” is credited to Pat Martino, but his “Cisco” is a different tune. A brand old guitar recording that is really good! 😊: https://youtu.be/IqLyOs_JlaI?si=NQSEwZ-LEXqT4I-b
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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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@stuartk +1! |