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.
Its on all my music memory sticks in both cars. great driving music. I also have this version by Bebe and Cece Winans. Bought it at a store in Montgomery, Alabama. Don't why I remember that, I just remember the time and place I purchased certain CDs.
Pjw, thanks for the James Carter recommendation. Looked for it on the Tube; not there yet. I look forward to hearing it.
For me, one of the all-time greatest instrumental pairings in Jazz was the collaboration between Bill Evans and Stan Getz. To my ears they both lived in very similar musical planets. I posted this previously:
I post it again because it was long thought to be the only recorded collaboration between the two. Not sure how this eluded my radar, but I just became aware of this other, previously available only as a bootleg, live recording:
Evans, by his own admission, was heavily influenced by Classical composers. A beautiful example of this “cross pollination” of genres in his very interesting chord voicings on their fabulous rendition of “The Peacocks” @ 39:57. Bela Bartok with a touch of Ravel all the way.
Nsp, Wright spoke of 47th and Calumet; I recall sitting in my cousin's car on Calumet, waiting for him to come back, when some guy came running down the sidewalk past my window, and hearing a policeman scream halt before he fired his revolver; this guy turned and fired back at the cop then kept on running; I recall he was well dressed. It's funny how details stick in your mind at a time like that.
Fortunately for me they were fairly good shots, they missed each other but the bullets came within feet of my window or closer and they didn't hit me or the car. That let me know I was in the big city. At that time, the population of Chicago was 3620962 and it was number 2 in the USA.
A great live recording at Newport Jazz Festival and engineered well. Sonics are excellent on the CD.
He does a medley based on the Bill Withers song "Use Me Up" which I have seen and heard him done before a couple times in person. The version on this new release is awesome as are all the other songs. Highly recommended.
orpheus10 that's too bad it's no that's too bad it's no longer like that. I guess times change. it sounded so vibrant with all the different clubs and churches on every corner all with music. At least you have your memories and you must feel lucky to have been there at that time. I will have some other comments about his interview when I finish it.
Nsp, thank you for that interview. That was an incredible time in an incredible city; The South Side was like a city unto itself that was quite diverse. That no longer exists.
orpheus10 & frogman I would like to Clarify my position on gato Barbieri. I did like his work with Don Cherry on the two blue note albums from the 60s. I have a later 60s album with Gato in a trio which is totally avant-garde and I don't like.That speak low cut posted by O10 could have been recorded by CTI heavy on the orchestration light on the improvisation. I think he made his stylistic turn with the soundtrack he did for Last Tango in Paris and never looked back. I don't think he ever topped it . I did like some of the impulse label things he did but I no longer own them. The rest of it you can keep Here's another standard recorded by gato and the complete albumhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wQgSft3pf8
It was nice to wake up today, get a cup of coffee, open up the laptop and listen to those two wonderful songs. Brilliant paying by the band as a whole and Garbarek is, for lack of a better description, awesome on the sax!
Jazz composer and theorist George Russell, described Jan as “the most original voice in European jazz since Django Reinhardt”.
The Guardian: "ECM's founder, Manfred Eicher, used Garbarek to establish the cliche of Nordic jazz being icily exotic and romantically gloomy, using tons of reverb and echo to suggest that Garbarek was playing up against a Norwegian fjord. In fact, on 1976's Dis, Eicher did actually record him playing against a Norwegian fjord – you can hear Garbarek blowing into a wind harp as the North Sea laps in the background."
I agree with you on Shepp. The ones you posted were really very good. But I guess players evolve in what they think is a positive direction. When they do, they lose, and gain fans. One of the comments on one of my post said "this is the greatest Jazz tune in history". Takes all kinds.
Don’t get me started on Gospel. Your clips were great. These are some I listened to today.
I think the good folks at Abyssinian Baptist in Harlem are a little more authentic, but this sound is better. Baptist in Brooklyn?? Sounds incredulous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNw04iBZnR8
Nice Mahalia Jackson, pjw. Wonderful singer. I feel as nsp does re Gato. I never found his “free” stuff credible; he never sounded quite in his element. I think he found his niche with his later stuff which had more of a “world music” vibe with a heavy Latin Jazz/pop leaning. Didn’t care much for it, but he seemed more at home with it. I never thought of him as a Jazz player, but more of an enjoyable stylist. Re recent discussion, try and find a Gato recording, any recording, with Gato playing a Jazz standard. There aren’t any (that I can find).
O-10 , I was never that romantic , I liked Johnny Mathis because he had a lovely voice and was master of his craft . I was always a one-woman man and got the one I wanted.
That said , a lady friend of mind once said how ironic it was that a gay man was the greatest instrument of pregnancy in the world .Could be .
The A.S. songs I posted are from a few of the approximately half dozen albums he put out that were not radical free jazz. IMHO, Archie’s paying is brilliant on those sessions, particularly the one grounded in Gospel.
Trumpet: all boys Trombone: all boys Baritone: all boys Tuba: all boys Violin: all girls Cello: all girls Flute: all girls Clarinet: mixed Oboe: mixed Bassoon: all boys Sax: NA Tympani: all boys Bass drum: all boys Snare, cymbals: all boys
Given the times, I'm sure we were funneled into certain instruments according to gender.
Rok, Gato spent about 10 minutes with Don Cherry in that "Free thing" and I didn't like it either, but since then he became one of my favorites; I have him all the way through his various evolutions.
I remember him from my LP buying days, and I think I may have owned a few, but not any now. He seems to have been a part of the 'free' Jazz movement. That would explain why I didn't really get into his music. I spent a few bucks on Cherry and Shepp before I learned that you can't, and don't have to, like everyone.
jchiappinelli I have to agree with you Gato had a very distinctive voice on his instrument. I did post something from Blue Notes" Complete Communion" album last year but don't remember it receiving much response. I like his early work which was mostly in the avant-garde category and his work on the impulse label. Don't care for his later more commercial recordings. The soundtrack from the early seventies is one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8dPNHriiZA
Jumping in midstream here so if you've covered him already, my apologies. I'm talking about Gato Barbieri. The tools of most great jazz musicians have a distinct voice regardless of what instrument they play. When you hear Miles, Coltrane, Jamal, etc, there's no mistaking them for someone else. Their voice is immediately recognizable. The same can be said of Gato's tenor. It takes only a few notes to identify his tenor's unique sound. Very underrated tenor IMHO. Thoughts on Gato?
I remember buying his stuff when I was stationed in Germany. In the record stores there, you could play the LPs on the store's turntable. If you liked it, you bought it, it not, you put it back on the shelf. That drove me nuts!!
Rok, I've got just about everything by Oscar Brown Jr. and as much as I like that one, I'm going to submit another one.
This is my hometown girl, and I like everything she does; maybe it's because we both been drinking that Mississippi River water all our lives, I don't know what it is about her, but without comparing her to the other divas, I like it.
Schubert, lets face it, the reason we liked Johnny Mathis so much was because his songs reminded us of the most beautiful girl in the world; she was the one we were in love with at that time.
Both clips were great, but since Horace Silver was actually playing on the messenger clip, and with that lineup, it's no contest.
However I do think Dee Dee's 'Tribute to Horace Silver' CD is one of, if not the best example of vocals put to Jazz tunes. The entire CD, each track, is a winner. Contrast her effort with Carmen McRae doing Monk. No where near the energy.
Of course we could say the same when comparing Silver to Monk. Two completely different styles.
I just noticed that I overlooked Schubert's post; he didn't say much, but what he said resonated with me; he mentioned Lee Morgans version of "Since I Fell For You".
That, without a doubt is the most incredible instrumental version of that tune there is, and anyone with the sensitivity to recognize that makes them a remarkable "Aficionado".
While being able to articulate what you feel helps on a thread like this; the bottom line is the importance of "what you feel".
Guys, I do not post much (can’t say much about jazz, I may only paste few announcements of what I am listenin’ at that very moment) but I am following your postings often. Each of your postings. And I appreciate the contribution of Each of you here. And I do not see here any deliberate intention nor someone’ s obvious desire to deliberately undermine the opinions/stories/preferences from others. If that by any chance happens, one can always apologize. However, criticism, making fun of, jokes, ironies are most welcomed, at least in my book. But without the insults on personal level. If we have a will to do the things right, I think we can do whatever we want.
Sorry you feel that way, O-10. I still don’t get it and would still welcome a better explanation. Nonetheless, I offer a sincere apology for making you feel that I was “raining on your parade”. That was far from my intention with any of this. I hope you reconsider; but, as with all of us I’m sure, I don’t believe it is necessary nor appropriate to have to tailor one’s style of writing and interacting on an on-line forum (!!!!) by second guessing someone else’s expectations or needs when the only “infraction” is a bit of harmless humor. I would only add, and for whatever it may be worth, that my experience has been that the reasons for our reactions are not always what they may seem to be. I wish you well.
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