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.
schubert, pjw... :--)) ;-) Well, its’ a nice day today. Time to move on... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR7A9MgD5Y8&list=PLM5bmJNI5rA1G2ToGMxC5l29vqDiRMgAX&index=3 Can't find this one on YT https://www.storyvillerecords.com/products/time-to-move-on-stcd4238 |
They play well together and play beautiful , what more can you want ? As you well know, all the ex-Yugoslav lands have had about every turmoil and grief there is after Tito . Countries in Europe where jazz is really big, like Germany and France, have a history of jazz going back to the 1920's when there was no rock and roll etc . Hercules would have a hard time establishing jazz even there today . USA can keep a jazz culture of sorts because 3% of 300 million is still a lot of people . That said you never know what could happen in Croatia, a bunch of kids could make jazz popular with their smart phones ! I don't doubt you were the hottest woman there , great to see you are back . |
It feels good just to check your postings guys. It seems as if you always have an ace up your sleeve when you speak about jazz. Great music, love it. pjw, when I saw the news about Gilberto, I remembered you and your admiration for Gilberto. Speaking of jazz sessions, had a privilege to attend one yesterday. The live jazz show as the part of the summer festival was held in a small but pitoresque town called Solin - a town with rich cultural and national heritage, located on the river called Jadro and in the very vicinity of second largest town in Croatia - Split. The romantic place with warm and intimate atmosphere. A perfect place for jazz. I went there alone since my friends do not listen jazz at all. Why they do not listen it, can’t tell but I am sure that the reason is, among other things, in the fact that jazz shows are not happening that often. You can’t learn to love, what you can’t see or hear, right? Anyway, I was in my little black dress, all dressed up, looking all shiny under the city lights. Ok, maybe I was not quite like Bety from orpheus first post but I surely felt like it. That counts too, right? The guys were good. Their rare YT link: https://youtu.be/Twg_5XRlxCw The audience numbered maybe 20 enthusiasts at the beginning. Those were serious listeners. Later, when the session was on it’s peak, more people came. Couldn’t figure was that because they heard good music (the door were widely opened) or it was getting too cold outside so they had to take a cozy shelter somewhere. All in all, jazz rules. Ok, maybe not all jazz. Other music sucks. Ok, maybe not all other music. But... |
A wealth of riches! Fantastic Joe Henderson clips. Thanks, all. Gotta love YouTube! Check out Joe’s solo as a member of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra live in 1970. Amazing! One of the very few modern tenor players whose playing shows practically no hint of Coltrane. Total original: https://youtu.be/hTFhcL-YrDU Fast forward to 31:12 (if you must ☹️) to hear Joe trade fours with Eddie Daniels. |
acman3 those are great JH selections. "I have the complete State of the Tenor" double disc set and lush life. I also have "An Evening with Joe Henderson" with Charlie Haden and Al Foster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvksR_tcAKk Your last link of "The Montreal Tapes" is the same trio with Haden as the leader on the album cover and with 4 different songs. I'm going to buy that disc! |
The great Joe Henderson holds a sacred place in my collection. I like his earlier recordings pre - 1970 the best. Here are the first songs of each of my favorite Henderson albums in chronological order. The last 2 albums I find myself listening to more then the others. Its Joe with the Wynton Kelly trio where they play mostly standards. One is a studio recording and the other is live. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7eOs5lERww https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohaHzkOTbEk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEUIz64pnu8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4I2T8vZwmA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r8L-9ay7uE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqCFSzQgI9I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q9WU7uiX9k |
“In the top five” (maybe three), without a doubt: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT_aBs9pjfFbScRmLV1xP8LQWTMFkmASa Playing one of Joe’s best known tunes, possibly the greatest little known tenor player: https://youtu.be/7Mlt8JigDYk https://youtu.be/93rzHJoVreo |
pjwI bought Pesent Tense and Jurassic Classics. I think my next purchase may be chasing the Gypsy, the tribute CD. I'll check out the other titles you suggested. That reviewer on Amazon nailed it on the head about James. it doesn't look like I'll be able to make that concert next week maybe the next time he comes around. Enjoy and please do a write-up / review after the show. |
nsp I’m glad you liked JC’s "The Real Quiet Storm" "Out of Nowhere" is a furiously paced session recorded live at the Blue Note in NYC in 2004. My favorite song on that session is called "Highjack" although the whole record is a scorcher. Two other live JC albums I would recommend are here: https://www.amazon.com/Live-At-Bakers-Keyboard-Lounge/dp/B0001HJT7C/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=james+carter... Amazon reviewer on the above session and JC in general: Artistic expression spirals up as greater and greater facility with the medium of expression provides new aesthetic experiences on unchanging emotional constants like love, loss and happiness. James isn’t showboating, he’s just moving everything up and making a lot of people uncomfortable in the process. He can do more with the horn than anybody else out there, and isn’t afraid to make use of it all in his solos. He may be saying something the references back to playing jazz, or playing that blues chorus for the billionth time or trying out things that saxophones can’t usually do while trading 4s with a violin, but he’s always expressing, and doing so on the next level. When you bring new tools, there is going to be a new aesthetic, and the old guard will grouch about it until the pain this new development has applied to their ego subsides. There is a tension between artistic expression and technical/structural complexity. I can emote with a single note, but I still value the exquisite intricacy of a fugue. James throwing in multi-phonics, tongue-pops and entire choruses in the upper registers is usually derided as a bag of cheap tricks, but listen carefully, and you’ll find new levels of expression. You’ll find subtlety in what you are labelling crassness. Maybe you can’t hear it, but that doesn’t mean the emperor has no clothes, it means you need to brush up on your Bechet, Hawkins, Young, Coltrane etc. James has played more music than any of his listeners ever will, and the experience shows in his attitude at times and the minute detail all the time. If you want to be comfortable, go listen to Joshua Redman. If you want to catch the real innovation happening right now, you have to be listening to James. Over and over. And this one: https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth-Carter-Medeski-2009-08-25/dp/B01K8QF7P8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X8M01AK... btw, I have my tickets to JC's show at the Blue Note next Wednesday 17 July hope to see you there. |
R.I.P. João Gilberto - Jun 10, 1931 - Jul 06, 2019 (age 88) Some called him the father of Bossa Nova. All I know is he wrote beautiful songs, played them beautiful on his guitar while singing them beautifully. In his native Brazil he was known as O Mito - "The Legend" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQC4Ye7hr9Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckmcdcQ2mEg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezTGEOvBorY |
It does get down to what you personally hear, or like. To me they are all top 10-20 tenor players, however I have to put Joe Henderson in my top 5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAfyd5OOP0 |
Indeed 81563 . Best homage of that kind of thing I’ve seen .Totally unique. As someone who is Phil’s age when he passed , the looks I see are the pure love of a grandfather / granddaughter when the former aches to leave her with all he knows and she is wise enough and loves enough to know that and receive it . God Bless them both . |