acman3 nice clip of JC at age 26 shredding that tenor. The guy on alto is pretty darn good too!
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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James Carter can play ANY reed/woodwind instrument but that is not the point. The point is he can play them all at very high technical proficiency. He may or may not be "the best" at any of them but he is on the short list and has won the Downbeat Critics Poll on a few of them. Clarinet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45hcOg5MNs4 baritone sax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgl1D0T_rHQ tenor and soprano sax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDDTA97Yf9o&t=382s alto sax: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIJPG6dCHeE flute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYcCkl6M7y8 |
Great Benny Goodman clips. Thanks all. Benny was wonderful. The whole issue of “best of all time” is an impossible determination. The context of where the music was at in its evolution puts it all in the only valid perspective, imo. Great comments and observations re recent clips posted. During Benny’s time the demands on players where very different in many ways. There was a different ensemble playing aesthetic and the softer sounding (than saxophones) clarinet could be featured in a big band or lead the reed section. As Jazz evolved toward the modern and electric it generally became more aggressive volume wise and players’ sounds evolved likewise toward a brighter and more aggressive approach (Pepper Adams/nsp). The clarinet didn’t stand a chance. Not only because it is not capable of the same sheer volume as a saxophone, but as Jazz evolved to a more harmonically sophisticated and challenging language, the clarinet’s poor logic in its key (fingering) system made the instrument much more difficult to play with the kind of harmonically extended approach to improvisation that became standard post-big band era. The saxophone has a certain logic to its fingering system that makes it much more conducive to the speed of bebop and the patterns-based Coltrane approach. In light of this, Eddie Daniels’ accomplishment is that much more impressive. He talks about this in the interview portion of the clip I posted earlier. Btw, Schubert, GRP records was known for being one of the first entirely digital record companies. pjw, let us know how you like the Thad and Mel records. Per your comment, it was such a different time (perspective): https://youtu.be/YsJScuVa_HI |
acman3 if Benny Goodman is not considered the best clarinetist of all time he was certainly the most popular and quite a showman I have this album and this is my favorite song. Makes me want to jump up and dance while twirling my wife around https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NigiwMtWE0 |
frogman + Schubert I think this video gets it right and Ronnie Cuber is on it along with the aforementioned Pepper Adams, Gerry Mulligan, Harry Carney, and one you guys neglected - Hamiet Bluiett. Bluiett was a mentor of James Carter on the baritone and plays on Carters album "Out of Nowhere. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAI8Ycj-_Bk Out of Nowhere (Bluiett is featured right out front in the first song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg4PrVw1KaM I have this album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deK-ACbP89U A young Ronnie Cuber cutting it up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ib4Y2vI5qlw |
frogman I ordered the discs you recommended. I had only one Thad Jones disc titled "The Magnificent Thad Jones" and I like the recording a lot. Here is a couple tunes from it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgfD1FWn4Pw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kKiar1b7Wc |
And here's what Defranco had to say about Eddie. "Breakthrough" is first class and Eddie points the way to a departure from Benny, Artie or myself .... I'm not sure that it isn't a ADD recording . Sleeve says Recorded at Olympic Sound Studios , London . Digitally mixed and edited in The Review Room and Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound both with Sony gear in NYC . But I know next to nothing about the process . I do know that having the LPO in its prime didn't hurt anything . I've often thought about 3rd stream , concluded the players were there but not the audience . Might have made it in swing era . Too late now . |
Eddie Daniels’ “Breakthrough” is a wonderful record; nice score. You may find this interesting. Nice insight into the career of this wonderful musician and interesting individual. Anyone not interested in the “geeky” stuff can skip to 1:03:30 for the music. https://youtu.be/qnNGVP95eOc |
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I lucked out and scored a never opened LP of Eddie Daniels "Breakthrough" . All the pieces are on You Tube ,no sense in me posting them . The LP is as beautiful an instrumental LP as I have ever heard .
More like a stream that flows clarinet than a human effort. The You Tube clips are far from the LP sound . The CD may suck , can't say, but the LP would be a bargain at $100 . " Eddie Daniels is the Monster Clarinetist....... Eddies debut album for GRP will be the the benchmark to judge all future recordings ............ " Quincy Jones " Eddie Daniels .....virtuoso blend of ....idioms is quite remarkable ..." Artie Shaw And Artie wasn't known as being free with compliments . Only living instrumentalist I can think of at this level is the Great German violinist , Julia Fisher .
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A favorite of mine . Mulligan and Hamilton did well together. Very well . A lot of folks don’t care for Gerry . But nobody says he wasn’t cool as Greenland ice ! https://youtu.be/_lLK-cFAyXA |
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nsp. thanks for posting the Shihab / Rouse stuff . Straight ahead fun . I like it when entire album is posted , saves me money ! I listen on my "puter with a Sennhheiser 545 into a Audioquest Dragon Fly Red USB Dac . 545 is easy to drive and has more "jump" than my 650. Even 100 $ black Dac makes things better .And easier to drive than $200 Red.Had a friend put a high-end sound board on my Desk top for Red . Be interesting to know what you and others do . |
pjw the group of the group of four you posted on 6/19 are excellent. the only one I don't have is Donald Harrison. I've overlooked him need to get a couple of titles. He reminds me a little of Sonny Rollins with a modern slant.Do you have the other two duo albums Archie shepp did for Steeplechase" Goin Home "and" Looking for bird"? I have all three duo albums on 180 gram vinyl and they sound great!! "Going home" is all Spirituals. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd-vGYpI82Q http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpPGN77aJNo |
Alex that then Harry Carney cut was excellent. The way he held that note so long towards the end of the song was amazing!! Was he the guy who started it all on baritone sax? His tone seems a little lighter then say Pepper Adams which I liked although I have to admit it's hard to get a light tone out of a baritone sax.lol |
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My favorite living baritone player: https://youtu.be/zWw-3kJwge0 https://youtu.be/YB4mOhCr17Y Funkiest aritone player; maybe ever. Can drive and grab an entire electric band by the bal/&. Pretty amazing: https://youtu.be/_TP3kQGaCa8 |
pjw, re Thad and Mel: I can’t think of a bad recording, but I am partial to the first three and would be a great place to start. “Live At The Village Vanguard”, “Consummation” and “Central Park North”. The 2016 two disc release “All My Yesterdays” includes the debut performances at TVV and is great. The lineups on those record are simply amazing and include, Joe Henderson, Eddie Daniels, Joe Farrell, Richard Davis, Roland Hanna and many other greats. Re baritone players: Gary Smulyan took over Pepper Adams’ spot and has been there since. Great player: https://youtu.be/JVEZKxLTKiw https://youtu.be/3yLbb2VTk9M |
Great links alex the first one with Harry Carny blew me away! Same song you posted plus the next song Take the A Train: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LQPKsoYBgU |
Speaking of bands and baritones.... Duke with Harry Carney.... https://youtu.be/brqxEdwsTQs some other baritone players... Randy Weston with Cecil Payne.... https://youtu.be/hAPAW07ju1U https://youtu.be/SkGpT9g4O6g and Serge Chaloff sextet.. https://youtu.be/degZcUFL9SA |
frogman the one you reposted is a great display of musicianship by Jones and Adams. Adams solo in particular shows a total command of his instrument. Your other links also magnify his brilliance on the baritone. Its funny that the latest topic here is Pepper Adams as for this past week I have been sampling a lot of the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Orchestra on YouTube and Amazon and compiling the albums I intend to buy into my Amazon wish list. Any recommendations would be appreciated. Here is another awesome baritone player carrying on the torch since Adams’ passing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWHbHaPJvL4 As for the extended note from 2:50 - 3:20 I saw JC do the same and actually could see him exhibit the "circular breathing" technique from a distance of about 10 feet as my table was front row center and 5 feet from the bandstand. Getting back to Pepper Adams he appears on far to many of my disc collection as a sideman for me to count. I wish he had recorded more as a leader. |
“Conversation” is the key in jazz; and as you say, always best when done with love. This musical event makes the point of your comment, so I’ll post the clip again. Check out how Pepper starts his solo @ 1:45. Remember that little melodic fragment that he plays and then goes on to turn inside out and develop. He plays for three minutes and then Thad plays @ 4:36. Check out how Thad starts HIS solo. That’s love; or, at the very, least extreme respect: https://youtu.be/WaCfDeZJPIU |