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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frogman , looking at my post I can see why you could think that . What I meant to say is Carter is so Great I can only listen to him .If there were a top 5 poll on your favorite Jazzman , Carter would be on mine . Only problem I have with Elling is he a singer of poetry or a poet who sings? Likely both ..IMO he is the most intelligent person singing, in the USA at least . Seen him twice live at Dakota , if there had not been 13 inches of snow in my driveway 2 weeks ago it would have been 3 times . I want him and Karon Allison to sing together , which might happen . |
Billy Higgins was fabulous. Great band. Schubert, maybe I misunderstood. What is it about Ron Carter’s playing that you don’t like? Vocal version of Herbie’s tune “Eye Of The Hurricane” by someone that Schubert likes. Personally, I think there have been but a handful of singers who could scat for longer than one chorus before deserving the hook; if that long. Like most of even the best ones, this one doesn’t quite make the changes the way a great instrumentalist can, but man can he swing! https://youtu.be/RTF6lJIsYHY Billy Higgins on another of my desert island records: https://youtu.be/7wcYrx4d3Jg |
Nice clip Frogman. Great playing by everyone, I will sit down and check out the solo later. I LOVE this group! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRCdpcpQad8 |
frogman Maiden Voyage is an excellent recording and Freddie really is on another playing field. Coleman is underrated and also played well on this live date with Miles Davis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG5FAVw3UqY Schubert thanks for the 5x5 clip. I have that disc and a 4 disc compilation set in which one disc features 5x5 with Dave Brubeck https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qebMRJpWIzs Paul Desmond's tone really goes well with 5x5!! |
https://youtu.be/pMzgjblVd88 The greatest down low and ready to go Jazz/Blues singer who ever lived . |
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One of my desert island records. Classic. The line up is amazing. Featuring the great Freddie Hubbard and a great tenor player that we don’t mention much, George Coleman. https://youtu.be/VUnE_P6n1gU https://youtu.be/cs6rxYEvrns Freddie Hubbard was a bada&s; a master of thematic development in his solos. Like Jesse Davis, he loved to take a simple idea, use it and develop an entire solo around that idea. On this tune the idea is as simple as it gets, one note. Listen to the way he starts his solo with one note (F). Remembering the sound of that pitch one notices that he finishes many of his phrases with that very note; keeps coming back to it. Grounds things. Love it! https://youtu.be/oQ9V22hnYyQ |
About twenty years or so before he passed Phil Woods, suffering from emphisyma, switched to Yamaha altos, a much freer blowing horn than the Selmer he had played all his career. As always, there are no free rides. The Yamaha is less resistant and freer blowing, but doesn’t have the color in the tone that the Selmer has; sounds a little bleached out like in the Vayage clip. Classic, pre-Yamaha Phil Woods tone, 1974: https://youtu.be/t0DPCG_enHc Good analogy. To use another Classical analogy: I sometimes get tired of Woods’ effortlessness in his ideas and total command; I want to hear a little struggle. To me it’s like Richard Strauss operas. One asks oneself “how much dessert can one have?”. One impossibly gorgeous and perfect melody after another and it becomes too much. |
Straight up, McPherson on tone , Jesse on melody and swing . A tie . I saw Davis had a different mouthpiece but I thought it was the double lip thing NO players use . Never seen either in real life . Lousy sounding clip on Voyage for Davis , seems to be only one extant .Woods is great but to use a classical analogy , to me he's Heifetz, Davis is Menuhin. But that IS ONLY me . |
That’s very funny. Davis sounds fabulous on Voyage. Love the sound. Was surprised he was using that Selmer metal mouthpiece on the clip with Woods. Very unwieldy style of mouthpiece; doesn’t allow a lot of agility in the playing, but unique sound some players like (sometimes). https://youtu.be/FoxBWLwxcdk |
Pushing Getz on this ?https://youtu.be/lmFuEispUUk Not fair with McPherson , he was using Japanese air ! |
Davis twice is a good thing (great minds think alike 😊). Did somebody say soul? https://youtu.be/V323NXXd3ow |
Of the at least 10,0000 covers that have passed through my hands this is the most beautiful .Decades later he looked at high school players the same way .,.https://youtu.be/448rUZ7BnjA . IMO Davis has the most soul . Just me . |
I’ve listened to that Jesse Davis clip about ten times. Fantastic clip and I love great alto playing! Acman3 is right; “depends on what one is looking for in a solo”. Jesse Davis is a fantastic player, but to be compared to a giant like Phil Woods is a pretty tall order. Schubert makes a great observation. While I wouldn’t say that Davis is more melodic than the others, he does have a certain clarity in his sense of melody. He likes to take a short melodic snippet, transpose and repeat it and turn it upside down. Acman3 brings up another interesting point re the solo order. What I find fascinating about that solo order is that listening to those four players is like following the development of jazz from the post-Bird period to the present. Woods’ playing screams Bird while bringing his own somewhat more modern harmonic language and tone. His playing projects an amazing sense of confidence and maturity. McPherson takes it a step further into the future in overall approach. Bartz’ playing shows why Miles chose him for one of his electric bands. Davis takes things the farthest outside the harmonies of the tune and one can hear some obvious ”Coltranisms” in his solo. All great soloists. From the standpoint of technical command Woods couldn’t be touched. IMO. Thanks again for a fantastic clip, Schubert. https://youtu.be/448rUZ7BnjA |
acman3 I had never listened to Ulf Wakenius before. He is fantastic. I guess those Scandinavian’s stick together! Of course I do know about Yngwie Johan Malmsteen but never bought any of his progressive classical rock/metal fusion albums. Many of my heavy metal friends were always asking me why I don’t own any Malmsteen albums and my reply was I just don’t like the way he plays. Wakenius, to me, is better. To each his own. Just saw this and had to post it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i6puq4I13s |
I cant leave out Narciso Yepes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxwceLlaODM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UN6tcdiqELk |
Here are some great guitarists. They are as beautiful as the music they play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxGT5z6d-GA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez62cQPYyI8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-NzOxyi-VY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXIVZ25vHJ4 |
acman3 that is a great pick from the great NHOP. Do you know who is playing the guitar? Schubert that big band Cubano clip is outstanding. The Japanese really love jazz - all genres of jazz. The Andres Segovia link I put up is actually an interview with him from 1969 at his house in Spain overlooking the Mediterranean. He was 75 then and it was the first summer he spent at home with his wife in 25 years. He was a classical player but influenced many jazz guitarists. The great jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd used one of Segovia’s guitars that he gave away. Anyway here is Andres Segovia minus the interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCeebWgjrrU Charlie Byrd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPyY80pUujE Luiz Bonfa: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2VWDYo8gGc |
Yes PJW, the Jiro was nice. I will have to keep an eye on him. Schubert, Really enjoyed the Jesse Davis clip. All of them were really good. Just depends on what you want to hear in those solo's, But as one of the commenters said, and I paraphrase, " Sometimes Woods just kicks some butt". Usually the "Star" goes last, but I think he knew what these men behind him could do, and going first he had to be very good. Good to see you posting Jazz O10! |
I listened to, and enjoyed everyone's submission; I especially enjoyed Schuberts Japanese Cuban submission. It seems that movies used Cuban music in all Latin American movies without giving the Cubans credit, and that's why I thought the music was Brazilian back then. Many times I can't figure rhyme or reason for the name of a tune, but the name of this tune is so appropriate that you can feel it; the title is "Lullaby of The Doomed". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_c-fueLOgg This tune has a feeling of profound sadness, as it's title suggests. |
Oh , frogman , in my hears Davis is a notably better player now , more control and coherence than he had as the "kid" on the clip 25 years ago . pjw, That jiro hollow piece was fantastic , that Japanese way of always coming from a disciplined foundation no matter where they go is seems to be in the blood . So many greats in a land 1/3 rd of ours . .https://youtu.be/n504TUSRX0g?list=RDn504TUSRX0g I never knew there were so many cubanos in Japan , most have been caught in Gulf Stream . |
Not to mention Jesse wrote that tune . To my hears he was a tad more melodic than the others without changing the overall idea but that’s just me . . From all I’ve been able to find he is noted for his good nature and politeness . For a listener to got such good looks at various embouchure’s was very interesting indeed !Every player on that clip had something to say and said it very well . Like a template on how to play jazz. Of course Woods and Chestnut were the big dogs but all gave so much it was like a beautiful family . |
alex all of my jazz guitar discs are well known musicians. Although I recently purchased 2 Senri Kawaguchi discs from cd Japan and they sent me a notice of a new release she has coming out with a Japanese classically trained guitarist named Jiro Yoshida whom I never heard of. I found some clips from him on youtube Senri: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXzDdf2FLE Jiro solid body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia0S8ibSxpg Jiro hallow body: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PaZz2fZOuo And here is Andres Segovia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dXID4GM4oQ You asked for old and Segovia is |
He does hang in; and well. Phil Woods was just incredible. The ideas flowed with total ease; and it was always expected. In a way this made Charles McPherson’s solo the most interesting to me. Just the right amount of tension from that little bit of wondering whether he would pull off a particular line or not; and he always did. Interesting that only Jesse did the time honored and “collegial” thing of starting his solo by using material that the previous soloist (Bartz) ended with. Great clip! |
I hope no one else had heard a better display of talent than this , I might pass just hearing it . My main man Jesse hanging in with the big dogs , Cyrus pounding on a Bosendorfer , look out world !! Vienne (France) Festival , 1996 with NO tricks ...................https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ab8t0Mn8EHw |
"Out of Africa"; I give you "Fatoumata Diawara"; she only sings in her native tongue, which is "Mali", but that's good enough for me and the rest of the world. She is so expressive that she doesn't need words, her music tells the story. Once I saw a video where tears were streaming down her face; that was a sad song and people of Africa have a lot to cry about, but things are getting better. I like her best when she skips and dances; you can see the joy of life in her face as she expresses this emotion in her music. "Fatou" as she likes to be called, lives in France, and is now happily making the world her stage. I just received her LP "Fenfo" which I like a lot, but I have exotic taste, that's in addition to my kind of jazz that you guys have been posting. Her are some links, and I'll let you be the judge of "Fatou" and her music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gmGL5SqhaY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82BifytoYY |
Mary_jo, I'm not really back, but I'm moved by your kind words. My health is not the best subject. Since you like my stories, the next one will be just for you. As to the jazz, others are really submitting some good jazz, I wont compete with them; however, I will submit some new music. As Rok used to say; "What's he discovered out of Africa now"? I like the way the thread is moving along, and I will contribute when I can. |
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