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.
Guys, I can’t thank you enough. Chick Corea · Return To Forever · Light As A Feather 1973, Stanley Clarke · Children Of Forever 1973 and a host of Flora Purim albums got past me back then in the day as I was sooo much into the ’FONK’.
You know, with RTF’s more commercial No Mystery and Where Have I known you Before and with some of Airto’s CTI albums I was more into, even with Flora on those Airto’s albums too. I’ve got some ’new’, nice, fantastic, easy listening music catchin up to do..
As legend has it, Chick told Stanley he better learn how to play the electric bass or he'd have to get another bassist. Stanley was a 'purist' and only played acoustic basses at the time. Interesting.
Side note, did you know in Portuguese Flora ’Purim’ is pronounced Flora ’Pureen’. The letter m is pronounced the same way we pronounce the letter n in English.
@stuartk, I love that album! It's not printed on great vinyl so I've worn it out several times and have to keep looking for a mint copy. When I was taking classical guitar lessons, my teacher told me that was a great album so I went out and bought my first of many copies. Not that she was a jazz singer, but my teacher also told me what a great singer Donna Summer was, so I went out and bought the best of her. A very sexy lady!
@stuartk, I have a number of Return to Forever albums I haven't played in years, except "Light as a Feather," of course. I'll have to put them on my turntable and give them another listen.
@tyray, I have so many CDs of Brazilian music, many of female singers. I'll post from time to time.
Regarding my interest in musical influences, when I was young I taught in a school for kids with emotional problems. I knew my 8th grade history class would never be able to follow a history book, so I decided to have the kids go through the historical process with something they were interested in--rock n' roll. So we went through rock and all its various influences. One of the kids in the school was a savant, so if we were stuck he could tell us the very date on which a single came out and what was on the other side. That exercise made me interested in how music developed, where it came from and what its influences were. I thought maybe it would be easier in Brazil than the U.S., but it doesn't sound like it is.
I'm now listening to Angelique Kidjo's "Djin Djin." It's not jazz. I guess it's African popular music. But it's a great album.
he said that sax players avoided doing two pieces in a row on soprano.
I haven’t heard Redman play soprano but one thing I’ve noticed is that not all sax players are equal in terms of the tone they can get out of a soprano. Apparently, it’s not easy to get a round tone out of a soprano.
Back in the day, "Journey to Love was my favorite" S.C. album. BTW, when I saw RTF, my favorite portion of the show was when Corea, Clarke and diMeola played acoustic solos.
@jafant, @mahgister, I go to hear jazz at the Soraya Theater at Northridge State University. Great theater! Last year I heard Joshua Redman, Christian McBride, and Brad Meldhau. Great concert. Redman played a piece on soprano sax and before he played the next piece on soprano, he said that sax players avoided doing two pieces in a row on soprano. He was a really charming guy.
Here is a taste from Cassandra Wilson's album Traveling Miles. She's a very soulful singer:
Lol! Good on yah! Not only am I an album head, but I’m a bass head too. I’ve been a bass head ever since my big baby sister brought home her first James Brown 45’s, and as she got older, albums. As my parents had a ’stereo console’. And of course James Jamerson of Motown too. It also helped that as a kid in music class I picked up the drums. Ahh, those days in the 5th grade of being in a garage band! Although I gotta say, I’m also a big Ray Brown and Ron Carter fan too.
I saw SC back in ’85 and by then he had a bunch of his own albums out. It was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta and the country at the time was going through some massive snow storms and he made it to the show but his band got snowed in at the airport and he showed up with an old ’stage’ wooden 4 legged round seat stool, an amp, a mic and a cigar and played solo for at least 45 minutes to an hour an jammed so hard he almost tore the place down! Even though he is a thumper, I’ve often admired his melodic side the most. Case in point here: Stanley Clarke "Lisa" Passenger 57 from the 1992 album - Passenger 57 The way he plays the piccolo bass is simply unmatched.
You put a bug in my eye and now most of what I listened to this weekend has been Esperanza Spalding. This morning I listened to Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding, Alive At The Village Vanguard. (2023)
If they brought this performance to my town I’d get tickets in a heartbeat.
@tyray, thank you for the Brazilian Samba information. In the U.S., we've had many peoples influence the original blues-based jazz. Is that also true in Brazil? Was there any Portugese influence, perhaps from fado? I don't know what other groups settled in Brazil. It all makes me think of the Roma/Gypsy influence on Spanish music. When I was in Spain I went up into a cave to hear Flamenco. And also to a concert to hear El Amor Brujo by de Falla, one of my favorite "classical" pieces.
Samba de Roda is the precursor of Samba originating in the Recôncavo region of Bahia, Brazil, during the 17th century. It’s a cultural tradition combining music, dance, and poetry, with roots in the dances and traditions of African slaves in the area according to UNESCO. The term "Recôncavo" refers to the coastal area surrounding the Bay of Todos os Santos.
African Roots:
Samba’s origins can be traced back to the West African traditions brought to Brazil by enslaved people, particularly from Angola and the Congo.
Bahia as a Birthplace: .
The northeastern state of Bahia, where many enslaved Africans were initially brought, became a fertile ground for the development of various samba-related rhythms and dances.
Samba de Roda: .
A crucial precursor to samba was the samba de roda, a circle dance performed in Bahia, which was recognized by UNESCO as a Heritage of Humanity.
Urban Evolution in Rio de Janeiro: .
While originating in Bahia, samba became a prominent urban musical expression in Rio de Janeiro, the then-capital of Brazil, where it further developed into the genre we know today.
Symbol of Brazilian Identity: .
Samba’s infectious rhythm and cultural significance have solidified its place as a symbol of Brazilian national identity and a key element of the Brazilian Carnival.
This is a video given/shared with me almost 20 years ago from Randy Roberts:
The Brazilian Worldwide Matrix: https://www.matrixonline.net
'In the village of São Braz, Bahia, Brazil. A clip from Jorge Pacoa’s documentary, "Samba de Roda na Palma da Mão". For much more:
THE BRAZILIAN Worldwide Matrix — https://www.matrixonline.net — the platform that does what no one else does — connects the vast Brazilian creativity — musicians, writers, filmmakers, visual artists, choreographers and dancers... — from the famous to the unknown genius — to the entire world.'
@tyray, thanks for the Brazilian tastes. I'll listen today. I've been listening to Maria Rita, do you know her? Also, I have a question. What part of Brazil does the samba come from?
Unfortunately there’s currently a movement towards exacerbating rather than correcting the problem. I’m afraid things are going to get much worse before they get better. Needless to say, this goes way beyond the scope of Jazz or the arts.
Thank you. I didn't begin to write a book on this topic. I researched my way into it and felt that it was an urgent issue that needed examining.
It does relate to jazz and other music. Art defines us as being human, and I couldn't imagine living in a world without music. And I feel that jazz hits the deepest spiritual parts of humanity which go back to our very beginnings.
stuartk, All of this is metaphor to me. Feminine Creator, Masculine Creator. It tells us about the society we live in. The suppression of women and the feminine is the world we live in. Take it away from the spiritual, it's just history. The point I want to make, and most people will disagree, is that humans didn't always live under patriarchy. That was a societal choice. And we all have a horse in the race, because we all live under patriarchy. It's about the suppression of women, about the suppression of races and religions. It's how history has led to the mess the world is in. My belief is that without a feminine perspective, our future does not look bright. I have to write a book about it because it's so hard for people to accept. If you want to know more about the history contact me in the texting part. I can't do it. For some reason my screen is screwed up. I can give you a historical perspective if you want. It's all very complicated, and men pretty much immediately dismiss the idea. Women usually say, "Of course."
To stay on the subject of jazz, here's another cut from James Carter. He's a master technician. He plays in so many styles, it's hard to find something that you could call his style.
stuartk, yes the yin-yang symbol, masculine and feminine in balance. But the Creator a man? Give me a break. The Creator was a woman from the beginning.. Up until maybe 10,000 years ago there were only female goddess symbols. Not male. For some reason (and I can think of many) men made goddesses and female power forbidden. That’s Abraham’s first commandment, there shall be no God before Yahweh, and he was talking about those Asherah statues in the backs of Hebrews’ houses.. Anyway, we should probably take this off the forum if you want to discuss it more.
FYI, I don’t know whether there is a creator or not. Nor do I have a horse in this race. The Yin/Yang symbol expresses the spiritual perspective/reality that everything is part of a Whole (insert whichever name you prefer) in which masculine and feminine play equal roles and furthermore, in which each aspect contains the other. This is not a polarized paradigm nor is it defined by the historical record of human religion. One might say it’s Life in action.
I've been listening to James Carter for hours. The more I listen the more I think he might be the best horn out there blowing today. And he blows a lot of different horns, including woodwinds. Makes so many different sounds in so many styles, it's amazing.
I don't think I've heard James Carter's name mentioned on this forum. This guy's got a ton of energy. He's still relatively young, in his mid-fifties. Here's a taste of Bro. Dolphy:
alexatpos, I also had a socialist upbringing. As I studied archaeology for my book, I found out there were Marxist archaeologists as well as feminist archaeologists. One of the biggest questions I have, and I have no answer, is what society would look like, through what lens would we view the world, if women hadn't been suppressed for at least 5,000 years?
Let's look at art and music. When did women begin to participate in the arts? I know there are a few exceptions, but I mean on a somewhat broad scale. Can you think of any women composers prior to Clara Schumann in the mid 1800s? And Clara Schumann was a bright, bright star, married to a great composer and loved by other great composers like Brahms.
In jazz, when did women begin to participate,? And by participating I mean more than singing. Truthfully, we are just beginning to sense the power of female musicians today. When we talk about the greats in jazz, Coltrane, Davis, and all the others, no women come up. So the suppression of women has a lot to do with the arts. We can say the same about painting and writing. Since women read fiction much more than men, they became involved a bit earlier. Jane Austin lived in the early 1800s.
I have a lot of theories which include the masculine affects on physics, but they're not for here. But theories aside, just think about the history of the arts. It is so obvious that women and whatever they have to offer have been suppressed as far back as the Greeks and the Jews, both of whom formed our way of thinking and the lens through which we see the world. Which, by the way, has included war since the first patriarchies with the Sumerians and Aryans. Homer writes about war. The Torah talks about war. It's been all the rage since women were suppressed.
And just to throw in a bit of feminine energy, here's a taste of Geri Allen:
@curiousjim Chick Corea passed away almost 5 years ago...
@audio-b-dog I find that masculine/feminine concept a bit odd, at least when we are speaking about art. Does inspiration or 'divine touch' has a 'gender'? I guess we might search for examples of expressions of our 'inner child' as well? Concept of beauty or ugliness has always been subject of change. Who can exactly pin point all influences, innate or cultural and social that made him/her feel or express in a certain way? Not all men/women are the same and ('spiritual') gender might be one of the factors, but is it a crucial? Imho it is a bit oversimplifying, or perhaps it was my 'socialistic' upbringing that was oversimplified. Aldo I am aware that you are speaking about spiritual concept, one could easily fall in trap and start looking for other things ('differences') among men, based on their race, color, origin, etc. Call me naive, but I believe that music creation is a 'sum' of many things and influences, past and present and not something that is born out of personal vacuum..
stuartk, yes the yin-yang symbol, masculine and feminine in balance. But the Creator a man? Give me a break. The Creator was a woman from the beginning.. Up until maybe 10,000 years ago there were only female goddess symbols. Not male. For some reason (and I can think of many) men made goddesses and female power forbidden. That's Abraham's first commandment, there shall be no God before Yahweh, and he was talking about those Asherah statues in the backs of Hebrews' houses.. Anyway, we should probably take this off the forum if you want to discuss it more.
Esperanza Spalding is a perfect example of what empowered women can do. So is Alice Coltrane. And I think the great artists, including John Coltrane, are in touch with their inner feminine. Even though they might worship a male god. We were talking about different male jazz players being more feminine and others being more masculine. One of the great classical pianists Alfred Brendel just died, and he favored nuance over power. Put him in a class with Mitsuko Uchida, my favorite classical pianist. But I drift.
It would be interesting for people to name male musicians that they think are more in touch with their feminine side and those who are only into raw power. I think Louis Armstrong was both, and that's what made him a genius. John Coltrane wouldn't have married a powerful woman like Alice Coltrane if he didn't understand feminine power. Now I'm thinking about Miles Davis--maybe later Miles Davis, and I don't know. Earlier Kind of Blue Miles Davis definitely had the soft touch. Later Bitches Brew, throwing tantrums Miles Davis. I don't know, even though I own Bitches Brew and play it.
Yes! Christian Scott/Chief (Xian aTunde) Adjuah to me anyway, is a so called ’young lion’ as is Christian McBride. Or am I missing something here?
Me thinks Esperanza Spalding is a much more, far more diversified bassist than Christian McBride (will ever be...). She sings, writes, produces, is a band leader, can put her double bass down and pick up an electric bass and jam her ass off, completely and utterly more dynamic, can do a one man (woman) show, fly to Rio de Janeiro and produce/sit in, lead the band - with Milton Nascimento, sing in perfect Portuguese while she’s playing the double bass and she’s younger than both Chief Adjuah and Christian McBride. At her age, she’s just starting to feel some blues. She just has more in her ’tool kit’, so to speak.
You talking about Christian Scott? He’s not an old timer, but he’s definitely been around for a while. Not sure how many albums he’s played on, but he’s probably put out a dozen or more as Chief Adjuah.
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