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.
31,711 responses Add your response
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In order to understand modern jazz, it's essential to understand the people who created it. Jazz changed dramatically after Charles "Yardbird" Parker, even the "swing" musicians changed; they fell under "Birds" magic spell. You can hear how different jazz musicians who were playing before "Bird" sounded after they came under his spell. The fact that he was a drug addict is well known, but he always warned others when they asked about that part of his life "Do as I say, not as I do". Since many jazz musicians were drug addicts, many people associated jazz with drugs, not accepting the fact that the majority of jazz musicians wouldn't touch the stuff. By the way, I'm referring to "hard drugs", as you know, marijuana is legal now, which means it never was that bad. Some of the very best and most gifted jazz musicians were heroin addicts, but that fact detracted from how great they could have been if they never touched the stuff. As stupid as it sounds, there are those who think that was the secret to their greatness. I believe they would have been drug addicts whether they were musicians or not. The causes of drug addiction are in the realm of the social and psychiatric scientists. While he's best known for "Be-Bop", "Charlie Parker With Strings" is his endearing and lasting legacy. It sounds just as beautiful to me now, as it did the first day I heard it, which was more years ago than I care to count. "Dancing in the Dark" (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz) - 3:10 "Out of Nowhere" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman) - 3:06 "Laura" (David Raksin, Mercer) - 2:57 "East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)" (Brooks Bowman) - 3:37 "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (G. Gershwin, I. Gershwin) - 3:17 "Easy to Love" (Cole Porter) - 3:29 "I'm in the Mood for Love" (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields) - 3:33 "I'll Remember April" (Gene de Paul, Pat Johnston, Don Raye) - 3:02 Each one of those tunes is so out of this world, that there is no way I could pick one and call it my favorite, therefore, I will pick two, "Laura" and "I'll Remember April". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmm9u8dPU4A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FRyFbUBiZg |
I hope they will not delete this . These ARE as true clips as you will ever hear . And every American should hear them . https://youtu.be/Biuu11p_TEI?t=5 https://youtu.be/lrA4V6YF6SA?t=1 |
Acman, that trumpet player, Hardman, I would like to find some album with him as a leader. Any recommendations? In the meantime, Billy Cobham - Horace Silver - Bill Hardman - Bennie Maupin - John Williams: NUTVILLE (1968) https://youtu.be/KKGBLjjy-hQ |
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Jerome Jennings: Possibly the most inspiring and hopeful clips posted on this thread. I googled him and saw the clip ’The Beast’, mostly talk by the band members including Christian McBride. McBride is another serious musician. They seem serious and are actually playing Jazz. I hope they are successful in the Jazz arena. I know I will buy their stuff. If I purchased one of their albums, they would be the youngest players in my collection. Nice to buy music by people still living. Thanks. Cheers Btw, acman3 always finds the good stuff. I still listen to "I only have eyes for you" by Lester Bowie several times each week. |
alex Great clip of Horace Silver and his band. I know of Bill Hardman but like you I have nothing with him as a leader. I do have 6 CD's of Howard McGhee. He is another great trumpeter that does not get the accolades he should. Besides Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, and Fats Navarro he was one of the main trumpet players who ushered in the bebop craze on his trumpet. Unlike Dizzy, who did not use heroin, Navarro succumbed to it, along with Tuberculosis at age 27. McGhee also was a user but he was able to "get a grip" and recorded around 30 albums as a leader in a 30 year period from the late 40's - late 70's. Howard McGhee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA0X_RYED7M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AORubCN8W_A |
Paul, I like Mcghee and I can recommend following albums. I have mentioned him before, but it did not bring any attention.... https://youtu.be/nilp-xPq0Y0 https://youtu.be/adQmdGLT3dE This album is great too, 'Sharp edge'. https://youtu.be/u2dx9PpXCxU https://youtu.be/pwIkuWjG-_w https://youtu.be/1_VtXjJoKB0 live with S.Stitt and JJ Johnson https://youtu.be/J6uT4WPbTz0 https://youtu.be/vvRt2uB1g60 |
Alex, Sorry but this is all I could find. Bill Hardman seemed to play straight ahead, no matter the times. Very enjoyable player, but not a lot of flash."What's up" is very good, and his last. Saying Something https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RpvFv12-ks&list=PL4BACF0DCD3B19587 Home Focus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBAEQaUeH5Y Politely What’s Up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2opkUTrKLDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAIrh-Vwclc |
Acman, thanks, that will do. I was aware of the first album, will listen the others too. I like his sound. There are players that come up on some albums that I like, but its hard to find some good albums where they had a chance to record as leaders. For example, this guy, Dolo Coker, piano player, would like to hear more of him as well, he played with 'everybody', but all of his solo work he recorded in 'later' years https://youtu.be/aLFg7s64dYY https://youtu.be/ISmLAh0UAKY https://youtu.be/mAQNj0XXdvE |
rok, you mentioned a post by acman3 with "I Only Have Eyes For You" by Bowie. Can you (or anyone else) direct me to that? I looked back several pages but didn't find it. A few pages ago o10 posted the original doo-wop vocal version. After that I posted a link to Bowie's band playing it in concert. But that version doesn't stand up to his original LP recording which I can no longer find on YouTube. So if anyone knows where to find that original I'd appreciate a link here. |
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orpheus10 excellent post on hard drugs used by Jazz musicians. Having read countless stories of past musicians Who became Drug addicts I always wondered How much better they could have been had they not used drugs. My YouTube post is from Gary Bartz the well-known jazz musician. He says a lot of different things. What most surprised me Is how he gave heroin credit? For helping him tap into the music. On a higher level. Very surprising. But he did backtrack and say that you could probably reach. A higher level by other means. He seemed to say that the use of drugs was like a fraternity. And that it was a way of fitting in with the musicians. He wanted to associate with. .You are right by saying they all wanted to tap into Birds Talent. I read a quote From Frank Morgan the alto saxophonist who said that When he and other musicians found out that bird died, they still went out and got high knowing that getting high was a cause of his demise. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KL1pbN9Gj0 |
nsp, Gary Bartz is a gifted musician, and I'm glad he's still around; none of the musicians I knew with his problem are still around; they all worked for "Blue Note", and from my point of view their finances weren't as great as they should have been. Drug addicts needing a fix don't make the best bargains; ask Alex about that, he posted in relation to that situation. When a drug addict is not making enough money to pay for his habit, if that addict is a professional musician, he's in double trouble, that's because he has to have his medication before he can play. He also has to have a "baby sitter" to tell him when he's had enough. I never observed what Gary spoke of in regard to time, or heard it mentioned, the only thing I observed is a musician nodding and unable to make the gig. Musicians who made enough money to pay for their habit and make gigs were able to get by without much attention. I never observed any benefit whatsoever drugs had to the musician who used drugs. |
Nsp, thanks, it is not on ytube but I saw the other album with same line up, recorded in roughly the same time, called ’Dolo’ https://youtu.be/nmyV8aY9Um8 It seems that this one was made around the same time, same label, Frank Butler is leader, album is called ’Captain kid’ https://youtu.be/U8TD8yidsCg I have very litlle jazz made in 70’s, in fact still did not get ’there’, listening to sound of it, interesting...new sensation... As for the other subject, there are well known essays of Aldous Huxly, called ’The doors of perception and Heaven and hell’ where he elaborates on his psychedelic experience under the influence of mescaline and reflects on their philosophical and psychological implications. Very interesting, especially the part where he looks the different art works and contemplate on it as well as the part where he thinks of origins of such inspirations and creations |
Catching up on recent posts. Great clips all. Thanks! And, welcome new contributors climt and vanya_42nd; looking forward to your posts and clips. pjw, I particularly liked Dexter’s “Tanya” and I agree that his solo is a masterpiece. One of my very favorite tenor players and I had the privilege of hearing him at The Vanguard several times after his much heralded return from Europe. Beautiful player with that great robust tone and, for me, walking the perfect line between the classic traditional and modern tenor styles. Fittingly, he was one of Coltrane’s main influences. Speaking of Trane, styles, masterpiece tenor solos and KOB: One of the many things that make KOB a very special recording and Miles a very special band leader is the seldom pointed out fact that the band on KOB is composed of players with disparate styles. Yet another testament to Miles’ genius, he put together a band that, unlike most classic recordings which typically feature players with generally similar styles, a look at KOB’s lineup shows a different approach. You have Bill Evans’ understated and introspective style, Cannonball’s is very exuberant and bluesy, Coltrane is always searching and forward looking combining tone with edge and beautiful gentleness, and Miles is....Miles, enigmatic and cool as hell (🤔). On that record is one of my favorite tenor solos on record. Favorite for its utter simplicity and perfection for the moment in the music: https://youtu.be/PoPL7BExSQU Some comments on drug use and Jazz musicians to hopefully put the subject in better, or at least different, context: First, it should be pointed out that it was not unique to Jazz musicians. Many Classical musicians have also been drug and alcohol abusers throughout history and this continued until more recent times when musicians in all genres have been more prone to abstain. Drug use in Jazz , particularly marijuana, was quite prevalent among Swing players (pre-bebop/Bird). While it is true that some players started using heroin in an effort to emulate their hero Charlie Parker, the reason for the prevalence of drug use is more complicated than that; and, of course, one should look at what drove Bird himself to abuse drugs and alcohol. To understand the phenomenon one has to understand the creative mind. Musicians in general are always searching for the new and for better ways to be creative and emotionally expressive. To one degree or another, they also tend to have compulsive personalities which explains the incredible degree of dedication devoted to their craft in order to achieve the level of excellence that the greats achieve. As much attention as the “social” aspect of many musicians’ lives gets, in many ways it is a solitary life. Bird, Coltrane and most of the greats would practice seven hours or more a day! Much of this is also a reflection of the fact that most performers are of a certain personality type that both seeks the attention and adulation that performing provides and, at the same time, causes anxiety; a dichotomy. In spite of the high level of confidence and bravura that many performers project, many suffer from insecurity as individuals and as performers. It is not an easy life even for the financially successful ones and many have resorted to self-medication. Not to be overlooked is the physical stress leading to physical pain that playing a musical instrument for many hours each and every day often causes. It is also a dichotomy that there is, in fact, a creativity enhancement component to the use of mind altering substances. Many passive listeners who have indulged on any level know that, FOR SOME, it can enhance focus, reduce inhibitions and cause one to experience music in a new and different way. Imagine the possible appeal for the creative musician who literally lives for new ways of self expression. Alex touched upon some of this with his references in a prior post. The dichotomy is that for many the seduction can lead to abuse and ultimately total lack of control (addiction) and all the horrible negatives that come along with that. Usually, a counterproductive choice as concerns creativity. Even if Bird did, in fact, open some new creative vistas by using heroin, how might that level of creativity compare to what he might have achieved had he been straight and lived another 34 years? For me, moral of the story is “don’t blame Bird”. https://youtu.be/6Wa7El-k3jQ |
Using heroin for a jazz genius is the same as using heroin for a street corner "junky"; it gets him high and allows him to escape reality; no more, no less, and contributes "zit" to his ability to play his instrument, or anything else musical. No way can you even put marijuana and heroin in the same sentence, |
***** No way can you even put marijuana and heroin in the same sentence,***** You can in the sense that, one leads to the other. Countries that legalize weed, primarily for the tax revenue, are destroying their future, and the lives of future generations. Shows how degenerate the world is becoming, esp in the West. It’s disgraceful. I think it was Lenin who said, "the West will sell us the rope that we hang them with." Money rules. Cheers |
Today's Listen: Milt Jackson -- PLENTY, PLENTY SOUL Contains the entire Plenty,Plenty album, plus two of the three sessions from the LP 'Ballads & Blues'. All total, contributions from, Cannonball, Silver, Blakey, Quincy Jones and many more. All arrangements by Quincy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUu5UWn-G_A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n92FZ0aw-C8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-ncQFKREnQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qL5FA1FkWDQ Cheers |
Out of the many and varied aspects and descriptions of modern jazz, "soul" is the one that I admire most. Jazz without soul can be boss, and I can like that as well; however, it's jazz that projects an emotional component called "soul" that I like the best. Some of the jazz musicians who project this quality best are; Milt Jackson, Bobby Timmons, and Ray Charles; Ray Charles can play in any genre he chooses and qualify. From what I can hear, it seems that the descendants of slaves project this quality best, Maybe that's because they have had so many trials and tribulations that it comes through in their music. Take Bobby Timmons "So Tired"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fbpXG4JNOU I can hear it; "A man that's so tired he don't know what to do, but he got to keep on pushing". He could be someone on one of the city streets walking, looking for a job, and he's so tired, but he got to keep on walking cause he's got to find a job. Another tune is "Sandra's Blues"; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhgUUe5czxc Poor Sandra, nothing is going right for that beautiful lady; her man just left her, and she's a few bucks short on the rent; she's got the Blues. |