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
Out of all the jazz vocalists, Eddie Jefferson is most certainly recognized as the "hippest" if not the best. That is some kind of fantastic recording you linked Acman; is it something special. My Eddie Jefferson recordings are old and noisy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeuNc8s1Prk |
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4LV0tBZncI This present opioid addiction is cause and effect. Young people coming into the job market have big problems that were created before they were born, and unable to solve their problems turn to drugs. |
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This post is about one of the most important jazz musicians in history, who was a drug addict, and also played with "Bird", and that musician is "Miles". Miles Dewey Davis did not fit the profile of a drug addict; he was the son of a successful Dentist, and raised in a middle class neighborhood that consisted of doctors, lawyers, business people, plus just plain folks. Today, they call neighborhoods comprised of mostly Black people "Ghettos", but that term would have been a misnomer in Miles day, because educated and wealthy Black people lived in the same neighborhood; today, wealthy Black people live in neighborhoods where most white people can not afford to live. The reason I'm telling you all of this is because drug addicts have a psychological profile from birth; one parent poverty stricken home in the worst neighborhood. As soon as I make a statement like that, someone will raise their hand and say, "I knew a guy who was raised in an orphanage and became a doctor". Just because a flower grows in the desert does not mean that the desert is a good place to grow flowers. Profiles related to cause and effect must have a study consisting of a minimum of 1000 people. People with Miles Davis's sociological psychological background become successful individuals whether Black or White, as Miles proved. What does not fit is his drug addiction. Unlike "Bird", who was into drugs before he was a musician, Miles was affected by all the drugs in the music scene. He said that him, Dexter Gordon, Tadd Dameron, Art Blakey, J.J. Johnson, Sonny Rollins, and Jackie McClean got into drugs about the same time. That fits some advice I was given that still holds true; "You will become according to the people you associate with and the books that you read, who you are". It seems that the jazz scene at that time influenced Miles to become a drug addict. This was in 1949 and he was only 23 years old. |
An awesome Bobby Timmons album but hard to find at a decent price tag. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJvYj9SOXfE |
acman, good choice (so to speak). ;^) I was well into adulthood before I gained any appreciation for C&W. The exception were the outlaws, led by Willie Nelson. But I happened to agree to attend a George Jones concert with a friend who was a fan. I gained a lot of respect for him and his music that night. However bottom line, my own philosophy is that we should all be held accountable for the choices we make in life. True, we can be influenced by friends or others around us, but final decisions are our own and we should own up to our choices. |
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"Somethin Else" popped up on my play-list, and after listening, I thought about comparing it to KOB Somethin' Else is a jazz album by saxophonist Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, released on Blue Note Records in 1958. Also on the session is trumpeter Miles Davis in one of his handful of recording dates for Blue Note. Adderley was a member of Davis' group at the time this album was recorded. The Penguin Guide to Jazz selected this album as part of its suggested "Core Collection." https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=somethin+else+cannonball+adderley+full+album Cannonball Adderley – alto saxophone Miles Davis – trumpet Hank Jones – piano Sam Jones – bass Art Blakey – drums Kind of Blue is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis. It was recorded on March 2 and April 22, 1959, at Columbia's 30th Street Studio in New York City, and released on August 17 of that year by Columbia Records. The album features Davis's ensemble sextet consisting of saxophonists John Coltrane and Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, pianist Bill Evans, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb, with new band pianist Wynton Kelly appearing on one track in place of Evans. In part owing to Evans' joining the sextet during 1958, Davis followed up on the modal experimentation of Milestones by basing Kind of Blue entirely on modality, departing further from his earlier work's hard bop style of jazz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7T7A7T31eQ&list=RDx7T7A7T31eQ&start_radio=1&t=19 Kind of Blue has been regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz record. |
Today's Listen: Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants -- BAG'S GROOVE Notes written in a 'hipster' fashion by Ira Gitler. As you can see, a big time lineup. I never knew these guys were a 'group'. On 'Bag's Groove', Miles asked that Monk not play during his, Miles, solos. A 'ruckus' simmering? Monk was insulted. As our OP might say, Monk as sideman is 'incredulous' anyway. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkUvUgAZSCE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJPp9ECN6LU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy8SGzVJ1wQ Cheers |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTijrDIU-m4 Cheers Btw, I served in the Army, in Korea, with a member of Monk’s family. Dead ringer for the man himself. |
O10 Sonny Rollins pretty much says the same thing in this short video clip, the drugs were a Rite of Passage. And people tried them in order to tap their "inner spiriruality" In hopes of becoming a better musician. I think there were other sociological reasons for Jazz musicians doing drugs Which were discussed in the DVD" I called him Morgan." About the career and untimely death of Lee Morgan. In it his common law wife discusses hearing the musicians who frequented her apartment complain of how their careers, gigs, music publishing, recording contracts were all controlled by white people and the difficulties of a jazz musician career led some of them To Do hard drugs to escape reality. Not Saying this made it right, But just an insight into the mentality of people back then. O10-- I really think you would like the Lee Morgan DVD knowing how he Is your top guy on trumpet. I think others in The Forum would appreciate it also. Features his best music throughout. It features Many interviews with musicians that he played with some gone, some still with us. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fnw9ddw6LK |
Enough of this depressing talk about drugs. Jazz is about these people and from this place. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2MVmC55T5s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSeXzeQK7pk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSNsgpmH2rQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sOygJsLDc4 Cheers |
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Nsp, in the cases of Lee Morgan and Miles, there is no real fundamental reason for Heroin use, as there is in the cases of Billie Holliday and "Bird". A fundamental reason is a pain that won't go away, it keeps returning, that's a pain in the mind, not a physical pain, but one that's even worse. Both Morgan and Timmons left the Messengers because of drug problems, and it's been said that Blakey introduced them to drugs. Too many things fit there. |
From my virtual thread, THE GOOD STUFF. Loud is best. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRi6yhqmuxU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdPGDBZdXuk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8kpmiOUfjk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJjjfFo5VIc Cheers Btw, A weak mind is the most vital thing in drug addiction. |
Rok, no longer are we talking about jazz musicians, this Buds for you; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hOyjFyE3Ek&t=35s |
As far as I'm concerned, the book is closed on jazz and heroin; "Bird" told them the stuff he shot in his arm, had nothing to do with the way he played his horn, but they wouldn't listen, they thought he was lying and keeping the secret to himself. However, there is still that mysterious Art Blakey, Blue Note connection in two cases that we know of; never the less, this book is closed. |
Rok, let me tell you what happened on that date; Monk and Miles got into it about something, and Monk walked. Now here is the funny thing that happened; after Monk walked, Miles had Horace Silver to play like Monk on one of the cuts, and every time I hear that cut, I just know it's Monk, when it's Horace Silver imitating Monk. |
Here is my favorite Lee Morgan until I find a new favorite; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8MXT5f7gw |
I'm sort of partial to this by Morgan. But like most anything he plays. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qusTbkgRKtQ Cheers |
Rok, your post of the great “Bag’s Groove” is a great example of how confusing things get with reissues of earlier records and confusion about lineups. The album cover accompanying your great clips is of the reissue album titled “Bag’s Groove” which is a compilation of two different recordings; one of which is, as you wrote, “Miles Davis & The Modern Jazz Giants”. On the reissue/compilation the title cut “Bag’s Groove” is the only tune that Monk plays on; on the others Horace Silver plays. The stories around some of these historic recordings also get confusing. They get elaborated upon and exaggerated over the years and find their way to print. I don’t doubt that Miles asked Monk to lay out during his solos, but I don’t find the idea that Miles asked Horace Silver to play like Monk believable (O-10, curious about where you read that story?). First, it’s highly unlikely that a player of stature like Silver would be asked to sound like someone else. Not to mention, why would he ask Silver to sound like Monk when he didn’t want Monk to play during his solos at all? Lastly, if he did ask him, which I seriously doubt, Silver does a terrible job of it as he sounds nothing like Monk on any of the tunes that he plays on. The reissue/compilation includes two takes of the title cut “Bag’s Groove”. You posted Take #2. Maybe as a result of the ruckus and Monk wanting to prove a point he plays a great solo on Take #1 of the tune which is considered by many to be one of the great Jazz solos on record. Classic Monk; quirky, very interesting and a little strange. Thanks for the great clips. https://youtu.be/QW7wbh0dVHA From the original “Miles Davis & The Modern Jazz Giants”. Monk comps during Miles’ solo....go figure: https://youtu.be/-4Hqtows_wM |