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.
Check those rhythms; they are ripping Brazilian rhythms that say "Carnival" and gyrating hips with scantily clad, beautiful ladies doing the Samba; this is Rio.
Rok, out of curiosity are you using an Apple IPad or IPhone to post? I’ve been experiencing the same thing and wondered if it had anything to do with the recently publicized deliberate slowing down of devices by Apple.
I have all of them except the Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett, though not all on vinyl. I do enjoy all the others -- but I find it impossible to pick out 10 for a challenge such as this. There are just too many variables, including my mood at the time of listening. ;^)
However for one easy example, I think I'd need to include the "Dave Brubeck Quartet At Carnegie Hall" which would be my pick over all his other recordings if I could have only one, including the ever-recommended "Take Five", with the bonus of it being a live jazz album qualifier.
**** I'm too busy playing. When I'm playing I don't pay attention to who's listening. When I was listening I listened to symphony orchestras, Beethoven, Bach, Brahms, Stravinsky. You don't listen to one instrument; you listen to music. ****
pryso is exactly right about the way that Hollywood distorted Native American drumming. Are we surprised? However, that unfortunate fact should not be taken to mean that drumming was not an integral and very important part of the culture; it was. Same thing goes for African cultures. Its a fascinating topic and there is a ton of interesting reading on the topic available on line.
Did you notice the comments under the clip that compared him to, or said they were reminded of Stravinsky? We all know Stravinsky, don't we? He's that guy that ranks right up there with Mozart!!! Les Baxter is in tall cotton indeed!!
Pryso, I saw Albert King almost every weekend, 59, 60, at the Club Manhattan in E. St. Louis; Ike and Tina Turner appeared at that same club, just prior to when Albert King was there.
The sound of his guitar is so familiar to me; I could tell when I first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan, that he had spent a lot of time with Albert. .
Interesting that Mingus, of all people, did not feature the drum in this tune called 'Haitian Fight Song'. Great tune. But after all, it's Mingus, what else could it be.
She was a distance cousin of mine. She always warned us of an Amphibian from the Northeast, who would try to discredit Jazz in Nawlins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eUvjh5t2QM
In case the veiled and good natured sarcasm of my last post was not recognized (I know it was by Alex) it should be pointed out that this topic was beaten to death (pun intended) here eons ago with much factual data submitted for anyone who wants to search the “archives”.
I've been away for a family holiday visit and don't carry digital connections with me, other than a basic c-phone. So I just spent time catching up on your posts made while I was away. The dreaded "Application Error" on Audiogon continues into 2018 so hope this gets posted as I have a collection of comments.
"Sing, Sing, Sing" and the Benny Goodman concert was truly groundbreaking, and not only for being the first jazz concert presented at Carnegie Hall. Recently I read that was the first LP album release but that didn't make sense to me. I thought LPs were introduced about 10 years after that concert?
frog, speaking of genres in music, this is not exactly jazz, but blues must certainly be considered a close sibling within the family. I first saw an hour's program from this session on PBS several years ago. Then a couple of years later I found an LP with some of the numbers at an audio show. This is the first time I've seen what must be the full length video, great stuff -
rok, the beautiful car on the Jimmy Smith cover was a Jag XK-150, the last of their 100 series and just prior to their more famous XK-E Type. That image was distorted from spreading by a wide-angle view which made it a little less obvious. Also, if the seat material was important to you, you should have bought a Chrysler with the famed "Corinthian Leather"! ;^)
Regarding Hollywood and drumming, one of their biggest sins was the distortion of the Native American beat. It was not "BOOM, boom, boom-boon" as depicted in so many Western movies, but instead a steady, even beat, replicating the human heart. A friend with Native American heritage pointed this out to me some years ago.
Lastly, this is a repeat link for me, but I couldn't resist with mention of Haitian music -
Those are African folks playing western music. Modern day. Modern instruments. Their take on, or contribution to modern day music.
I am speaking of this idea that folks in the third world have been drumming for eons. That they have some special affinity for the drum. That every strike on the drum head has some special and mystical meaning. Each beat striking fear in the heart of the Great White Hunters. All Hollywood/western BS.
Third world drumming ranks right up there with Indian Smoke Signals in western movies. Ever notice how they disappeared once westerns became more adult in nature.
Oh no - it is very real. The production and recording may be Hollywood. You really hear this stuff on the street in Africa. Nigerian musicians are amazing. I like Rastafarian music too - or nyabinghi which has roots in Africa (Ethiopia) but is popular in Jamaica and Reggae. It uses the call and repeat approach which is popular in all music.
This is is an amazing Nigerian musician - Tony Allen
Every since my first Tarzan movie, I've been hooked on African drums; that's a long time. Whether in Cuba, Brazil, or Haiti, we're still talking drums that came from Africa.
I've got this album, and I've probably got more by Dom Um Ramao;
I was in Cap Haitian, Haiti, riding up a mountain on a half ass (half donkey, half horse, and very sure footed). When I heard these fantastic rhythms coming from around the bend I was expecting to see some Haitian drummers that were there for the tourists; instead there were these kids, all pre-teen, beating on a steel shovel with rocks and dancing.
One of them was beating on a shovel that had been abandoned by the road crew. With a rock in each hand, he was jamming the shovel while the others were dancing; they were moving like their bodies had no bones while the young drummer was beating out some mean voodoo rhythms. No matter how poor, the human spirit is irrepressible.
The amazing thing about some drum rhythms in Brazil, you will not find them in present day Africa. My interpretation of that is; the people who made those rhythms are no longer in Africa, they all took the long boat ride to the Americas.
"Authentic" Haitian drums are the most fascinating; they originated in "Dahomey"; that's a country with a history so perverse and depraved, that nobody wants anything to do with the name. Present day Benin was Dahomey, it's the home of "Vodoun".
I knew Dom Um Romao from Weather Report, and found him playing on Ms. Koorax's record, which led me to this 1964 Pablo recording by Dom Um Romao called Hotmosphere.
That’s right, O-10! All Brazilian songs and not a single Flamenco song. I like her. I’m a little mixed about the Flamenco vocal inflections in Brazilian songs, but I like her.
The first song is a tip off; it's the music of Brazil, and one doesn't need to speak the language to appreciate the music of Brazil, although this language is Spanish.
If you don't understand the language she is singing in, I don't see how you can be touched by it. This type music is all about the lyrics, which are not very compelling.
On the other hand, you don't have to understand Italian to just love and be moved by the different Arias.
******Unabashedly beautiful melodies and masterful orchestrations.*****
A good definition of a lot of movie themes. Which is all the reviewer said.
Back in the day, I was interested in buying a Chrysler automobile, until I read a review in Road&Track that said the seats looked and felt like they were covered in Rat Fur.
Did not say all movie themes are bad, in fact, most themes from the great movies are wonderful. The ones you posted are excellent examples.
A movie theme whets your anticipation for the movie itself.
But, this composer is being judged in the Jazz domain.
I was looking for new jazz, but instead discovered a beautiful Flamenco singer, "Estrella Morente"; she's new to me anyway, but I haven't been into Flamenco.
Rok, there is very little, if any, hype about Michel Legrand as a great jazz player. I agree with most of what you wrote and I think your description of him is actually spot on. The hype is about how he is, first and foremost, a great composer/orchestrator of great movie scores and beautiful tunes that often lend themselves to jazz interpretations. When I hear his music I often think of a hip little roadster speeding around mountain roads. I think his music should be judged for what it is and on those terms it’s great. His piano playing has that certain European sense of swing that to says “white” (sorry) and keeps him from the top tier of players.
I also agree about Phil Woods; perhaps the greatest...in many ways. The only caveat being that he would have been the first to admit that he copied Bird a lot. As was mentioned recently, he built on Bird’s vocabulary to develop his own voice. Technically, he was unsurpassed. Great player.
re Rachmaninov: forget what the reviewer said. How did YOU like his music? I can understand why you think “movie music”. Unabashedly beautiful melodies and masterful orchestrations. One of the greatest composers. Check out his “Symphonic Dances” and get back to me.
Also, when you have the usual suspects for a boss jazz album, and you throw in Michel Legrand, it's like putting a different spin on a dynamite recipe.
The more I hear Phil Woods, the more I think he could be the top alto Sax player of all time. I am sure his peers recognized his talent and ability, but I think if he had been African-American, his standing in the public's consciousness would be much greater than it is now. He might have had Bird's horn, Bird's wife and Bird's place in the Jazz hierarchy. Just food for thought.
Sounded just like movie theme music to my ear, which is not surprising since Legrand is a movie theme guy and a Jazz 'buff' or 'enthusiast', according to the post. I could almost see the credits rolling during the tune.
O-10, big Legrand fan here. I seem to recall that Rok posted or commented on that great record a while back; good to revisit it. Around the same time I posted this record which features Stan Getz as well as Legrand’s wonderful orchestrations:
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