Good for you for paying attention to those things. Puts things in a deeper context. Baremboim is a monster musician.
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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Thank you very much Pjw for presenting the many different phases of "Donald Byrd" Where do you fit this one in? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jpFtZ9KmvI |
There were some very good local jazz bands in St. Louis in the 60's and 70's especially, but I can't find many recordings, and those I found aren't worth squat, even though the live music I listened to quite often was out of sight, makes me wish I was a "recording engineer". The future of jazz is so bleak I don't even think about it. The bottom line is the fact that there is no place to "grow jazz musicians". You grow corn in a cornfield, You grow jazz musicians in "bistros" in the city. Where are the Bistros? Where are the cities? |
Today's Listen: Duke Ellington -- THE BLANTON-WEBSTER BAND I have the RCA / BLUEBIRD set. This is the same music just remastered later. Sells for $60+ on Amazon. Still might get this one. You can never have too much Ellington. 3CD set. 66 tracks in all. Recorded 1939 -1942 I think this is the Ellington box set I purchased years ago in San Antonio, at Circuit City. They had a tremendous Jazz CD selection. At checkout, the girl scanned it, I think it either 19 or 29 dollars. She said, wow that's expensive. She then looked at the front and back of the set, and said, "he must really be famous". I just smiled and said, yes, he was. Jazz has been in trouble a long time. :( jack the bear https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTbXap_H22E ko-ko https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwBfqCsW1k flamingo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ_zl2EIiy0 cottontail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq5LRQIJx3k never no lament https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNCCGQtOoAM All 66 tracks are awesome. This is just a taste. Cheers |
Keegiam, thanks for that “Tanya” by Dexter. Great stuff. Glad you liked that Desmond “Skylark”. Here’s another CTI recording by him that I like very much. Ed Bickert on guitar this time. https://youtu.be/7BzuqrxuRNg https://youtu.be/VwjW-FUh3UQ https://youtu.be/xDK5kUAzPMM |
We all have a lot of good music in our collections, and we acquired it based on reviews or recommendations. Now, for me, since new jazz is a complete waste of time, I have to find "old jazz" that I don't already have, and consider to be as good as what I have. Pjw, you have a lot of Chico Hamilton, do you have anything with him and Ray Nance on violin? |
Another George Coleman track (composer and performer).... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ0bWDz4sig From Cedar Walton's Eastern Rebellion. Forget who on this thread suggested the album but THANKS again. |
JFA exploded with great music the last 24 hours. I spent more time listening to top-notch jazz than I should have today, but this gang is sharing irresistible, addictive stuff. Thank you all. Paul Desmond, Dexter Gordon, Donald Byrd, George Coleman - so much astoundingly beautiful playing. The Dexter Gordon "Loose Walk" is amazing. Frogman, all of those Desmond CTI tracks from "Pure Desmond" are knock-outs. And pjw gives us a huge panoply of Donald Byrd. With Desmond, it's almost as if someone handed him an alto and said "here, make this instrument sound the best it can." Many more recordings now on my list. This forum is priceless. |
BTW, this 2-part live performance of "Tanya" showed up in my YT wandering, so of course I needed to pass it on. Dexter Gordon: "Tanya" live at The Maintenance Shop, Iowa State University, 1979. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P35DDgTameE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BkzQSih7ZY |
Orpheus10, no, haven't check them yet, I will a little later. In fact, I stopped listening to cds quite some time ago. I put on tape what I listen to and my CEC cd player is in the closet. As exotic as DCD or more on records?.. No, I don't have anything, I think. Not exotic but unusual, when you are in a particular mood: Tony Scott - Music for Zen Meditation. He plays with Japanese musicians. I really like this album. If you decide to buy this LP - find original German pressing. Not German reissue, not American. There is no Japanese pressing, at least I couldn't find it. |
Maybe these are exotic and funky enough for Inna. I have to admit, even at my advanced age, my mind has never before combined the words "the bass player is beautiful." Featuring Mohini Dey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFpouPPR19Ehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrWoIM2plx8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yx37ShuTuUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQZUfNxyDaYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AVFUEwjbY8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEJMSYNRQ3g |
These are some of the interesting phases of Donald Byrd; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QieXN2vXzaA https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=donald+byrd+stepping+into+tomorrow |
Good posts and commentary, pjw. Couldn’t agree more on Byrd as a composerGood Morning frogman. And, as I pointed out, he wrote "Tanya" for Dexter Gordon’s "One Flight Up" session which, IMHO, is one of the best Hard Bop compositions ever. Byrd with Hancock, another great composer, with Pepper for the icing on the cake):Great album that I have in my Donald Byrd collection. Hancock’s career as a musician and composer from the 60’s until now may be un matched by any other musician during the same time period. He has been at it for close to 60 years and still looks like he just turned 60 years of age. He definitely takes good care of himself. One wonders how he managed to do that surrounded by myriads of substance abusers all these years. |
Yesterday, the birthday of one of the great tenor players and a personal favorite was overlooked. George Coleman has a very distinctive voice and is one of the most lyrical of tenor players. Very modern tone, but with few if any “Coltranisms”; something that was practically impossible to avoid by most post-60’s tenor players.frogman I listened to those tunes you posted last night but was too tired to comment. I fell asleep at 8pm after a long work day. I liked them all and I must confess that I have neglected George Coleman's albums as a leader. I have many albums led by other musicians with him on TS but none with him as a leader. Getting His albums will now be one of my missions. Suggestions will be welcomed. |
Anyone who has heard Dexter live understands why all he had to do was “be himself” in an acting role.Frogman I agree with everything you wrote on this post. I have the relatively new Dexter Gordon book titled "Sophisticated Giant the Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon" written by his widow Maxine Gordon. I have not read it yet as I'm finishing up another book but it will be next. |
Thank you very much Pjw for presenting the many different phases of "Donald Byrd" Where do you fit this one in?O10 that is a great album that I have in my Byrd collection. All star cast of musicians on that including Pepper Adam's who collaborated with Byrd on quite a few albums. You should check out some of Byrd's earlier sessions with Gigi Gryce. BYRD, DONALD / GRYCE, GIGI - Complete Jazz Lab Sessions - Amazon.com Music |
**** With Desmond, it's almost as if someone handed him an alto and said "here, make this instrument sound the best it can." **** Keegiam, not meaning to repeat myself, but one of my favorite quotes by a Jazz musician: When asked how he got that wonderful sound on the alto, Desmond replied: ”I want to sound like a dry martini” |
I bought this album when I was still in high school; "Jazz Lab" Donald Byrd and Gigi Gryce. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7IHRHHnjl8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7JzbFwtONE "Speculation" (Horace Silver) - 3:38 "Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg) - 8:21 "Nica's Tempo" - 5:27 "Blue Concept" - 5:03 "Little Niles" (Randy Weston) - 7:04 "Sans Souci" - 7:17 "I Remember Clifford" (Benny Golson) - 4:57 Gigi Gryce - alto saxophone Donald Byrd - trumpet Jimmy Cleveland (tracks 5 & 7), Benny Powell (tracks 1 & 3) - trombone Julius Watkins - French horn (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 7) Don Butterfield - tuba (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 7) Sahib Shihab - baritone saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 7) Tommy Flanagan (tracks 1-3 & 6), Wade Legge (tracks 4, 5 & 7) - piano Wendell Marshall - bass Art Taylor - drums |
Today's Listen: Coleman Hawkins / Lester Young -- CLASSIC TENORS Mostly recorded in 1943. Notes: "A final thought. Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young were never admitted to "Official American Culture." No Pulitzers, no invitations to join National Academics of Arts and Letters, no artist-in-residence appointments at any universities(white or black). But think about it. How many American Classical music pieces - I said classical, not classic - of the year 1943 or of the decade of the 1940's - have lasted and will last? And how much of Hawkins and Young, by contrast, has lasted and will last." ----- Nat Hentoff Coleman Hawkins: the man I love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfKVHeEMWrA sweet lorraine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnXlNGjae64 hawkins' barrel house https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgDJd4ezE-E Lester Young: i'm fer it too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x93B_89aL68 hello babe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9ImiLmxpZ8 Cheers |
Inna, I have a set of 6 CD's with really beautiful covers by Rabih Abou-Khalil that mix jazz and Arabian music. You might be able to find LP's if you like them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVIUQaW8Z9M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysxv8dc4ru4 |
Might be noise to some, but beautiful to other ears. Written and recorded in this century. Title track from Magnus Ostrom's, "Searching for Jupiter". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SinHjKx4rh4 |
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This seems like quintessential Monk to me. Japan, 1963. 38 mins. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDlUsTKvCkQ&t=905s |
Monk on Dutch TV in 1961. Frogman, was Charlie Rouse underrated on tenor? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zUulKnCTf0 |
Monk's "Misterioso" recorded at the Five Spot Cafe, NYC, 8/7/58. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-EfxjJ-B94 |
Great keyboard video work on Monk's "Don't Blame Me." Denmark, 1966. Time out for the rest of the quartet on this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KshrtLXBdl8 |
I have this on vinyl; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm5o0ZxLyg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cJ5ZL-o9O4 |
O10 The 4 disc box set titled "The Complete Jazz Lab Sessions" released in 2013 currently sells for astronomical prices. I only have the first volume on CD. Its strange they sell the 1st 3 volumes individually but I cannot seem to find a "volume 4" so the 4th disc probably contains previously un released music which is only available on the 4 disc box. Here is the one I have: Donald Byrd • Gigi Gryce - Complete Jazz Lab Studio Sessions #1 (2006, CD) | Discogs |