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.
I'm not sure why but I've never found S. Rollins particularly engaging on an emotional level. As a result, I only own 3 or 4 albums and don't often listen to them. Intellectually, I admire his brilliance as an improvisor, but, to utilize an old-fashioned phrase, he doesn't "tug at my heartstrings".
I often wish my personal tastes were more flexible but I've found that going back and re-listening rarely results in changing how an artist or recording impacts me.
I was Drain Bamaged when I asked that question. In fact spent the day yesterday in the hospital trying to figure things out. I’m back home now, but still having issues.
Well I hope the new knee works better then the old one...
Been reading Saxophone Colossus and playing lots of Rollins lately. His birthday is coming up on 7 September and he will be 93!
You know all the praise Sonny gets for the albums Way Out West and Saxophone Colossus and rightly so but all of his studio sessions are way above average and many just a notch below those aforementioned classics.
Sonny's first Blue Note recording is exceptional straight ahead jazz. Cant go wrong with Donald Byrd, Wynton Kelly and Max Roach helping out....
And Sonny plays slow improvisations with a beautiful loud, lush tone on his rendition of the Irish ballad from the musical How Are Things in Glocca Morra
Still here, enjoying the posts. Listening to a little Dexter Gordon at the moment. I was out of the net for a while due to getting a new knee in May. :)
Sorry maybe I should have said "old regulars" meaning many posters here on JFA, besides the three I mentioned, that have been posting on a daily basis since the OP ten years ago.
You, stuartk, calgary, mahgister and a few others that have been posting regularly are now regulars whereas some of the older regulars have been absent for a while.....
Just wanted to add this beautiful version of Portrait Of Jenny by Joe Lovano which was also the theme song and name of a great movie staring Edward G Robinson
I am a big Sonny Rollins fan and am reading the new biography of his life appropriately titled Saxophone Colossus.
The book is 715 pages of text plus and the impeccable research by the author using predominately primary sources required the book notes to be found on the publishers website as a PDF. The first 3 chapters alone contain over 300 notes.
Sonny was born and raised in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem NY which at the time was the neighborhood where all of the great swing era players and emerging bebop players called home including Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins and Jackie McClean just to name a few.
The author does an outstanding job on the social and cultural impact of this hotbed of jazz musicians living on the same streets that Sonny lived and played on and the impact and influence musically, and personally this had on Sonny.
For those interested the book is $25 on Amazon and the PDF notes are on the publishers website here
Michael Carvin is certainly not a name that comes up, often!
I had a duo album he did with Jacki Mc Lean, at one point -- back when I listened to vinyl.
The main reason I switched to CDs was that a lot of Jazz had gone out of print at that point (80's) and the prices were quite high. There were many more titles available at more affordable prices on CD.
And thanks all for suggestions/comments. This is great! More new music.
I have been on a classical kick for the past month or so. Got a bunch of stuff off Discogs - almost all in excellent shape - Mozart Symphonies; Mozart String Quartets, Beethoven symphonies and string quartets. Handel's messiah. King's College Choir. All pretty cheap and all in good shape. Will keep me listening for a while......
My favorite current Japanese pianist/keyboard/organist is the one and only Hiromi Uehara. Since her album debut in 2002 she has consistently released new material on subsequent albums since.
Having seen her live multiple times I can attest to the following....
She can play it all and is a superlative live act who has great stage presence and spontaneity. Her exuberance is plain for all to see. I have her whole catalogue on CDs, most of them SACDs Telarc label.
I love all Hiromi's albums but my two favorites are the jazz/rock infused Time Control and Beyond Standard with her band Sonic Bloom
@curiousjim Re Gary Bartz. Another great artist of whom I had the pleasure of seeing live. Also had a very interesting, long conversation with Bartz and Lou Donaldson in the band room at the Village Vanguard NYC after a Lou Donaldson show. I saw Lou, AKA Sweet Poppa, a dozen times or more between 2000 - 2012.
Lou finally retired but still alive and well. One of my desert island sessions:
Also George Benson - Breezing' - MoFi - Stan the Man Ricker Mastered this - still one of the best-sounding albums in my collection and fabulous music also. Apparently they did most of the tunes in 1 take. Just listened to this last night. I am sure others have mentioned this one.
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