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.
orpheus10

I can enjoy a conversation without contributing, all of this is quite educational for me, please continue.
Today's Listen:

Sonny Rollins -- SONNY ROLLINS PLUS 4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIlpEnsa2d8

Clifford Brown died a few months after this was recorded. I think this was his last time on record.

Great, but short!! The CD is finished before you know it. Another effect from the LP era. On the bright side, it forced players to 'speak' quickly. Could use some of that today.

Cheers
Learsfool:

Given the tremendous financial problems facing many orchestras, what do you think is the answer. I think Government funding, in this country, is a non-starter. Seems like some thinking outside the Box might be called for.

If it were sports teams, we could always hope for a shoe deal, or TV deal.

Your Horn section, in Nike Air-Mozarts? :)

Cheers
Today's Listens:

Lester Young -- JAZZ GIANT (1956)
Gigantic Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSrrJZXC1wE
The CD title says it all. Jazz Giant!!

Randy Weston -- VOLCANO BLUES
J.K. Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vinm6KMlFkA
This entire CD is just wonderful. Seems as if all the Best Jazz, has the word 'Blues' in the title.

Lee Morgan -- THE COOKER
A Night In Tunisia
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo0P2YugUnU&list=PLEE6B352B63B2B0CC
Lee morgan at age 19. Unbelievable! Pepper Adams on Baritone Sax. The tone of a tenor would have been better.

Cheers
O-10:

I am in the market for recordings by Billie Holiday. There are several Boxed Sets available. I am most concerned about sound quality. Any recommendations based on what you have heard?

Cheers

Rok, that's a very tall order, and a question I had to answer for myself. Forget about boxed sets or anything critics and reviewers have to say.

Billie Holiday had a style so unique and special, that you could hear it in a crowded bar on the jukebox, with drunks making the noises that drunks make, so don't worry about the sound quality; whatever she had when she had it will come through that. Focus on early and mid career, before she began to have health problems. Remember, a person does their best work, and then they become famous; after they become famous, every body is trying to make a buck, consequently every sound they make is the best sound ever, those are the Billy Holiday records I had in my collection that I sold.

Try to audition everything you can and trust your ears is the best advice I can give you, but don't listen to the critics because you might wind up with Billie Holiday records for sale.

Enjoy the music.
Acman3:

Funny you should mention that CD, I placed it on order earlier today. Also, "The Quintessential Billie Holiday Vol.5".

Thanks for the input.

Cheers
O-10:

Billie Holiday. I decided on:

Complete Decca
Commodore Master Tapes
Best of The Verve Years
The Quintessential Vol. 5

Will report after I listen.

Cheers
They all have their great moments, and sound of course is not what we want, but great music.

Great musicians!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPXIIokdc1U
1116

Today's Listen:

Billie Holiday -- THE QUINTESSENTIAL BILLIE HOLIDAY VOL.9

The last in the 'Quintessential' series of Nine-CDs, issued by Columbia.

Excellet Booklet and notes. I guess most would consider the notes 'provocative', i.e., he tells the truth. I might get the other vols for the booklet ands notes.

Lester Young only appears on one tune. :( He is more prominent in the other vols.

The sound quality is excellent by mere mortal standards. Can't speak for other species.

First tune is "ST Louis Blues". Seems as if, Everyone has to pay their respects to the OP!!

The singing? It's a Billie Holiday performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCyyTISP9eI

This is the song, but not the CD.

Cheers
The biggest drawback to most boxed sets with the word "Complete" in the title, is the endless 'alternate takes', and the stuff that was not meant to be released at the time of recording. Best to stick with 'the best of' or 'master tapes'

I just had to have the Decca stuff, so I will suffer through them with a smile on my face. :)

BTW, the notes writer on vol.9 said that Billie recorded few of what we know today as 'Jazz Classics'. He said most of her output was "Pop Potboilers" and "Standards". hmmmmm I never thought of her that way.

Cheers
If I may join the conversation with small contribution. Album from Mal Waldron 'Left alone', her former pianist, from 1959. Here is the link, hop you will like it
http://youtu.be/E7lIffL3xaQ
For a gentleman who said that 'Seems as if all the Best Jazz, has the word 'Blues' in the title '...this is a fine album from artist who never got recogniion...like so many in jazz, I guess...here is the link

http://youtu.be/8X4Tja54qLE
Today's Listen:

Art Tatum -- THE COMPLETE CAPITOL RECORDINGS VOL. ONE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6TBaZfVqLo

This guy is really a virtuoso!! But I think the Emperor in "Amadeus" was right about him, he plays tooo many notes. On the last four tunes, he is, mercifully, joined by Guitar and Bass. Much better.

Art Tatum -- THE ART TAUM SOLO MASTERPIECES VOL. ONE

And the flourishes just keep a coming! Couldn't get through to the end of this one. Just a little too much solo piano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SnJSHfMAxQ

I think he played more notes on this CD than Basie did in his entire life! I like him much better with a group.

But he is a seminal player, and way ahead of his time. And you cannot help but admire his ability, it's just that he plays so many runs, or embellishments, that it's hard to keep the song in your head. After the first few bars, he could be playing anything. And an entire CD of this gets old. But, I bet he would be wonderful to see live.

Cheers
Left Alone - Mal Waldron:

Great Music, Priceless Photos. Billie always seems to be leaning slightly forward when she sings. Ella leaned slightly backwards.

Thanks for the clip.

Cheers
Jim Wright Trio- South Side Soul

I loved it. There is an item on Amazon that includes all four of his albums. It's in my cart. He sort of plays in the vein of Gene Harris. And that ain't bad.

He is definitely from / in a Blues enviroment. I can name several Blues CDs, with the name South Side Soul. Junior Wells and Buddy Guy come to mind.

Thanks for the clip.

Cheers
Speaking of virtouso, Phineas Newborn was one, again, never received enough recognition. Here is the link where he is in the great company, with Paul Chambers and Roy Haynes, 1958. is the year, album 'Us three'

http://youtu.be/Paxz3oCin7k

Than again, if we are spaking of blues in jazz, this title says all, aldo the blues is not so really obvious, great album, never the less. Milt Jackson's 'Ballads and Blues'

http://youtu.be/Paxz3oCin7k

...line up is great,pity that Skeeter Best never recorded a solo album...as far as I know...

Alexatpos, it's absolutely astounding how music transcends all other forms of communication; I was intimately acquainted with John Wright's "South Side"; it was a glorious place, even beautiful in spots, while that South Side no longer exists, it's still alive in his music and my memory.

Enjoy the music.

Rok, we seem to be lost in a time warp. I have resigned myself to quit trying to get out of it, and just enjoy.
Alexatpos:

*****Speaking of virtouso, Phineas Newborn was one, again, never received enough recognition.******

That is true, but he did receive his proper due from me.:) This is my latest Newborn purchase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTrH4RECJJY

BTW, as nice as it was, you did send the same clip twice last post.

Cheers
My mistake, this is clip of Milt Jackson's 'Ballad and Blues' album, that I have mentioned in post above.

http://youtu.be/axuGJ7SY0e8

Jazz is full of people with heart breaking life stories, but this one has a twist. Frank Moran, played in 50's than got stranded, and yet he resurfaced 30 years later...On this album, he plays with Kenny Burrell. Could not find a beter clip, but the album is worth of having.

http://youtu.be/p2AdSYd27kE
****Rok, we seem to be lost in a time warp. I have resigned myself to quit trying to get out of it, and just enjoy.****

O-10, We are no more lost than the millions, including me, that listen to European Classical music. We are just listening to and trying to canonize, American Classical Music. Our 'Golden Age' would be from, Say, New Orleans, up to, but not including, the rise of the Noise makers. We really need to decide on a date for the end of our 'Golden Age'. Basie is just as Classic as Bach!

"The term "classical music" did not appear until the early 19th century, in an attempt to distinctly canonize the period from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven as a golden age.[7] The earliest reference to "classical music" recorded by the Oxford English Dictionary is from about 1836." - wiki

Cheers
Milt Jackson Ballard and Blues:

Excellent as always. I don't think Milt can make a bad album. I am not sure anyone playing vibes can make a bad album. Great Jazz instrument. Never sounds melancholic like Saxophones and Trumpets often do. Always says to me, "the sun is out and everything will be alright". :)

Thanks for the clip.

Cheers
Frank Morgan-

I only have one CD with him as leader. "Love, Lost & Found"

He has a beautiful tone.

Cheers
Today's Listen:

Art Blakey -- ART BLAKEY'S JAZZ MESSENGERS with THELONIOUS MONK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Kw5moQPWg

This is the entire CD. Great Stuff.

Cheers

Acman, I saw that movie at a theater, although I'm not sure, or I don't remember the event that occurs out front before the movie; at any rate I enjoyed the clip.

Enjoy the music.

"Horns and piano, horns and piano; how about a little "Gitar"? Grant Green, my homeboy was born good; I saw him at clubs before he made his first record, and he was good then. He would just kind of lean back, look at his guitar, and beautiful music would start pouring out; he didn't even seem to be playing it, or making hardly any effort, like magic, beautiful music emanated from his guitar.

Since I like all of his records, I'm going to have a hard time choosing, but I hope you'll forgive what some would call my excess number of selections.

Me and Grant's music seem to be in a constant state of resonance, that is "we vibrate in harmony"; my first choice is "Lullaby of The Leaves".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hxCP_LEniw

Next is "Round Midnight"; this is a real laid back version with mystery; you never know what's going to happen around midnight in the city. While we have those syrupy lyrics to that song, they were not Monk's intention; he wanted the music to speak for itself, that's why he never plays it the same way twice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cYSD0knfvA

"Somewhere In The Night"; this version seems to be more optimistic than most, "All he's got to do is just keep looking, and he's sure to find his lost love, she's out there "Somewhere In The Night".

PH3Yc56wRZN25Bv3um>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOOfQjU_Pxk&list=PLxsNFDVhPXQhZ_-
PH3Yc56wRZN25Bv3um


Now we have "Speak Low"; Grant pops them "Gitar strings" on this one; and I mean he could pop em. I recall notes reverberating right inside my ear when he was popping them strings from way cross the room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHDEEJF1I4I&list=PLF3AB418A7231FFDF

"Idle Moments" is the last one; this is one beautiful tune. The most striking thing about this tune is when Joe Henderson got so caught up in his solo, that he had no idea of time, and Rudy Van Gelder, who is a stickler about time, knew he was going over, and just let him blow. "Let that man blow his horn", that's what Gabriel said.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoXNc-vKdJM&list=PL8C1FF6ED9FD7329B

Enjoy the music.
Yesterday night I was lucky enough to see Pat Martino trio playing live, in my hometown, in a tiny intimate theatre for 200 people maybe.It kinda looked like this...
http://youtu.be/SEUQI5IcyRY
I could only imagine how it was seeing GG...
Great Guitar playing all around. I have the Idle Moments CD, and several more by Grant Green. Pat Martino just happens to be on one of my latest purchases,"The Legends of Acid Jazz". Houston Person is the main attraction on that one.

I started to present clips of Wes and Kenny, to restore order, but decided, what the hell, it's Sunday. So I'll let you guys slide today.

Cheers
Great music O-10. Great ringside memories! Thanks!

Alexatpos, seeing Pat Martino live has got to be great! Hopefully he is in good health. The last time I saw Johnny Winter he was having a bad night, and was led on stage. Not the way you want to remember him, but I guess thats what he wanted. Hope it was good.

The good thing about moving is I got a bedroom for all my music. I am finding things I forgot I had. I was listening to Bobby Shew today. WOW!

From a hard to find LP that never made it to Digital.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNlNoqxGOLo-
Acman, Mr.Martino seemed to be in a good shape, like some pistolero, thin and mean, fast and accurate. It looks like he is travelling a lot as well, so I guees he is doing fine. Here is another 'oldtimer' that I like very much, and I guess he is not mentioned much here... guitar player Ernest Ranglin, together with pianist Monty Alexander

http://youtu.be/HOTlk36Um4k

http://youtu.be/H0tpI4Y4W7I

Lou Rawls is my favorite male vocalist "ever", and I find that easy to say without restrictions.

Rok, you know how I am about the "Jazz Classics"; you got to stick to the script. Well, Dianne Reeves broke all the rules on "Summertime", but she did it in such a spectacular way, that not only is she forgiven, but she has my permission to break the rules anytime she feels like it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_iyKq9R3Bo

Enjoy the music.

Ronnie Milsap brought back a flood of memories of the 50's; "Doo Wop" and teenage love. There is no greater love than teenage love; how many times did you feel like your heart was going to bust wide open with love? How many times did you feel like your heart was broken forever and two days? That exhilarating roller coaster of love that was teenage love is best expressed in "Doo Wop", and I'm going to share some of my favorites with you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4oSTyjZCfE

Remember how those beautiful doo wop harmonies floated to the full moon on a hot summer night, and they reminded you of "her".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3zl1LIL6AA

Or maybe "her"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DlMHoOZ4Qg

Although you fell in love often, each time was the love of all loves. I was really sad when I had to leave Chicago at the end of the summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbl90s__X4Q

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_0Dje6FV0w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zcxsl2DdN8

Enjoy the music.

Alexatpos, this is the first time I heard of "Ernest Ranglin", but I like his music. Since I discovered he played mostly in Jamaica, I guess that explains that. This certainly wont be the last time because I'm looking for more music by Mr. Ranglin as of now; as a matter of fact, him and Monty Alexander play so well together, I'll look for both of them together.

Enjoy the music.
Today's Listen:

Cecile McLorin Salvant -- WOMAN CHILD

Could all the hype be justified??? I think it could be!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHDuWv_44g0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX4javSA26M

"If anyone can extend the lineage of the Big Three, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald, it is this 23 year old virtuoso" -- Stephen holden, NY Times.

I think he may haver nailed it. With all respect to Miss Dee Dee, of course.

Highly Recommended!!
Today's Listen:

Heritage Blues Orchestra -- AND STILL I RISE

Could and should have been a homerun! They will have to settle for a triple. But I love that fact they are out there playing this music. They play all the right stuff, Muddy, Ledbetter, Son House and other traditional blues. And the voices are great.

I think the arrangements are just a little toooo slick. A little more grit would have put them over the top. But, what they play is a billion times more 'blues' than most of the stuff going around these days.

I think this production has it roots in Europe(France). That could be the problem. "Clarksdale Moan" never gave me the feeling they had ever actually BEEN to, or know anything about, Clarksdale.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GeoZQMXKKE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xk2bMTjLQU

Cheers

Rok, that's tied with a few other records for "The Greatest Doo Wop" ever. It was certainly among my favorites.

Enjoy the music.
Orpheus, I am glad that you liked it, and that I was able to contribute to that. If I may recomend, these are the two albums in which he plays with Monty Alexander, first 'Below the bass line', where Monty is a guest, and second is 'Rocksteady' of Monty Alexander, where Ranglin is a guest.
http://youtu.be/NuyrY--vs3U
http://youtu.be/v7dVmicK7qQ

Since posting on this forum is quite slow, I will use the opportunity to mention one other guitar player, who is maybe known only to few, which is really pity. So, in hope that good music will spread around...Oscar Moore, used to play with Nat King Cole, on this album plays together with Carl Perkins, piano player (author of jazz standard 'Grooveyard')

http://youtu.be/o3OjL1Gcs-U
http://youtu.be/TpZ2on-4M2Q
Rok, as you know, I have to occasionally pay a visit to where things are really different. Once again it's with Jan Gaberek on "Evenly They Danced"; I find that bass hypnotic, and the music seems to fit the photographs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20fHftzcOGs

Here again we have hypnotic bass, this is complete with weird animation; "Where are we?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnrH-7URvpc

Enjoy the music.

One of my latest:

While you were running all over the Himalayas, you over looked this gem. Seems like an odd pairing, but it's great stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NmsddlqVXY

The Gaberek was good. Nice visuals also. Esp the women in the field swaying! Wow! Liked it better than the Kilimanjaro clip.

Has this site been down? Slow as molasses in the winter time!

Cheers

Zoot Sims and the Count were a perfect pairing. Here are two by Zoot that I like;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djeNFZb7yTY

This is "Bohemia After Dark" by the man who wrote it, OP;



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMaqzjSx7a4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMeLLyVHJA

That was one fantastic version of "Summertime".

Enjoy the music.

Zoot Sims and the Count were a perfect pairing. Here are two by Zoot that I like;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djeNFZb7yTY

This is "Bohemia After Dark" by the man who wrote it, OP;



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMaqzjSx7a4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMeLLyVHJA

That was one fantastic version of "Summertime".

Enjoy the music.

Alexatpos, I'm very curious as to how you have all these obscure, but very good musicians in your collection; my guess is you have a really huge collection, could you elaborate?

Enjoy the music.