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.
Oscar Peterson, |
I didn't star listening to jazz until the late seventies. Most of the players from earlier times did not ever become my favorites. Some of my most played Jazz were Weather report's Heavy Weather, Tom Scott & LA Express' Tom Cat, Earl Klugh and Bob James's Cool, Stuff [yes it is the name], throw some Lee Ritenaur in there, for good measure. |
Hah! I’ll confess that never occurred to me! ;o) I hope "going back to school" will be fun for you!
Glad you think so. I’ve found it very useful over several decades of exploring Jazz. I don’t have a problem reading it with glasses but I’m a bit younger than you, I suspect. I think I mentioned I saw T. Akioshi and Lew Tabackin Big Band. It was at the same venue where I saw Oregon and Bill Evans trio -- Campbell Hall, UCSB.
It was ’76 for me. |
I just listened to Toshiko Akiyoshi big band compositions.. Astoundingly good... And i am not a big band fan because i am too difficult customer for big band jazz music... this woman is musical genius, but being from Japan and a woman, let her behind... Few jazz musicians rrival his creativity...His two husbands jazz musicians marry her for his talent for sure... Charlie Mariano and Lew Tabackin... it is a revelation and the soundfield and timbre recording qualities are top... It is a MOSAIC box of three cd with this image I dont remember who recommend it to me ? stuartk ? Thanks very much... i will grab all his others albums... but these three cannot be beaten ... It is in my personal hall of fame of the one hundred best jazz albums ... |
Yes; I mentioned the Mosaic 3 CD set. Did you buy it? last I checked, most of their recordings were out of print or only available as expensive Japanese’s imports. Here’s their discogs page: https://www.discogs.com/artist/257337-Toshiko-Akiyoshi-Lew-Tabackin-Big-Band I don’t usually enjoy big band music either but another I like is led by bassist Dave Holland. I wasn’t able to find the full albums on youtube but here are a few excerpts; https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXlq4LVUyCx6owrYdaneAiXDxMpCeAeM7
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Yes i was lucky... 😉 I did trust your advice... I will go for the Holland big band soon... Thanks ... Akiyoshi is a genius...
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You are most welcome! BTW, Tabackin is no slouch, either! I dislike most Jazz flute playing but his, with its distinctive "oriental" flavor, I find very enjoyable. A sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfyT25pJmOU
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Being in the shadow of an unrecognized genius composer, who is a woman and a japanese, in an american style music as jazz, this astonishing musician , his husband, Tabackin , is well under the radar... You are right...His flute mastering is very good, i listened Japan master of the flute, they are the best in the world by the way with some turkisch and persian masters.. I dont invest in my audio system , which is near perfect for me now, even in headphone listening now... i invest in music... people will spend 50,000 bucks for a system inferior to my 700 bucks one because they dont know what to buy and why , and where to put it and how to embed it rightfully ... They trust the price tag of their components not their untrained ears... 😊 My money goes only to music not audio ... My system is the best in the world for the bucks... I dont even doubt it a second... Each evening is an ectasy... I work hard to understand acoustic... its pay off now from my acoustic and my experiments...I was lucky too with my purchases... I bought the AKG K340 after despair because i hated headphones unnatural in the head sound.. but this one was the good one... 😉
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Yes. Filling a room with gear is easy. Choosing gear that works well together in a particular space is not so easy. Another big band recording I enjoy; Arturo O'Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra "Song for Chico": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99ltDgtpJt4
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Some Canadian players: Rob McConnell and Boss Brass - excellent big band and great arranger Ed Bickert - guitar Bernie Senensky - piano Oscar - Box set of For My Friends - recorded in Black Forest at a private studio in Germany ------------------------- Emily Remler - guitar Bill Evans - Live in the Black Forest - recorded at same venue Oscar above recorded; I love pretty much anything Evans did - Early - is one of my fav tunes: The Bill Evans Album - on Columbia with Helen Keane as producer - one of his last albums and I think one of his better ones Wes Montgomery - Goin Out of My Head Harry James - several D2D on Sheffield Lab label Getz - 1953-54 Norgren Studio session - all mono but great music Miles - Miles Ahead and Porgy and Bess Gill Evans - Out of the Cool - still sounds fresh after all these years
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@acman3 Thanks for the Brian Krock introduction. Great music. |
@dmk_calgary Great choices! |
@dmk_calgary I have that CD but not the MoFi version. Are you referring to the MoFi vinyl? I don't have vinyl. Strictly a "digital man". I have many other MoFi CDs though. |
@acman3 Nicholas Krolak is another relatively new artist I have been listening to lately. Krolak plays bass and composes and arranges as well.
Nicholas Krolak & Voice = Power - Jonesing Live at Chris' Jazz Cafe - YouTube |
@mahgister Thanks for the Toshiko Akiyoshi suggestions. Listened to a lot of her music last night. |
@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: |
Thanks stuartk... He suggested her... i even ordered others albums... Money well spent is in music... My soundfield is so extraordinary i am the luckiest man on earth... Their recordings sound is very good and in fact exceptionally good compared to many...
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Two more Canadians: Neil Swainson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkVuWEgNSvc&list=OLAK5uy_l4ML1KERpzYwhrKkkbZQJGuqwlJ5m0Yi8 and Ingrid Jensen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIdmE2vKCWk&list=OLAK5uy_nXtCQ99n4i74uDiQrMfBEyxVuO8khDZy8&index=2
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Another Canadian group, Peace Flag Ensemble: https://peaceflagensemble.bandcamp.com/album/astral-plains Brand-new album, also on Qobuz... |
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 Hiromi's Sonic Bloom: Time Control Or Controlled By Time - YouTube Hiromi live with Sonic Bloom |
@mahgister I have many Kenny Wheeler CDs. Excellent underrated trumpeter. Another underrated and seldom mentioned trumpeter Tom Harrell solo "Darn That Dream" June 2012 - YouTube
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@ho249. Thanks! 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...... |
@dmk_calgary You are welcome. I "discovered" PFE inadvertently, while reviewing the new jazz releases on Qobuz. If you're on a classical kick, this is one of my favorite classical recordings: https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/18370780?ev=rb Very well recorded. The rendition of "L´Histoire Du Soldat" is wonderful. |