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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.
30,873 responses Add your response
Welcome back @mahgister ! | |
RE: "hard-pressed", I realize I’m a bit odd in that regard! ;o) https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=tom+harrell+labyrinth
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RE: Harrell with Phil Woods, also check out "Integrity:The New Phil Woods Quintet Recorded Live": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vXKTPhH9Kk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baxfCcewiSc (In addition to the above, there are more tracks available on Youtube, although I don't know if, together, they comprise the entire album) | |
I just got “One Night With Blue Note.” It’s the historic all-star reunion concert that resurrected Blue Note back from the ashes in 1985. The show includes a very young Stanley Jordan, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, Reggie Workman, Grady Tate, Stanley Turrentine and many many more. This 2003 DVD is a definite keeper. However, it’s also on YouTube. | |
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=n7I5ZqLBl-o&t=189s Blast from the past! | |
Nature Boy and @frogman, Man, thank you both for the in-depth posts. I only remembered how people described him. Pre-hippie was spot on. The guy was ’mystical’ way before it was cool. I’ve often described the song version done by Nat King Cole the most ’ethereal’ song I’ve ever heard and it has the same effect on me when I here it. It’s as if the musical collaboration(s) version of the NKC recording has a ’Vibe’ (vibration) that causes a response in me that is always the same. As the song has never got old to me. My Pops was a BIG NKC fan. Here is a George Benson version. | |
I was gonna make a post here about the great drummer Chick Webb but after seeing @alexatpos and @frogman’s post...Funny how things work out sometimes... | |
@frogman, No microphone needed... | |
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! About ten years ago, my wife and I were lucky to catch Werner’s trio in a very intimate venue. Even better, we were able to remain for the 2nd set, as it had not been sold out. Besides playing and teaching, Werner also wrote a very interesting book on the psychological issues confronting performing musicians.
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@tyray , I love that! | |
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Nice! @acman3 | |
And they said in 1956 tv and rock and roll was killing big band jazz...They're swinging so hard, it sounds not only easy but nasty too! | |
’And they said in 1956 tv and rock and roll was killing big band jazz...They’re swinging so hard, it sounds not only easy (to listen to) but nasty (jam session) too!’ You can definitely hear the ’nuances’ between say a Benny Goodman arrangement Count Basie or Duke Ellington arrangement. And that’s taking nothing away from Benny... | |
I’ve never warmed to Sam Rivers, in any of the settings I’ve heard. I need a bit more consonance. Nothing wrong with George Colemans’s playing with Miles, from my perspective. "My Funny Valentine" remains one of my favorite Miles releases, several decades after I first heard it and Maiden Voyage is still one of my favorite Blue Notes. | |
I like George Coleman. A lot. On the other hand, it’s hard to argue with the perspective of Miles, Williams and Hancock. 😊. I think I get what the issue may have been for those guys. As much as I like his playing, I am seldom surprised by what Coleman plays. I suppose it’s possible to not be “right” without necessarily being “wrong”. Setting is key. https://youtu.be/nuYeeMcyCIk?si=n8UEmpQ5G6oxwqtX
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The 6 albums Blue note is one of my favorite Hammond box....
I cannot live without it... Larry Young so different he plays than many others Hammond players is efficient, musical, self restraint, and servicing the music more than himself. I love him. All musicians with him are great especially here. Hypnotizing relaxing music so well done than we are less surprised than moved and then immersed...
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Wayne Shorter was indeed magical. I would take that assessment a step further. One of the reasons that he was magical was that he fit Miles’ creative vision in that the music had to always move forward stylistically; to evolve. If one looks at Shorter’s work over the course of his career this stylistic evolution is amazing, from his early work to hard bop, to that as cofounder of Weather Report, to “World Music” and his later solo work. Coleman, on the other hand always stayed firmly in a hard bop/post bop vein. | |
Frogman, as always an excellent point. Let's not forget Wayne Shorter as a composer. It was always Mile's band, but in a group with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and Ron Carter, Shorter was effectively the co-leader. There's a wonderful documentary on Shorter called "Zero Gravity". It's about his childhood, his spirituality, drinking, composing, death of loved ones and a lot about working with Miles Davis. Highly recommended. | |
Ohnwy61, couldn’t agree more re Shorter the composer. One of the most important modern Jazz composers. Some would say the most important. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k_S9vI2ODPguv7DmtgAJ8frd1yj5dSGgA&si=R3g6Eo64dAJgGfPG | |
Here is an estimable artist who may not be known by many jazz fans, the guitarist Jack Wilkins. Check out his deeply felt rendering of John Coltrane’s classic, Naima: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyAk4pCvZAo&pp=ygUSamFjayB3aWxraW5zIG5haW1h | |
@scalar9 Wow...This is nice. And that backing band, umph. I love the staid tempo. | |
Thanks i will investigate his output.... Seems interesting to me...
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Re: Shorter vs. Coleman, as a listener, for me, it comes down to the mood I’m in, on any given day or evening. I don’t want to listen to Shorter’s Blue Notes or the 2nd Great 5tet all the time, even though these recordings are among my all time favorites. If I couldn’t listen to Coleman, Jordan, Gordon, Lovano, Potter, or any other tenor player without thinking "Well, Miles would rather play with Wayne than this guy", that would not be a good thing. I want to be able to be fully present with whatever I’m listening to in the moment without interference from the left brain’s fondness for analysis, comparison and judgement. As much as I respect giants like Miles, Tony, Herbie and Ron, I don’t want to share my listening chair with them!
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I couldn’t agree more with your sentiment, Stuartk. I don’t think it has been suggested otherwise. Having said that, for me, the “analysis” or learning of things like the reasons for why great players like Miles make the personnel (and others) choices they make enhances the listening. Can’t imagine Porter in the Second Great Quintet, ‘though 😊 |
