Alex, thank you for those superb contributions.
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.
31,525 responses Add your response
Orpheus, I am glad that you like it. Pleasure is all mine when I read your true life stories about people that we all can only imagine, while listening their music. I wish that you open a topic only about that subject. To answer one your previous question about pianist John Wright, I have 4 of his albums, but I have never been to Chicago, yet, my visits to Usa were limited to NYC or L.A. I hope nobody will mind if I say that I more prefer the NYC. Here are couple albums of musicians, all from Chicago. Richard Evans trio, on piano is young Jack Wilson http://youtu.be/hWXVnz0UdNU Than, Norman Simmons http://youtu.be/92od-i-jtC0 ...and one, recorded more recently... http://youtu.be/Qz0okMYf1W8 |
Thanks for the clips Alexatpos. Bobby Timmons was a great player with a great time feel and a kind of unassuming way with his style that always feels right and often surprises. O-10 is probably correct; but, if Bobby Timmons was the most underrated player in jazz, then Johnny Lytle was the most overrated. I just don't get it, and I would love to know the story behind his appearance on many of these records; there's always a story. He was featured in this thread a while ago and my reaction is still the same: a player comfortable in the simplest of jazz forms, the twelve bar blues, with a very undeveloped improvisation ability. He plays the same blues scale over the entire twelve bar progression, and seems to ramble without a clear sense of shape in his solos; some of his solos border on being b.s. in their lack of coherence and purpose. Even his time feel is unsophisticated with the notes on the upbeats being too close to the downbeats the way a young player plays when he tries to "swing". To my ears there's always a sense of relief when Timmons follows one of his vibes solos; "aah, that's what it's supposed to feel like". One man's opinion. |
Frogman, regarding J.Lytle, his music has a such a good 'groove', no matter that is simple. Certainly I appreciate your opinion, and there is no such thing as 'too much knowledge', but sometimes, when the music is in the question, I allow myself some visceral feeling about it. Allow me to post two albums of now rather unknown guitar player that I like much, and who is rooted in the blues. Al Casey, used to play with Fats Waller, and later with other greats. http://youtu.be/ftRd77HPpEs http://youtu.be/-jdSgSSciM0 |
Rok, Blakey didn't always have control over who stayed and who left; musicians like Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Bobby Timmons were bound to strike out on their own. When a jazz artist is recognized and acknowledged by jazz aficionados, that's one thing, but when a jazz artist is recognized and acknowledged by the general public, that's an affirmation of his greatness; such was the case with Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Bobby Timmons. Enjoy the music. |
Also loved the Miles! The band was insanely good at this point in time. They not only were finishing each others sentences, but a lot of finishing only implied sentences. The Miles Bootleg Series has been excellent! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLXwEmSs0oQ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y55pjxb4JHA |
Two more from The Best of the 1950's. Too much bass? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cytUz9KkK9M Another one that fell to drugs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD2l7VwQpbg Cheers |
That's not quite what O-10 said: ***When a jazz artist is recognized and acknowledged by jazz aficionados, that's one thing, but when a jazz artist is recognized and acknowledged by the general public, that's an affirmation of his greatness; such was the case with Horace Silver, Lee Morgan, and Bobby Timmons.*** O-10, I am a little confused by that comment. Explain when and how "the general public" acknowledged any of the players you mentioned. I think that those who acknowledge(d) them are, by definition, "aficionados". I think that the general public, with the exception of players like Gets, Brubeck and a handful others who had jazz "hits" or were of extremely high profile like Miles would sadly not know (or have known) Silver or Timmons from Adam. What am I missing? |
Frogman, a person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or past time is an "aficionado". A person who puts a quarter in a jukebox, may or may not be an "aficionado". All those guys were on jukeboxes in San Antonio, Texas in the late 50's and early 60's; that's not the hippest city in the world. I believe Rok, was around that part of Texas at that time. When people come into a club, have a drink and put a quarter in the jukebox, I don't call them aficionados. They were on jukeboxes in all major cities at that time; that's where I'm coming from, I don't mean the public that was looking at "I love Lucy". I think we're splitting hairs in regard to the public; maybe I ran into a hipper "general public ". Not only that, but all those musicians were on somebody's TV show at that time, this certainly gave them a wider exposure than just aficionados. Enjoy the music. |
Frogman, The Sidewinder is a 1964 album by the jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan, recorded at the Van Gelder Studio in Englewood, New Jersey, USA. It was released on the Blue Note label as BLP 4157 and BST 84157. The title track, "The Sidewinder", was one of the defining recordings of the soul jazz genre, becoming a jazz standard. An edited version was released as a single. The album became a huge seller, and highly influential - many subsequent Morgan albums, and other Blue Note discs, would duplicate (or approximate) this album's format, by following a long, funky opening blues with a handful of conventional hard bop tunes. Record producer Michael Cuscuna recalls the unexpected success: "the company issued only 4,000 copies upon release. Needless to say, they ran out of stock in three or four days. And 'The Sidewinder' became a runaway smash making the pop 100 charts." By January 1965, the album had reached No. 25 on the Billboard chart. The title track was used as the music in a Chrysler television advertisement and as a theme for television shows. Enjoy the music |
Decades ago I saw Roy Clark the main man on the "Hee Haw" hillbilly TV show , on one of the late-night TV shows. Roy was a trained musician and a good guitar and mandolin player who played jazz guitar for years before switching to country where the cash is. The host asked Roy why there were so many jazzmen in country,Roy, who was more than a little drunk, blurted out"because you have to be really good to play out of tune ALL the time " . |
***** I would have thought that by the time the 50's ended and the 60's rolled around rock and roll and crooners was the menu in jukeboxes.****** In my neck of the woods typical JukeBox fare at upscale hip bars, was like: Cannonball, Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Dianh Washington, Nancy Wilson etc.... along with some R&B and Bossa Nova stuff. 45rpm of course Examples: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmwsQ_dHrFM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4rXEKtC8iY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR3rm-4ZiFo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaKLB71QE4k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBxVfQTuvI When I was broke, which was often, it was back to John Lee Hooker and the boys. Cheers |
Miles Bootleg 2, is two nights in summer of 1969 with the" Lost Quintet",prior to Bitches Brew and two shows after the recording of Bitches Brew. The sound is not as good as Bootleg one, but a fasinating transitional time, with the previously unrecorded band. Before BB. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sayOJKN6yuo After BB.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efi1qLzDQlI |
You know you like it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7xrQY_FLM4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvzNeh4Mq1o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABfYZ6qxet8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXRnxieda34 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6blBC9Vo904 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SazTdJxwLI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbaSh8i5eyE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_Lh4MFiw08 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWJVfEU0Mec Cheers |
Well aficionados, as much as we liked those decades, it's time to move on to the 70's, and examine that decade in detail. There was a problem that began in the 70's, and continued on until this very day; "Is it is, or is it ain't jazz"? I might like this music, and that music; whether or not they are both jazz, I'll leave to the "jazz identifiers". While "Wikipedia" might consider them both jazz, some aficionados wont. I'm going to begin this discussion with two artists whose music is clearly jazz. "Gato" ushered in the 70's with a new sound that blended South America with modern jazz. Grover Washington Junior came on the scene like a blinding light; while some nit picking aficionados found fault with Grover's music because he was too popular, it suited me just fine. Let us begin with Gato; I have most of his records from 69 on into the present, and "The Third World" was the first album I acquired; it sounds like the title. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp5XcEi8cvc I began with Grover in 1970, and continued buying his albums all the way until his death. Let me began with "Inner City Blues" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLncRYHH4qI Enjoy the music. |
Gato, 'The third World'. People have been arrested for less. Soundwave generators. Not Music. I confess to having at least one of his LPs. WTF was I thinking! GroverWashington: "Inner cityt blues" Not a bad player. Made enjoyable music. During the first heart transplant or artifical heart implant in the US, the Doctor had his "Inside Moves" piped into the OR. Not Jazz. Again, I confess to having some of his stuff. "Then and Now" and "Mister Magic" on CD. Also the Pop CD "Winelight". Soon you people will tire of trying to re-define the music. |
I am afraid I'll have nothing to contribute. May I please remain in 50's and 60's? I have not reached the music of 70's yet, somehow I feel I would not at all. I'll just repeat my last posting, Orpheus, maybe it will make you reconsider and return back 'on the track'... http://youtu.be/ftRd77HPpEs http://youtu.be/-jdSgSSciM0 |
O-10, I confess to not being aware of the fact that some jukeboxes played jazz records during the 50s and 60s. Some quick research showed that Blue Note released many titles as 45 rpm singles. Who knew? I didnt. Well before my time. You guys must be really old :-) Thanks for enlightenjng me about this. |
On-10, thanks for the Gato and Grover clips. As you said, they won't be everyone's cup of tea. Gato is an interesting player in that I can't think of any other player that went from being part of the "free-jazz" scene to almost being an icon of the pop-jazz scene. It has been said many times that what keeps a "free" or avant-garde player from the b.s. designation is his ability to still play "inside" or in a traditional bag. But there are always exceptions to every rule, Gato could never (still can't) navigate the chord changes of "Stella Stella By Starlight" or play the blues to Rok's (or my) satisfaction, but he has a SOUND. He built a career around that gritty and very expressive SOUND. He became a kind of one trick pony but noise maker he is not; he has the ability to CONNECT with the unwashed. And who was it that said that the unwashed rule? http://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=FIRI6CvtO6o |
Acman3, you're killing me. That pre-BB clip is fantastic and a fascinating look at an important transitional period indeed. Same front line, different rhythm section as the earlier bootleg clips; very different vibe, and possible to hear that BB was around the corner. Miles sounds amazing in his ideas and as a trumpet player; his chops are in peak form. Great stuff! Thanks for turning me on to these clips. |
Can't leave the 60's without this gem of a Record. Nobody else could have pulled it off. http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=PbYJqFJFdBw |
Strange. I was about to do the same and post "one more" favorite from the 60s when your post came through. Here's mine: http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=f-ABO74MEXQ Suspense is killing me, what is in your link; link still doesn't work for me. |
Shorter is Shorter. One of my favorites. Now I will have to listen to that CD today. I'll call your noise maker with a wok on his head, and raise you this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7eeb1MTkUY If you aren't moving while this is playing, RUN, don't walk to the nearest ER. You may be dead. Cheers |