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
Orpheus10, agreed. But I do like quite a number of what you post when it is not jazz, at least not traditional jazz.

rok2id,
It's really an entirely different George Benson than any of his pop stuff. His fluid guitar style is really beautiful the supporting musicians as well as the way that it was produced create a little world unto itself.
Billy Cobham is wonderful on drums and fully sympathetic to the relaxed but probing mood of the interpretations. I think that you'd love it.   
20 years ago I passed by the Zinc bar in New York City on a Monday night and George Benson was there sitting in with the house trio playing bebop and he was absolutely burnin’!
No singing or funk stuff just straight ahead bebop and blues. Unforgettable night that was.
Art Blakey & The Jazz messengers

MOSAIC

Blue Note   1961 / 1987

Notes: " 1961 was an eventful year for Art Blakey.  It was the year of his most triumphal tour overseas--a memorable trip to Japan....At one concert in Tokyo no less than 17 ambassadors attended, according to Art.  The type of audience reached by Art and his men in Japan, the sensitivity of the reaction, and the economic success of the tour, made the return home seem sadly anticlimactic.  "We've played a lot of countries," said Art, "but never before had the whole band been in tears when we left."

Mosaic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzfURZdmkx8

Arabia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqI7KG1ERyQ

Crisis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS9wQqFgR68

Cheers