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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.
orpheus10
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 

*****Do you really think that jazz musicians pushing the envelope make more money than those who play what audiences already recognize and like? Really? The opposite is true.*****


My point exactly.   People want to hear the good stuff.

Lets go over previously covered things that I thought were settled.

1. The public decides who and what is great and good, and what is not great and good.   The public, not musicians.  Money talks, BS walks. Your statement demonstrates that fact.

2. Why is it that Jazz is the only genre that MUST evolve?   People still love Bach, Beethoven, Mozart etc.......   no matter how much noise the Stravinsky types make.  No one is throwing their Classical CDs in the trash because the music is old.  Why should I dump Ellington.

3.  Where are the KOB, Criss Cross, Giant Steps, Mingus Ah Um, Sidewinder, Song for my Father etc..........CDs/LPs of today?  The "you gotta have" albums.

4.  Where is the staying power, The continuity, The consistent outstanding performance and body of work from any modern day Jazz player?   It's all sort of hit and miss.   Maybe I'll get lucky next time.

5.  What year was the last Jazz Standard written?

6.  These modern guys spend a lot of time playing, or trying to play, Trane,  Parker et al.   I wonder why?

Cheers

Btw, this all applies to Pop and Blues music as well.   The quality of music in any era follows the bell curve.  No getting around it.

rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 

Mose Allison:

Still bogus.


Arthur Blythe:

The last Jazz LP I ever purchased, in El Paso, was by Blythe.

Cheers





;


nsp
653 posts
 
pjw & pryso

I recommend Nicki Parrott's work on Venus records where she frequently records. Always great sound , especially the Sacds, but they are very pricey.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PoXvhXL3xEQ

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iBNm5FlyJvc

pjw

I thiink it was on friday acman3 posted a link to album "The Rites of Spring"  which Clarke, Dimeola and Ponty  released at the time I saw them on tour. Check it out if you are interested..


nsp
653 posts
 
 
 

frogman

Thanks I thought I recognized that very distinctive saxophone style.

"Lenox Avenue Breakdown" . That goes way back. I think that lp is tucked away in my collection . Need to give it a listen. Is that James Newton on the flute? Takes a great solo in the first cut.

I have been enjoying your recent posts and intend to respond at length when I have more time.
I wanted to share music from an artist I saw today on my cable tv jazz channel:

The Jazz Professors

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=y38IjcgggxI

Also another artist who does big band that I think deserves recognition:
Mark Masters Ensemble

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vpBRfMMtvBE  


orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

The jazz musicians who I knew up close and personal, were driven ((unfortunately, not to make money) they were driven to create.

A musician I had not seen or heard for a few years (we were friends) came back with a new sound that I was totally unfamiliar with, that was spectacular; he was hard bop improvisational. When we see or hear Jimmy Smith do his thing, he makes it look easy; all pros make their thing look easy, maybe it is for them.

The only thing I know about hard bop improvisational jazz is how to listen to it, and I claim to be able to qualify how good it is. On our first outing (I say "Our", because we renewed our friendship, and he moved into my apartment) at "Helens Black Eagle", a club that cherished "improvisational hard bop" we wowed the crowd; they were mesmerized.

During that Summer, we had a lot of fun and repeatedly wowed crowds. That was in 69, and the only verification I recall was a write up about his performance on center stage at the VP Fair we have here in St. Louis.

Many years later, I was talking to a musician telling him how good my friend was, and he responded; "He was good, but he wasn't that good". The musician I was talking to, was on par with Horace Silver, not one easily impressed.

Maybe he didn't hear him after he got that good, I thought to myself. That was when I searched for every note my friend had recorded, and I only verified that "He was good, but not that good".

The music he was playing that Summer was new, plus it had not, nor was it ever recorded; consequently, I have nothing to prove he was "That good".

While I can not judge all "improvisational hard bop jazz musicians" by my friend, being on center stage, and mesmerizing a crowd of people is what drove him.
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