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

@alexatpos 

I'd say both Guides have their strengths and weaknesses.Without question, the All Music is more complete. 

Thanks for explaining the Frogman rule. 

If we only listened to the best of the best we'd grow bored, eventually, no? 

 

@stuartk , well, since I have started posting here, I have tryed to introduce fellow members to some long forgotten artists and hopefully I menaged to do so.In the same time I have always wondered why some of them never made it, in terms of recognition, at least, even to their contemporaries, nevermind the enthusiasts from the present. Now, there comes the Frogman, who basically said (not in so few words and no so blunt) that reason being so is that those guys were never so ’good’ to be ’recognised’ at first place. So, there were some questions and discussions raised about it, but between the ’old’ posters that remained as colloquial expression (often with mild irony) when some of the artists of that ’type’ were mentioned...

I am aware of Penguin guide, but ’All music’ seemed to be more complete, back than when I got it and later I have just continued to use it....

Ok, last one for today, dont want to bore any accidental visitors with so out of fashion music, aldo often I wonder why there are so many views of these pages and yet so few posters? But, anyway...

Bobby Troup 'Bobby swings tenderly' from 1957.

 

For everyone that enjoyed previous Eddie Harris album, here is another one. In fact, it was released as a follow up to 'Exodus in jazz'. 

 

Eddie Harris 'Mighty like a rose'

 

Lots of been written about Howard McGhee, his 'Maggies back in town' album is one of my favourites, this one, earlier,  is not bad either.

Howard McGhee 'Dusty blue' from 1960.

 

 

I do not use pc audio or any streamers, so when I search for new music, I stick to the old fashioned way of ’digging’ via ’All music guide to jazz’ book and later ytube for preview listening, if there are any clips. I really should thank some of the posters there, for time and effort and for sharing their music..

However, (for me) its getting harder to find music ( ’nos’) that I really consider ’exceptional’,perhaps the reason lies in ’Frogman’s rule’

Anyway, here are some of the albums that I bought recently, not essential music, but still good ones, perhaps some might find them to their liking.

In random order:

 

Les McCann live album from Village Vanguard 1967, here under 'I am in love title, but  sometimes is also issued as 'How's your mother' title. I have the latter one

 

 

It’s a Sonny Clark Trio morning here.

With Max Roach on the Drums and George Duvivier on the Bass.

That’s the point of what I wrote above. There aren’t any.

I have heard Sanborn play in more straight ahead settings as part of special event TV shows (including his own late night show years ago), award shows, etc. He can work his way through a set of changes more complicated than in most Pop tunes, but It’s not his forte. It’s kind of the reverse of the way that, for instance, Lee Konitz playing in a one chord funky groove would sound….kinda weird.  The genre doesn’t need much of that boundless harmonic skill, it needs a certain attitude and sound.

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David Sanborn is the most imitated alto player in the Pop/Jazz-Funk-R&B style,  Not an improviser on the level of harmonic sophistication of the recently mentioned alto players.  However, in a funky setting he is the best.  One hears a tone and general attitude that is clearly borrowing from Sanborn from countless alto saxophone players in genres that lean more to Rock and/or Smooth Jazz.  Not a put down all all.  He has tons of what pjw recently referred to as (great) “emotional improvisation”.  Playing stuff that leans to bebop, that highly stylized, acerbic tone of his sounds a little out of place and unwieldy.  But, man, playing a Pop ballad or funky back beat he is the greatest.

 

@pjw81563 Thanks for setting me straight! I did not realize Sanborn had recorded so much as a leader and sideman.

@ho249 

David Sanborn definitely belongs on any list of great alto players. I own many of his CDs as a leader and sideman.

Sanborn recorded on a lot of sessions with tenor Michael Brecker who has been discussed here a lot recently.

@frogman 

All great choices with Lee Konitz as the stand out (for me, anyway).

Miguel Zenon

I have a handful of his CDs and like all of them.

Mariano and Macpherson 

I need to make an effort to check out their recording catalogs.

@alexatpos 

Hal McKusick

I wish he had made more recordings as a leader and a few live recordings. I purchased this in 2018 and listen to it often. HM definitely belongs on the list of great alto players 

MCKUSICK,HAL - 7 Classic Albums - Amazon.com Music

"JEEP"

There is technical improvisation and emotional improvisation and I would nominate Hodges as one of the greatest at emotional improvisation. What a classic "bluesy tone/feel", something that Cannonball Adderly displays as well. 

Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges "I Got it Bad" (1958) - YouTube

Cannonball Adderley Sextet - Work Song (Jazz Scene, 1962) - YouTube

Jeep's Blues - Duke Ellington 1956 - YouTube

 

 

As you can guess i am half the time in the world scene jazz not only on the North American jazz scene ...The world scene jazz is bigger and very creative ...

 

Who could say that there is no great Portuguese jazz composer and player ?

Here a pianist who is creative as the greatest one and who has no great debt to Art Tatum or Bill Evans because he did not try to imitate them anyway ...

Read his wikipedia entry ...Bernardo Sassetti...

he died at 42 years old alas! I own almost all his albums ...

As an appetitizer :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMj6Ad0JngM

 

@pjw81563 

Kenny Garrett and Vincent Herring. I have seen both live numerous times.

Lucky you!  

Thanks for suggesting the Live at the Iridium release!  

"Beyond the Wall" is another favorite of mine. 

 

@alexatpos 

Frank Morgan and Art Pepper have 4 things in common. They both belong on the list of greatest all time alto players.

They both had ongoing heroin addiction problems throughout their lives.

They both spent a substantial amount of time in prison.

They both overcame addiction and made monumental comebacks!

 

@stuartk 

A great group of alto players. I am an Art Pepper completist and have well over 50 CDs of Pepper in my collection.

Jackie McLean recorded 3 albums in the 60s that are on my desert island list.

Kenny Garrett and Vincent Herring. I have seen both live numerous times.

I have a fairly large collection of KG albums and my favorite of them all is this live session. It features Pharoah Sanders and a very enthusiastic audience.

KG discussing the album

Kenny Garrett : new cd 'Sketches of MD' w/ Pharoah Sanders - YouTube

The opening track "The Ring" . KG and Pharoah playing "the head" in unison.

01 The Ring Kenny Garrett,Sketches of MD - Live at the Iridium,Jazz Saxophone - YouTube

Do you have this album?

 

 

@acman3

Pwj, Good group of alto players, but you might have to add Parker, because most of your list was built on The Bird!

Yes, Parker’s innovations and technical virtuosity influenced not just every saxophone player, be it alto, tenor, soprano or baritone, but also every instrument played from the 40s through the 21st century.

Paul Desmond and Sonny Stitt belong on the greatest altoist list for sure!

Charlie Parker - Anthropology - YouTube

I dont even know their name but they seems promising ...

Thanks stuartk , i will investigate...

😉

@mahgister 

I'm not a horn player, so cannot comment on who's "best".  😊

However, I know who I like!  

Two of my favorites: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdF-iNLw2WY&list=OLAK5uy_nzRDhTQsYxrCuBNAomx-pAqToHlmWhfYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tn03wa67zKw&list=OLAK5uy_n2S-VDqt5glXBqlg6cVlLra0XN1zkYIo8&index=2

 

Paul Desmond

I like Desmond a lot ...

I must go back to a Stitt session too...😊

 

 By the way Polish jazz may be great ... 😉

I believe there was a discussion on polish Jazz.

Pwj, Good group of alto players, but you might have to add Parker, because most of your list was built on The Bird!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYQCwoas3rk

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A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses.

 

and this has what to do with polish "jazz", or what I said?

 

Cheers

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Who said Polish jazz cannot be interesting and creative ?

 

Me.

 

Cheers

@alexatpos

As I have expand my collection with years, the albums that I wish to buy are becoming less frequent, but more difficult to find and more expensive...I know, I know, but I just do not care about digital content...

I’m in the same situation.

Thanks for the Eddie Costa suggestion. I will explore! 

@curiousjim  Thanks for the suggestion. I do not have any of his albums, but that particular one I've listened many times. For some reason it can be often find in many audio shops, or at least at ones that I've been into. Now as I think, I have only one album with jazz from japan...I believe that there are many others, but never found enough time (or will) to explore that directions. I am not streaming and I try to buy every cd that I like, so sometimes finding ones to buy takes me more time than finding some that I like. As I have expand my collection with years, the albums that I wish to buy are becoming less frequent, but more difficult to find and more expensive...I know, I know, but I just do not care about digital content...

 

@stuartk dark and moody...try this...posted before, Eddie Costa

https://youtu.be/_Dygr7RaXsI?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/M-8mI5W-0Hk?feature=shared

 

@acman3 

I checked out several highly rated Shipp recordings. He's too outside for my tastes but those who enjoy the likes of Cecil Taylor and Horace Tapscott will no doubt  enjoy him.  

When I'm in the mood for something dark and moody, my go-to's are A. Hill and M. Waldron.