Listened to this today! Sound not as good as " Live at the Vanguard" but great playing.
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.
31,083 responses Add your response
Michael Carvin is certainly not a name that comes up, often! I had a duo album he did with Jacki Mc Lean, at one point -- back when I listened to vinyl. The main reason I switched to CDs was that a lot of Jazz had gone out of print at that point (80's) and the prices were quite high. There were many more titles available at more affordable prices on CD.
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My best Sun Ra album is with Walt Dickerson , another genius... "Visions" Their complicities is completely amazing... None of the two take the floor, they spoke together... And Piano and vibraphone of two unsurpassed masters... I valued also " impressions of a patch of blue"... It is jazz at his peak creativity... I was very sad that these two only make two albums... |
I am a big Sonny Rollins fan and am reading the new biography of his life appropriately titled Saxophone Colossus. The book is 715 pages of text plus and the impeccable research by the author using predominately primary sources required the book notes to be found on the publishers website as a PDF. The first 3 chapters alone contain over 300 notes. Sonny was born and raised in the Sugar Hill section of Harlem NY which at the time was the neighborhood where all of the great swing era players and emerging bebop players called home including Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins and Jackie McClean just to name a few. The author does an outstanding job on the social and cultural impact of this hotbed of jazz musicians living on the same streets that Sonny lived and played on and the impact and influence musically, and personally this had on Sonny. For those interested the book is $25 on Amazon and the PDF notes are on the publishers website here Saxophone Colossus by Aidan Levy | Hachette Book Group
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Your welcome @mahgister and here is a great Sonny Rollins interview with another great saxophone player Joshua Redman. Sonny Rollins Interviewed by Joshua Redman: Newk's Time - JazzTimes A great live rendition of what is probably Sonny's most well known song Sonny Rollins - St. Thomas - YouTube
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Some of the artists who were greatly influenced by Sonny Rollins Dave Liebman whips it out - amazing soprano saxophone solo - YouTube Joshua Redman - Jazz Crimes (Live) - YouTube Joe Lovano, live in Marciac jazz festival 2019 - YouTube Branford Marsalis Quartet - Cianna (Live) - YouTube
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Just wanted to add this beautiful version of Portrait Of Jenny by Joe Lovano which was also the theme song and name of a great movie staring Edward G Robinson Joe Lovano - Portrait of Jenny - YouTube
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Sorry maybe I should have said "old regulars" meaning many posters here on JFA, besides the three I mentioned, that have been posting on a daily basis since the OP ten years ago. You, stuartk, calgary, mahgister and a few others that have been posting regularly are now regulars whereas some of the older regulars have been absent for a while.....
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Well I hope the new knee works better then the old one... Been reading Saxophone Colossus and playing lots of Rollins lately. His birthday is coming up on 7 September and he will be 93! You know all the praise Sonny gets for the albums Way Out West and Saxophone Colossus and rightly so but all of his studio sessions are way above average and many just a notch below those aforementioned classics. Sonny's first Blue Note recording is exceptional straight ahead jazz. Cant go wrong with Donald Byrd, Wynton Kelly and Max Roach helping out.... Sonny speedy improvisations here Sonnysphere (Rudy Van Gelder Edition/1999 Remaster/24 Bit Mastering) - YouTube And Sonny plays slow improvisations with a beautiful loud, lush tone on his rendition of the Irish ballad from the musical How Are Things in Glocca Morra How Are Things In Glocca Morra - Sonny Rollins - YouTube
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Sorry @pjw81563 I was Drain Bamaged when I asked that question. In fact spent the day yesterday in the hospital trying to figure things out. I’m back home now, but still having issues. Growing old ain’t for the weak! |
I have a few D. Murray CDs but most of his stuff is too outside for me. I’m curious -- what are some of your favorite D. Murray recordings?
No, unfortunately, as many of us are discovering. Hope the issues get figured out and that treatment is on the mild rather than extreme end of the spectrum.
I'm not sure why but I've never found S. Rollins particularly engaging on an emotional level. As a result, I only own 3 or 4 albums and don't often listen to them. Intellectually, I admire his brilliance as an improvisor, but, to utilize an old-fashioned phrase, he doesn't "tug at my heartstrings". I often wish my personal tastes were more flexible but I've found that going back and re-listening rarely results in changing how an artist or recording impacts me.
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If 3 of those albums are Saxophone Colossus, Way Out West, and Freedom Suite you have the essentials... My friend and JFA poster Alextapos is not big on Sonny either (as he posted in a few years back). Not every great artist appeals to everyone. But concerning Mr. Rollins I would say the unimpressed fly in the face of public jazz opinions... But jazz has always had critics and when Sonny first started playing they had negative things to say about his improvisations of jazz standards.... The critics also slammed John Coltrane when Giant Steps was released..... IIRC @alexatpos he does not like the "hard/gruff" tone Sonny employs on a lot of his performances.... Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Gene Ammons and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis had similar tones and according to Hawkins, at least referring to himself, this tone was used on purpose. Hawkins told Sonny himself that the tenor should have a "large tone" and draw the listener in... Coltrane played the tenor on A Love Supreme, even though his soprano playing had become very popular by 1960. Coltrane stated that he wanted to use the tenor on the whole session because the tenor's voice has more to say.... |
@curiousjim Get well soon and keep listening to your favorite music to cheer you up..... |
@stuartk If you dont have the Dizzy Gillespie Sonny Side Up LP I highly recommend it. Give it a listen on Spotify first before spending on the LP.... All 4 songs are great but The Eternal Triangle and After Hours are desert island songs for me... You can clearly hear the smoother tone Stitt has on his tenor compared to Rollins on his. The opening features the two tenors playing the same notes as one then Rollins solos first from 0:40 - 2:55 then Stitt jumps in to solo. Throughout they play as one at times while exchanging solos and Dizzy jumps in as well in a blistering pace... The Eternal Triangle - YouTube Blues at its best
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Sonny Rollins, Right behind Coltrane. Favorites/ All definitetly essential-- Stuark, we can be friends, but I have gotten rid of girlfriends for less.😂 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W9OG1PVOnc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MKA69yRwE4
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I agree those 3 Rollins albums are a must have and would be on the desert island list...Elvin Jones plays drums on the evening set at the Village Vanguard. Another desert Island set Coltrane with Eric Dolphy India (Live From Village Vanguard/November 1,1961) - YouTube |
More on Sonny Side Up Borrowed from All Music
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Further on the topic of tenors. This LP is yet another desert island session. What makes it very special was that Kenny Clarke played the drums in one of his last recording sessions in the USA before he permanently moved to Paris France in 1956 to escape the racial bigotry prevailing in the states at the time. Clarke's contributions to the emerging be bop sound are comparable to Max Roach (both drummers played a pivotal role in changing the role of the drummer) |
I've got S. Colossus, Newk's Time, and Plus Four (w. Clifford Brown). At this point, these are the three I like the most. I like Stitt so I'll try Sonny Side Up.
Fair enough. Of the three you've linked, I do like the Live at the Vanguard trio stuff. I've been remiss in not buying that one! I'd like the Bridge if it weren't for Jim Hall -- he always sounds so "polite" and "professorial" to me. I have Boss Tenors by Ammons and Stitt, so it's no stretch for me to enjoy the "All Stars Sessions" you've linked to. It may be a heresy but I much prefer Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter to Coltrane, Rollins. |
I prefer these two also...
The 2 albums i like the most with Sonny Rollins is with Coleman Hawkins... And this one : The Definitive Sonny Rollins on Prestige, Riverside, and Contemporary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlG4eon5AzE&list=OLAK5uy_lKyMDWBMnVUa-5nZJO0taH2VBGl2nkOPk
And i am "ashamed" to say that i like Sadao Watanabe ...😊 |
@rok2id MJQ is a great session with Sonny..... I worked along side Percy Heath's son Stuart in the construction business. Do you have vol. 1 and 2? Anyway Blue 7 from Saxophone Colossus is outstanding... Sonny Rollins - Blue 7 - YouTube
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Sonny Rollins was in fact one of the first jazz players that I have listened to,as a child, as my father had this album that he listened (still got that record) Its 'S.R. and contemporary players' It was not so 'hard' sounding, so later when I start discovering more I bought these albums. At that time, I was coming out from listening 'rock' music, so this album also had a certain appeal, sound that resembled to certain prog rock music that I've listened (and got over it.) S.R.'Horn Culture' That led to his live 'Cutting Edge' album Later got the one with Coleman Hawkins and that was it. Like Coltrane (have to admit) it was too much for me at the time and aldo I went back to him few times, his sound was never to my liking. I would say that lots of my jazz records that I bought first were from 70's jazz, music that somewhat sounded (to me anyway at the time) like 'rock' music of that era. As I have continued to listen jazz, I started more and more to appreciate 'older' stuff, first from 60's and than to 50's and still I have not returned to that 70's jazz sound. One album of Dizzy Gillespie, from that period, one of the firsts I have bought called 'Real Thing'. When you listen it, you will know what I mean about that 'rock' conection that I speak about. |
Hey @alexatpos I listen to prog rock and listen still. 70s Sonny I dont like but a few... Sonny is a master at improvising off the top of his head.... Sonny Rollins Quintet - Don't Stop the Carnival | Cascais Jazz 76 - 13 de Novembro - YouTube |
I suspect this is true for many of us, to one degree or another, of a certain age. For one thing, the Jazz influence was pervasive in Pop music at the time, which eased the transition from listening to "jazzy Pop/Rock" to more commercial-sounding Jazz and from there, to more creative forms of Jazz. I still listen to some 70's Jazz such as Oregon, Mahavishnu O., the early acoustic version of RTF, J. L. Ponty and various ECM titles.
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Good one! I believe that particular group released three records. You might also like "Hear Y, Hear Ye" by Harold Land/Red Mitchell Quintet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta1YjhRhrMw
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Thanks. I have "Ming’s Samba" but none of the others on your list. Will check them out. I have "Ballads" and "Lovers" as well. These are probably fairly conservative, for him. I used to favor more atonality but as I’ve aged, my taste for it has definitely waned. For example, I can’t listen to Eric Dolphy anymore -- it just sounds out of tune to me. BTW, I was fortunate to see D. Murray in the eighties with a stellar group: John Hicks, Reggie Workman and Ed Blackwell.
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I have a different experience. I also came to jazz through the fusion of the 70’s (Mahavishnu, RtF, Iceberg, Gong, etc, etc), and then began to appreciate jazz from the 60’s. But not too much from the 50’s. Post-bop. modal, avant-garde are my main interests in pre 70’s jazz. But most of my taste in jazz, is from the 70’s forward, up through the present. So many contemporary jazz musicians suffer in relative obscurity, that IMO, rival some of the best from the past. And there is plenty of world class contemporary fusion, too. I also still listen to prog. There is plenty of great, contemporary prog, much of which, is not trying to copy the sound of prog of the 70’s. But even a lot of the contemporary prog, that does have a bit of a retro feel, is still done so well, that it is still well worth listening to. |
Re: Atonal Atonality can vary in its presentation from minor to complete dissonance. That being said Eric Dolphy has just as many recordings with minor dissonance, and mostly so, then he has with complete dissonance (I call it chaos).... Archie Shepp is another example of this Ballad The Shadow Of Your Smile - YouTube Minor Chaos Archie Shepp - Yasmina, A Black Woman - YouTube The term "free jazz" can vary in its definition. Did it not start with Ornette Coleman Major Chaos Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz (1961) (Full Album) - YouTube
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