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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
pnmeyer
38 posts
 
Jazzcourier,

I second the appreciation mention of Warren Vache. I am always looking for overlooked jazz players and I plan to take a listen. There are just a lot of good players that are overlooked. I got turned on to French sax player Barney Wilen about a year ago, who recorded a couple of albums with Miles in the late '50s in Europe, including the Elevator to the Gallows soundtrack, and also with Art Blakey. He has some excellent recordings on the Venus label as a leader.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Rok, together we have answered a consistent question of Foster_9's. Why can't he ever find a CD or LP of the live performances? Everything we want is before CD's, and LP's had very constrictive time restraints, consequently, those live performances that went as long as 20 minutes on one song, could not be comfortably accommodated.

Switzerland or Germany, I'm glad I got to see that extended performance of "Jive Samba", and Joe Zawinul, does an incredible solo on "Angel Eyes". This was a very fortuitous mistake.

Enjoy the music, and keep em comin.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, to further confuse things, the CD you have doesn't have all the tunes I heard on the concert, but believe me "Switzerland and Germany" are the same in regard to the music, year, and musicians. It's just like they picked up the band and moved next door, they even had on the same type of clothes, no more confusion.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Rok, It's my fault that you're confused. When I said the man on that horn was not "Yusef Lateef", I meant it was him, playing music that was prescribed, and not his music; but that all cleared up later on when the "real" Yusef Lateef (according to my musical conception) appeared when he played the flute on "Angel Eyes".

In regard to "Switzerland or Germany" there was no difference in personnel. I looked at both on You tube, and you couldn't even tell the difference. I hope that clears everything up.

Enjoy the music.
jazzcourier
205 posts
 
Thumbs up on Barney Wilen.Rare,but now downloadable,is "Barney" from 1959 on French RCA with Duke Jordan and Kenny Dorham...great session.A little off the beaten track,and a record that has bounced around to a few labels under different names is "Movie themes from france" from 1989.This is a quartet with Mal Waldron,Stafford James and Eddie Moore.You can pretty much guess the tunes and they are played in an almost calmly seductive manner.He was one of the poster boys of the French new wave cinema Jazz soundtracks.Of course,as mentioned,The Miles soundtrack is a masterpiece.I bought the dvd of the film with the bonus footage of Miles playing to the soundtrack and have to confess i have yet to watch it.I will do that this week and report back.First saw that film on the late,late show as a teenager when it played in the U.S. under the name "Frantic",which may have been the name of the novel it was based on.Hats off to Barney who slipped away in '96.
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