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
Film-Noir?? Some of my favorite movies are from this genre. The women were as tough or tougher than the men. For some reason I always thought of the tough guys as having survived WWII.

Quite often'film-noir' themes were Jazz... They even had Jazz plaing on the juke box in the bar scenes.

Susan Hayward was one of the toughest babes in the movies. Her only rival would have been Miss Barbara Stanwyck. I was working in the theater at the time, so I probably saw it a zillion times. Good Jazz. of course I didn't know what Jazz was at the time. :) But when I heard the music, I knew what to expect.

Ella Fitzgerald was in 'man with the golden arm'. That theme was one of the best ever. I hear it now and can see and feel the tension. That movie could only have had that theme music. No other music would have worked. Brilliant!!!!

One of the few other themes in that class is the Mission Impossible theme. Perfect, no subsitutes!

Cheers
Film Noir one of my favorite forms of entertainment.There were the 1940s versions that were usually NYC based and by the 1950s many used LA as the locale.The west coast 1950s films really relied on jazz based sound tracks, I love them.

In addition to Cedar Walton and Kenny Barron, another very fine but under appreciated pianist was John Hicks, he can play! Check him out and I`m sure you`ll like him.
Charles,
Speaking of film noir and music, check out Hadda Brooks playing piano in Nicolas Ray's "In A Lonely Place". That's Bogart and Gloria Graham who's best known as Violet in "It's A Wonderful Life", but noir lovers will always remember her for being scalded with boiling coffee by Lee Marvin in "The Big Heat".


Charles1dad:
I have two, on CD, by John Hicks. 'The Missouri Connection' with Jay McShann, and 'Two of a Kind', with Ray Drummond.

You have provoked me into 'reviewing' them. :)

Cheers