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
Of course J.S.'s music was greatly influenced by his family environment, academic education, and faith, but are those considered "social conditions"? That's a rather broad definition---might as well say it springs from being alive! It also minimizes and trivializes the role the individual plays in the creation of his music. There are instances of two different people having very similar backgrounds, having grown up in the same neighborhood, gone to the same school, church, etc, whose music's are very different from one another's. Sure environment influences a musician's creations, but his music springs from his need to create, above all. Perhaps it's just semantics, ay?

One artist who sang not only Jazz, but also Jump Blues and Rock n' Roll, was Big Joe Turner. He's my favorite Blues shouter of them all, whom I feel fortunate to have seen/heard live in the 90's, backed by The Blasters. In the band at the time was Lee Allen, sax player on many classic recordings by Little Richard, Fats Domino, and many other early Rock n' Rollers. Fantastic show!
*****Of course J.S.'s music was greatly influenced by his family environment, academic education, and faith, but are those considered "social conditions"? ******

Yes. There may have been other people with his 'genius', just born under the wrong Social Conditions. Wrong side of the tracks.

*****might as well say it springs from being alive! *****

Exactly. Being alive and being in the right time/place and conditions. If Elvis had been born in Montana instead of Mississippi, would we have ever known of him. I doubt it. Probably not too much Blues and Gospel on the Radio in Montana in the 50's. Or the 15's :)

*****It also minimizes and trivializes the role the individual plays in the creation of his music.******

We were speaking of an entire genre of music, not an individual. Some Blues players were considered great and they were successful, others were great and died in obscurity. Many more should not have quit their day jobs. We are speaking of the conditions that contributed to, or gave birth to the genre called Blues.

I wonder how far Bach's 'genius' reaches beyond the Western world. I love his music, but if I had been born in Indonesia, maybe not so much.

Cheers

Acman, Charenee Wade's offering the music of Gil Scott Heron, and Brian Jackson is a very sensitive work of art. When I consider the source of the comment that Gil Scott Herron sucks, that's a testament to the authenticity of this work.

Gil Scott Heron is described as a "Jazz Poet", and Charenee Wade's vocals capture the musical aspects of his work, while his words capture the struggles of people living in the city on the lower economic level, and they do this with a delicate sensitivity. On "Peace Go With You Brother" it's about people who have been so close to him, that they feel the right to criticize. Instead of him saying, "get out of my face and my business" as he would have done in the past, he makes the soft statement "Peace Go With You Brother", there's no point in arguing.

This album is a complete work of art, in other word each individual cut is a part of one unified work that makes a statement about trying to find peace, and at the same time survive in the inner city without violence, and continue the struggle for human rights; that's a tall order. Charenee and her musicians project a soft beauty that I could listen to all night long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ34PlV_K4U

I chose this one to give an example of the soft beauty.

Enjoy the music.
Born in Indonesia=not so much love of Bach? I can in no way relate to Asian music (it's scales sounding "foreign" to me is definitely a result of cultural, if not societal, conditioning), but the guys at Sony sure like Beethoven! Being able to fit the playing time of his 9th Symphony onto a single disc played a role in the development of the Redbook CD.