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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
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Listened to an old favorite today. "The 100 Best Jazz Tunes of the 1950's"
Played disc #7. All Great tunes. One was by George Russell, "Manhattan". I Googled to find out who is/was George Russell.

This guy is one of the most important figures in Jazz. You should Google him and learn his story. Reading about him makes you want to know more about music in an academic sense. Nuts and Bolts??? :)

The 100 best tunes could be the only Jazz CDs a person needs. Great Music and Sound.

Cheers
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, I can hear one of my childhood friends laughing 0n that record; he must have painted a mustache and wore a big hat to get in the Pershing because he definitely wasn't old enough. I would know that "donkey" laugh of his anywhere. I don't know exactly where on the record this appears, but listen for an unmistakable "donkey" laugh and you'll know that's him.

You most certainly would not have minded getting kidnapped by "Legba's" lady who "Tubs" tried to rescue, she was incredibly beautiful; look it up on "you tube".

I never heard of "George Russel", but I will see what I can find by him; what I found by him on "you tube" sure sounded good. From what I read, that you pointed out, he was most certainly what you would call a musical genius in the academic sense.

Enjoy the music.
frogman
7,561 posts
 
Re George Russell:

****I never heard of him....****

Actually, George Russell has been mentioned at least twice on this thread. A while back I posted a clip of the TV show "The Subject Is Jazz" from the '50's and which featured a band led by Billy Taylor. The episode I posted included an interview with George Russell in which he discussed his Lydian chromatic concept. Imagine a TT show that discussed jazz theory! How the public has been dumbed down re the arts.

The other time the actual mention was not by me, but by Phil Woods. In the clip that I posted of a Phil Woods master class, he talks about the origin of the rumor that he had and played Charlie Parker's horn. Apparently, George Russell erroneously mentioned in a book that he wrote that Woods had Bird's alto. Woods used to tell a very funny story about being fed up of setting the record straight, and finally when his wife Chan (Bird's widow) sold the horn to a museum for $140,000, when asked he would respond: "I only have a couple left...would you like to buy one?" :)
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Frogman, this is the cut Rok spoke of, it's pretty good. Is there anything academic on this record you would care to point out? The recording quality is exceptional, all things considered.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yGof9LU73c

This is what you posted on another thread, I like it; this connects with something in the back of my mind that I'll have to catch up with; the bottom line is we never got real Cuban music over here, just some kind of filtered jive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUjpFi9NRNM&app=desktop

I'm thinking about going into the best jazz bass player next. This came to me when I was listening to the reel, and thought "that guy on bass is out of sight" and I still don't know who it was. As I explained before, I listen to my PC play list, and reel a lot, therefore I don't have who I'm listening to in front of me. It seems I'm stymied by bass players more than on any other instrument. Best composer who plays bass, might not translate into best bass payer; Just a thought.

Enjoy the music.

rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Modal Jazz:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modal_jazz

This is what George Russell is known for. As usual, it seems as if no one person is solely responsible for innovations. Started in Puerto Rico??

Frogman, Where is 'Modal Jazz' in today's Jazz scene ?

Cheers
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