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
Don't know about first rate audio and video, but a first rate performance is Claudio Abbado's with the Berlin Philharmonic. They did the whole Beethoven cycle on DVD about 10 years ago now. A very good set.
I have not heard (seen) the Abbado/Berlin, but I have not heard anything by Abbado that I have not liked; he is brilliant.

Two others to consider if the music is of top priority: Karajan/Berlin. There is something about Karajan's treatment of Beethoven that strikes a chord with me. I know some feel that it is stark with too much emphasis on precision; still, it somehow rings true for me. The sound is very good, the video less so with too much emphasis on the conductor. I know I am contradicting myself, given Bernstein's drama and theatricality, but my favorite and the one I own is Bernstein's 1989 performance celebrating the fall of the Berlin Wall. He conducted an orchestra comprised of members of orchestras from around the world and famously substituted the word " Freude" (Joy) with "Freiheit" (Freedom) in the chorale. Normally this kind of thing would piss off the purist in me, but the feeling of the importance and symbolism of the moment is palpable in this performance. I think it is the one to own. Both sound and video are very good. But not as good as what I heard/saw at my neighbor's place when he invited me over to check out his new 5.1 HT setup a few weeks ago. The audio and video on this Bluray release is spectacular, the music (interpretation) of this Christian Thielemann/Vienna DVD does not compare to either the Karajan or Bernstein with tempos that are too fast IMO. I'll take good sound with great music over great sound with good music any day.
The Frogman / Learsfool:

Thanks for the input on Beethoven. After thinking about it, and I do think sometimes, since I have many 9th's on LP / CD, then the video is the thing I am most interested in. I want to SEE all this magic, that I have been listening to for so long. So video quality and camera work are most important.

The Christian Thielemann performance seems interesting.

The Ideal, would be Bohm-Viener-Domingo-Norman-Fassbaender, but I have not found a DVD of that one yet.
I do have Karajan-Berlin-1963-SACD. I thought that would be the ultimate, or at least the ultimate Karajan.

Thanks.
Now let us quickly return to Jazz, before the OP notices!

Cheers
Today's Listen:

Jimmy Smith & Wes Montgomery -- JIMMY & WES THE DYNAMIC DUO

I thought this would be a small group effort, but it turned out to be a big band thingy. Conducted by Oliver Nelson with Jimmy and Wes dueling out front.

A lot of good ones. Night Train, Road Song, Down by the Riverside, baby it's Cold Outside, etc... They all cook. The big band is only there when needed. They do not intrude on Jimmy and Wes as they push each other.

On this CD, both of these guys, are as good as I have ever heard them. They really do feed off each other. With arrangements by Nelson and personnel of the caliber of Clark Terry and Melba Liston, in the band, what's not to like.

Great Stuff.

Cheers