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
Fabulous! It really doesn't get a whole lot better than that; thanks for the clip. Phil Woods is fantastic and Tom Harrell is without a doubt one of the unsung heroes of the trumpet; a beautiful player. Checkout his flugelhorn playing sometime; he has an unusually introspective and warm sound on flugelhorn. Great clip!
Loud, fast and empty! Thrombosis alert! Always check the audience's reaction, that will tell you what's going on.

Cheers
Empty!?! Empty!?! Damn! At first I thought you were referring to the "Bebop" clip; "loud, fast and empty" was exactly my reaction. I didn't say that because... well, like my grandmother used to say.....You seemed to like the "Bebop" clip, even if it wasn't by Diz.

But, wait!, you mention the audience; so, you must be referring to either the Horace Silver "Cool Eyes" or the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell. Now I am really confused. On the Horace Silver clip the Dutch audience looks like they don't know what hit them and seem totally uninvolved; in spite of the great music. On the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell clip what I can see of the audience is mainly two gentlemen who are clearly digging the playing (big smiles of appreciation on their faces), and there is big applause and hollering after the solos. But, that tune IS faster and louder; so that must be the one you refer to.

First of all, I didn't think "loud" or "fast" was ever an automatic disqualifier. But, empty? This must be the first time that I have heard Phil Wood's or Tom Harrell's playing referred to as "empty": complete mastery of the language of bebop and its harmony, great swing (yes, fast and relentless; but, that is the point of the tune: "Tenor Of The Time") from some of the acknowledged contemporary masters of the music, especially Woods and Harrell. So, in the spirit of enlightenment and sharing can you expound on that a bit? What is it the makes it empty for you; what is lacking? Better yet, what do you hear in the "Bebop" clip that you don't hear in the "Tenor Of The Time". Perhaps the music was better than you think, and had the intended impact on you simply because a very good argument can be made for the tenor of our time being "loud, fast and empty". But, the playing? No way!
*****Empty!?! Empty!?! Damn! At first I thought you were referring to the "Bebop" clip; "loud, fast and empty" was exactly my reaction. I didn't say that because... well, like my grandmother used to say.....You seemed to like the "Bebop" clip, even if it wasn't by Diz.******

Can we at least agree that today is Friday?
I thought I liked the 'Bebop' clip in spite of it being Dizzy. When you said it was Faddis, then I thought, well that explains why I liked it. Dizzy is a seminal figure in Jazz and a great player. An imposing personality and innovator. And, he did go to Cuba, which changed everything for the better. Can't talk about Jazz without mentioning him.

Just not my favorite trumpet player, just as Bird, is not my favorite Sax player. Has to do with style, not talent.

Cheers
*****But, wait!, you mention the audience; so, you must be referring to either the Horace Silver "Cool Eyes" or the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell. Now I am really confused. On the Horace Silver clip the Dutch audience looks like they don't know what hit them and seem totally uninvolved; in spite of the great music. On the Phil Woods/Tom Harrell clip what I can see of the audience is mainly two gentlemen who are clearly digging the playing*******

I am speaking of the 'TRUMPET' playing on the Woods/Harrell. clip. This conversation started with trumpet playing. The Horace Silver clip I saw, was just a still shot of the LP cover. Nica's dream. No audience. I may have missed a clip. But I can assure you I would not be critical of Silver. On the Woods/Harrell clip, there are a few shots of the audience. One shows that, during Harrell's solo, people in the booth have turned their backs to him! Not a good sign, assuming they are Jazz lovers. But not proof of anything either. Other than having a big un-Jazz like, belly, Woods was Ok by me.

Cheers