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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
 
The Learsfool:

All of your comments on Opera were excellent. I remembered Mozart the moment I hit the 'submit' button. But, as we are just getting started, and, as in Jazz, you gotta get them hooked first. I will save him for a later day.

Questions:

(1) I have recently aquired a few Classical DVDs. I noticed in each of them, a man sitting in the middle of the orchestra wearing a headphone with mike thingy. He was dressed as a member but did not have an instrument. What is that all about? His purpose?

(2) I noticed that the trumpets look different than those I am used to. The keys / valves are now horizontal, not vertical. What's that all about? Why the change?

(3) When a composer writes a piece music, say one of Beethoven's symphony, does he write the part, every note, for each and every instrument in the entire Orchestra?

Thanks

Cheers
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, you're moving too fast. The recording quality on these 100 best tunes is better than anything I've ever heard on LP or CD. As Nica would say "Just listen to the music Rok", and that's what I'm doing. When music is this well recorded, you can hear things that you didn't hear the first time, and the recording quality has been a problem with so much jazz, that I just can't stop listening to these tunes. Trying to find something by Wardell Gray was an adventure in bad recording.

Enjoy the music.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, we never even got to the 70's. While I liked what we've been into, this was just the beginning of "modern jazz"; it had to evolve, and so it did. As a matter of fact, when a current jazz artist attempt to resurrect that music, it sounds redundant and unoriginal to me.

While jazz evolved in the 70's, it was still jazz. The first of many artists that emerged in this time frame, that I would like to cover is "Gato Barbieri"; his soundtrack for "Last Tango In Paris" received widespread acclaim. This is from an LP I was listening to, I think you'll like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UAT_nV9gl0

Enjoy the music.
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
O-10:
I agree about the quality of the recordings. In fact, when I first heard them, I assumed something was wrong with them. Maybe the high frequencies were missing or something like that. Nothing that cheap, could sound that good. But, you got it right.

Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
O-10:

Nice enough tune, by Gato Barbieri. Don't know If I could listen to an entire album. Listened to the Soundtrack of 'Last Tango in Paris'. Don't see what all the hype is about there either.

In the early 70's, I was in El Paso, jamming with WAR and EW&F etc... A Jazz wasteland, although WAR did do a 'Jazz' album. During that time, I did get to hear some good live Jazz in Tucson. Great party town then.

Didn't fully get back on board with Jazz until 1977, when back in Europe.

I do have Gato Barbieri on LP, but he didn't make the cut to CD.

Cheers
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