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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
 
Things I listened to Today:

Keith Jarrett -- THE KOLN CONCERT
Tour de force. Quite an accomplishment for a full CD of unaccompanied Jazz piano.

Howlin' Wolf -- THE CHESS BOX CD #2
Warning!! This is the real blues. Might be a little raw for some. One of the all time great bluesmen. All of his best stuff is on the Chess Box 3-CD set. A Must have fort any blues lover.

Labi Siffre -- SO STRONG
Exceptional songs. Great and unique voice. Not a weak track on the disc. This is an example of great song writing.

Modern Jazz Quartet -- MJQ & FRIENDS
Typical MJQ, which means, very good. They play each tune with a different 'friend'.

I higly recommend them all.

In the ionterest of full disclosure, when I played the MJQ disc, on the tune 'All the things you are' I had to get up and go read the notes to see who was on sax. Turned out it was Phil Woods!! Grrrrrrrrr. He can play. Beautiful tone and phrasing.

Cheers
frogman
7,529 posts
 
****Turned out it was Phil Woods!! Grrrrrrrrr. ****

I can't resist. Why Grrrrrrr?

****He can play.****

You think?!

****Beautiful tone and phrasing****

In the interest of the never ending discussion about the benefits of fine tuning one's listening skills, I guarantee you that you can play me ANYTHING that Phil Woods ever did and after two measures, I would be able to tell you that it was Phil. Is that a benefit? You bet; well, at the very least, you wouldn't have to get up from your chair to see who was playing :-)
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
***** I guarantee you that you can play me ANYTHING that Phil Woods ever did and after two measures, I would be able to tell you that it was Phil.******

Well, since I don't have anything by Woods, he is not on my 'Instant Recognition' list. Didn't even realize he was on the MJQ disc until I played it the other day.

He also appears on 'The Jazz Soul of Porgy & Bess'. How anyone could screw that up, is beyond me, but they managed.

No fault of Woods, he was just a member of the sax section. Much younger and slimmer. Lousy arrangements.

Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
I listened to this today:

Irakere -- THE BEST OF IRAKERE
Plenty of Latin brass vibrato and of course the incomparable Cuban percussion. Many of the future heavyweights of Cuban Jazz are here. With D'Rivera, Sandoval and Valdes on board, what's not to like. Best heard next to a dance floor.

Andrew Hill -- POINT OF DEPARTURE
I made it through 2 tracks today. An improvement, but I'm still not there yet.
Great lineup and they all seem to play well, and know what they were doing, I just didn't know.

Maynard Ferguson -- CONQUISTADOR
The purists and snobs of Jazz pan it, but I love it! Great flute work on 'Theme from Star Trek'.

Irakere and Ferguson were fun. Hill and Dolphy and company, were thinking too much.

Cheers
frogman
7,529 posts
 
Today is Dexter Gordon's birthday.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RyzAxgMki9c
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