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
Thanks, Alex. I love Al Cohn; thanks for those clips. I have always really liked his playing and his tone is definitely in the style that you (and I) like so much; a tone that leans back to that of the swing and West Coast tenor players. Maybe "splitting hairs" a bit, but his particular tone has not been my favorite as I find it a little dry and "reedy"; but his playing is wonderful. One of my very favorites with that general tone style; this guy kills me:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DKC7I26pA38

And, of course:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5OVxQ3VVwUA

Wonderful pairing in this classic quintet. Beautiful and subtle (?) tone differences in a similar general style (Zoot solos first @ 1:35):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0YBBhKkT-RU

Little known player who played with that tone style:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dUDJ8FlQP0M

A current player who is, as Rok likes to say, keeping that (tone) flame alive:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dQpQzBP7QeM

I will say that of all those players, Al Cohn and Stan Getz are, for me, the most interesting soloists from the standpoint of having the most interesting harmonic vocabularies; more modern than the others. Tell me what you think of these tones.











Correction: On the Al and Zoot recording, I meant to write : Al (not Zoot) solos first.

There is no need for much words, Frogman, you posted the Greats.
The last player is unknown to me, but the that guy from Japan has a great taste and puts lots of good music on his chanel. Would be interesting if he would join this forum. Certainly I would like to visit a shop where he buys music.
Here is another sax player who had interesting, troubling life and career but he made it.
Frank Morgan, played in the 50s, than vanished for 30 years to come back with success (in jazz terms)
This one is from 1955.

https://youtu.be/Dr1tMYyfwPU?list=RDp2AdSYd27kE

On this album he plays with Kenny Burrell, Carter and Tate.
Album is called *Listen to the dawn* , from 1993.

https://youtu.be/yVpgOAvZ6Fs

https://youtu.be/p2AdSYd27kE


Β 
Beautiful tones all round. A modern player I think off when you talk of tone, is J.D. Allen.

Β He was listening to a middle school player and when playing the blues scale, the youngster played all around the scale without actually playing the scale, and when asked why he said "Thats for third graders". He remembered thinking the same way and decided to reinvestigate the Blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxkHjkrjZy4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOnm42WkEjw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p26cKlB65gc