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
O - I’ll be interested to see what comments you get about The Awakening. It is a 1970 recording so it does jump ahead a good bit from the late 50s time frame you were in.  Doesn't matter to me.  You can really hear his "classical chops" all through the tracks of that album. I also think his sidemen are really, really good. Things are nice and tight. Need to look at credits and see who he was working with. I’m not a jazz aficionado like some of you (more from a blues/rock listening background) and admittedly very ignorant about jazz so take this with a huge pile of salt - but at this point in time, I listened to 10 seconds of Ahmad Jamal in The Awakening and was hooked. I try to listen to Keith Jarrett for 10 seconds and I’m bored to death in 5. Apologies to the KJ fans. I know he is considered a major talent. Maybe I shouldn’t even be talking about Jamal and Jarrett in the same sentence. Regardless, for me, AJ’s got something and KJ doesn’t. You can chalk it up to ignorance.

Ghosthouse, you can apologize to the KJ fans for me as well, my listening, and his playing never got in sync. As far as I'm concerned, it's good to be polite, but it's not necessary to go in depth in regard to why you could live without an artist. Some disagree with that.

I'm going to proceed from the awakening and go forward; as a matter of fact, "The Awakening" is an album that I can get into and stay awhile; consequently, I wont be jumping to the next thing just yet.


Enjoy the music.
I single out KJ though that's probably not fair...there're others that would fit the bill AND I recognize he is highly regarded by many...including people I respect (e.g., a bro-in-law who is a gifted musician himself). Never the less, I single out Mr. Jarrett because to me, based on my limited exposure, he seems to exemplify this cerebral sort of jazz musician that just loses me on an emotional level. I find AJ a lot more visceral and conveying more emotional content on a frequency I receive.  So - that's my O-pinion and you know what they say about those.  I like to add to that one..."I have several".  

We are indeed, "enjoying the music".