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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
inna
7,923 posts
 
Blues, perhaps? You got to be fast to follow him. The man was not far from death at the time of the performance, and he knew it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpzLTJ_9twc
inna
7,923 posts
 
And this is a nice romantic slightly masochistic tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up6K4bmfaA0
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,340 posts
 
So, you got me reading about Herbie Hancock. Yeesh. Talk about prolific. Not to mention Wiki says he graduated from Grinnell College with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Music. Maybe the EE degree explains the cover of Headhunters a little.

A little over a decade before HH there was this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J5riMnfsj0&ab_channel=HerbieHancock-Topic

...and 12 years later, THIS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VN8zH366M8&ab_channel=MacFalko

This might be the best video ever posted to this thread!  Kidding of course - but it is a pretty great performance.

By the way -
Have you discussed Freddie Hubbard much on this thread? (It’s all new to me...more or less). What a sweet sounding trumpet...more so in ’62 than in ’85. But his ’85 solo really is killer.

frogman
7,561 posts
 
Ghosthouse, Hancock is a giant and still going strong.  He can play credibly in just about any genre including Classical; and as you say, very prolific.  "squawking chicken", that's very funny and I can see (hear) why that came to mind.  But, that's some funky chicken!  You're correcf, it's clavinet.  I kinda like it.  My guess is that it's an overdub by Herbie of the repetitive syncopated rhythm; works for me.  The "reedy sounding instrument" is Bennie Maupin's soprano saxophone.  Very funky player with a rough-around-the-edges tone but great feel.  His tenor and bass clarinet are very good also.  Enjoyed the clavinet retrospecrive; thanks.

I posted Herbie's "Takin Off" recently, but was not aware of any alternate takes; thanks for that.  Freddie Hubbard is probably my favorite trumpet player.  Check out Oliver Nelson's "Blues And The Abstract Truth" for what I think is one of the best trumpet solos on record.  You may find this interesting:

http://www.afka.net/Articles/1995-01_Tmershi_Duween.htm
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,340 posts
 
F - Enjoyed reading those Santana comments.  What a gracious, humble person (at least based on that).  I'll have to try and find out what the Zappa Dylan-parody is about.  Didn't know about that.

Hmm... soprano sax.  That explains a few things.  Not my favorite instrument (if I might opine) but bass clarinet - we love it's tone.  

Time and place for many things.  So I wanted to go back and hear Hancock's earlier stuff which led to Takin' Off (also saved in Spotify, Maiden Vogage and Empyrean Isles).  What a different feel from HH has T.O.!  

Being somewhat hit and miss on this Aficionado thread, your earlier post of T'.O. was missed.  The alternate take at that link is one of 3 "extra" tracks on the Rudy Van Gelder re-issue.  Has seemed to me that higher frequencies get way to much emphasis in "typical" remasters making things sound unpleasantly bright.  Not so with the Van Gelder reissues.  I love the spaciousness of his recordings.  He definitely knew what he was about in the studio. 

re FH - 
Blues & The Abstract Truth duly noted.  What a lineup!  Bill Evans & Eric Dolphy too.  Will definitely have to check that out.

I do remember people talking about Red Clay when that came out (might be repeating myself).  Being late to the jazz party as it were, knew his name but not much else.  His soloing in that Blue Note concert video is just INsane!  I'd like to know, at the very end, what they are kind of laughing about.  He has an almost apologetic look on his face as he turns to Joe Henderson after the finish.  The ending on his second solo is a little (anti-climactic?) if not down right odd.  Hancock is kind of laughing a little too.  

That 1985 Blue Note Concert is available as DVD.  Will give serious consideration to purchasing it.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Night_with_Blue_Note

https://www.amazon.com/One-Night-Blue-Note-Historic/dp/B0000DZ3HM

Okay...blathered on a good bit here.  

Orpheus - apologies if I'm just trampling ground already well-ploughed. Hope not.  





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