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
@orpheus10
Hello Orpheus. Wanted to let you know I spent some time with that Miles/Jazz Showcase recording yesterday. Didn’t get through the entire thing but did listen to the first 8 of 11 tracks. Will finish listening and/or relisten to all in the few next days. You had asked about sound quality and if it was good enough for my collection. The music always comes first for me and SQ, unless unlistenable/atrocious (like some Todd Rundgren I have), is secondary of course. I’m guessing the tracks on this ’98 version are all mono? I could tell it’s old recorded material but the SQ was not terrible. In fact there was a kind of purity about it...maybe because the stuff hadn’t suffered from a heavy handed engineer? Even though not widescreen PanOrama there was very nice separation and clear tonality of the various instruments. I had to laugh. At one point right before Miles plays with mute, I swear you could hear a squeak as he installed it. Don’t recall the track name. Volume dynamics are pretty wide I thought. A few moments were briefly sharp and peaky but not many of those. I don’t know enough about the various sax players to tell a Bird from a Trane but the sax work that people were saying was CP had a nice full tone. I guess that’s tenor vs alto sax maybe? Getting back to production, the other thing that made me think "pure" was that the arrangements seemed pretty sparse...mostly a good thing to my "less is more mind set". I see it on Amazon for $10 or so and feel inclined to get it almost as a historical document (there’s no way I’ll back fill my library and get all the individual Prestige recordings). Bottom line...THANKS.

By the way, my neighbor came over and we spent a good couple of hours this afternoon viewing that ’85 Blue Note Concert at NYC Town Hall. First time I’ve watched the whole thing. IT IS REALLY REALLY GOOD (not that I need to tell you). My neighbor loved it and wants to get his own copy. The Freddie Hubbard show to an extent (he’s in so many of the combos). Have to say, was very taken by Woody Shaw’s trumpet sound on Appt. in Ghana. Smoother more melodious than Freddie, I thought. The other track that stood out for me was that Charles Lloyd Tone Poem performance with Michael Petrucciani. The last track Cecil Taylor playing "avant grade" jazz was a little tough (we ended the concert early) and an interesting way to finish the video. Jazz looking forward and not just backward, I suppose. Regardless, Cecil Taylor has MAD skills as displayed in that 12 minute closer.

So there’s a "jazz jazz" update for ya.

For a change of pace after the Blue Note put on that self-titled Liquid Soul that Alex (I think) recommended. Really enjoying that one. Thanks again to Alex.

Closing out the evening now with Jazz Pistols (one a Rok’s favorite noise making groups). Here’s Smbh which could stand for super massive black holes but then again, maybe not.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieiTrViJJQE&ab_channel=JazzPistols-Topic

Later. Ciao.

The "Jazz Pistols" and the music currently under discussion, are like two different shores of the Pacific Ocean. I'm listening to them right now.

My My, how jazz has evolved. I like what I'm hearing; what else is important?

"Liquid Soul" is fantastic; it takes me back to a better time.

I had the good fortune of buying Cecil Taylor, and selling him for more than what I paid.


Enjoy the music.
O-10, that Jay&Kay album is fantastic! Had not heard it, although trombone playing acquaintances often mention that collaboration as one of the best trombone showcases on record. Great areangements with great energy and wonderful swing feel from the all-star rhythm section on that trombone-fest recording. I got a chuckle from the name of the record label, Fontana Records. Carl Fontana (no connection to the label) was another West Coast trombone giant that doesn’t get enough attention:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TRtI-1hyPBk

I was less excited by the 1954 Miles clip. I like just about everything that Miles did, but that recording has a sleepy quality about it that leaves me.... a little sleepy. Percy Heath!!....WAKE UP!!! Don’t get me wrong, real pros at work, but a little bit of a "phoned it in" quality all the way around. I consider that 50’s, pre-Columbia records to be part of a transitional period for Miles and not my favorite period of his recorded work (60’s were). This is Miles’ version of the same tune ("Walkin") from the 1964 Columbia recording "Four & More" with one of my two favorite rhythm sections in the history of the music (Trane’s McCoy/Garrison/Jones is the other):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wo5cio1KNkE

1967:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=teCy3ogCGiE

Ghosthouse, did you get a chance to listen to Wayne Shorter’s "Atlantis"? Could be wrong, but it may be right up your alley.

Rok, nice noise makers!





Frogman, at one time Jay and Kai were inseparable; you couldn't have one without the other.

I liked each and every solo on that "Walkin"; especially Lucky Thompson's. I have very little by him. There was a bar that played jazz on it's outdoor speakers to attract customers, and that seemed to be playing every time I passed; I don't know if it was the way that was recorded, or whether or not his solo had that "echo" effect, like it was reverberating off the buildings, but I liked it.

I remember the name "Fontana", but that's all, he plays a nice trombone.

What I submitted was the "original" Miles, the first Miles before he went through any transitions. That was the one his "Homey's" liked and still do.

If you ask for Miles, those prestige recordings are the one's they will pull out first. There are some Miles I doubt if they even had. As much as his brother loved Miles, I would venture to say, he didn't even have some of them in his collection. Miles went through a lot of transitions; too many for the people I knew that loved him I would bet, but that subject never came up with those people. I just happened to be thinking about it lately; the people I knew, that he knew, are no longer with us.

Since he mentioned in his book that he knew everybody would not like what he was doing, I think he was thinking of the very same people I'm thinking of; the one's he loved, and still loved him as a person, of course that had nothing to do with his music. It's just interesting trivia.

I visited one of best friends, it was about 63, and he had every record Miles had ever recorded; that was before Miles went through his most drastic transitions.

I think Miles was like "Calvin" and had a duplicator;


        https://www.google.com/search?q=calvin+and+hobbes+duplicator&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&...



Enjoy the music.