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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
alexatpos
1,223 posts
 
Rok, I never use generalizations of any kind, as you can read in my last post as well.
 But, we can certainly discuss are the 'loneliness and isolation' really antithesis of (some) jazz...
I am sure that you know how easy is to find examples which support my thought (and vice versa, of course, so much jazz with exact the opposite feeling)
So,just a few links on some jazz standards...

 https://youtu.be/B7R6dp74fR0

https://youtu.be/6XEoZ0YiMPs

https://youtu.be/IKayR1oqC7w

https://youtu.be/OCqZE6oBSsQ

https://youtu.be/IIQc20cK5Vc

https://youtu.be/fXZR4zxMDeA

Frogman, Bakers music is (to me) always first beautiful, than sad. If it was the other way around, I am not sure how could anybody endure much of it.
Also I have few reproductions of E.H. at my home, prints, but on canvas, they look quite 'real' that way.






frogman
7,478 posts
 
Alex, I tend to agree with you that his music is, first of all, beautiful; but, as with that of Bill Evans, Stan Getz (and obviously others also) there is, for me, always a pervasive feeling of melancholy in what they project musically. In Baker’s case, it’s very easy to understand why this is the case, he led a very troubled life. I am sure you know about Baker’s life outside music, but you may find this interesting:

http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/2002/06/james-gavin-author-of-deep-in-a-dream-the-long-night-of-che...
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,319 posts
 
A non sequitar relative to the current discussion, but...

YIKES!

Hope he has a fire extinguisher near at hand. Seems to me there is significant risk of the piano catching fire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHYSb-o0AUs&ab_channel=EldarDjangirov-Topic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqlnJN7G5UY&ab_channel=EldarDjangirov-Topic

Reading Wikipedia, I can see I’m late to the party. Typical. But still, new to me and maybe some of you. Worth sharing to hear for the first time or yet again.
alexatpos
1,223 posts
 
Frogman, I agree, of course, only wanted to say that sometimes its a must (for me) to look (listen) first from the perspective of ’beauty’ , rather than melancholy, because otherwise it would be too emotionally overwhelming.(sometimes is, depending how much of it we let it affect us, in certain moment.)
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Ghosthouse, in some ways, jazz is almost like a religion, especially the standards. Since I'm one of the leading proponents of this faith, I consider it sacrilegious when an artist defiles one of the sacred tunes by playing it all wrong to the extent that the tune loses it's original meaning, and empathy with those who it was meant for.

"Moanin" was specially written for those who are severely down on their luck, and under those circumstances can do nothing but "Moan"; that's a bad fix to be in.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bah68kQlnAQ



      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TdY6iqV2k0



Enjoy the music.
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