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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
frogman
7,478 posts
 
O-10, Afro Cuban All Stars is a great place to start; I will let you take the lead with that. Their great sound is, overall, more traditional than this band, NG La Banda, who were responsible for literally creating "timba", the hottest musical style in Cuba right now being a mix of the sounds of traditional, salsa, rumba, American R&B and even hip-hop. They were formed by ex-members of the very influential band Iraquere. Smoking hot rhythm section (their drummer is incredible) and very interesting and prominent horn section writing. (It should be noted that "salsa" is really not a native Cuban creation, but a style created by the ex-patriate Cuban community in the US along with the Puerto Rican and Dominican communities, with traditional Cuban music and dance forms as the main ingredient):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ditQMDiW8gw
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
The Alpha and Omega of Cuban Jazz. The 'new' stuff can't hold a candle to this.

One Frenchman's opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IujAxx7rjEE

Cheers
frogman
7,478 posts
 
I don't necessarily disagree with you; but, remember O-10 said "new Cuban music". If that is the style that you prefer, there are better examples (the singing, for starters, is pretty weak on the Bauza clip); more to come. For now, here is another example of new Cuban music; this from one of the most interesting and accomplished young Cuban musicians, a recent arrival to the US:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifrobjkrg3c

This one's for Acman3. Interesting performance in that like most traditional Cuban music the repetitive piano "montuno" is the "glue" that keeps the implied pulse together. In Cuban music the beat, as strong as it is, is often implied. IOW, there is often nothing playing on the actual beat; it is felt strongly, but the rhythm instruments play around the beat in syncopation:

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

To understand just how deep the level of rhythmic command in this is, is to understand the core of Cuban music. It may not seem like much, but this is incredible:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YXpxsXC4Tdw
acman3
4,275 posts
 
I had never heard of Dafnis Prieto or his music before. You can hear the cuban rhythms, mixed with post bob. Very talented and interesting. Thanks Frogman!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9MaVKACKhM
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Brazil is really a very fascinating country in regard to African rhythms. I try to get to the source of these rhythms in Africa, but they no longer exist on the continent they came from, they only exist in Brazil; an example of that is the "Capoeira" rhythms in Brazil, it's a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music, and is sometimes referred to as a game.

Here's Capoeira:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8xxgFpK-NM

What I like best about Capoeira music is the Berimbau, here's Baden Powel with Berimbau:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2n1R86mC6aA

Here we have "Virginia Rodrigues" accompanied by berimbau, her voice even sounds like the instrument, but with a profound sadness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx2E5F_VYkA

Enjoy the music.
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