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
**** The notion / sense, that Jazz must 'progress' or 'Improve' or move on to something Mo' Better is the major problem. It is only in the Jazz genre that we have this situation. ****

Always hated the term "progressive" as used in political circles.  I don't believe anyone has used it here re music; and certainly not the term "improve".  Evolve, yes.  But to conflate that with "improve" is very telling of the mindset of blind protectionism that wants to draw that circle around a certain period in the music.  Btw, this is another one of the themes that is continually misrepresented here and needs to be corrected.  As was pointed out, "déjà vu all over again"... and again, and again.  

**** I could junk Mozart in favor of Philip Glass. After all, his music is 'Modern'.   Yeah right ****

That's like saying "I could junk Bird in favor of Kenny G"; while ignoring all the great modern jazz artists because, just as during the "Golden Age", there are some knuckleheads out there producing crap.  See, that's the real problem, too many broad strokes and not enough depth of thinking about all this.  Of course, you are mistaken about how the notion applies to other genres.  All music (all art) evolves and is widely recognized to do so.  You don't like the notion and that is why you don't like a Classical music that has evolved beyond Mozart and Beethoven.  It is ideas like "most current music lacks life" that are so ridiculous and need to be countered.  It is not that the music lacks life and coherence; it is that some listeners are locked in a narrow sphere of awareness and are of a personality type that needs that idea as a security blanket.  "Knowledge" that has notions like that as a backdrop is questionable at best.  

Cheers.  


Today's Listen & Lesson:

Two of Terence Blanchard's better efforts that I own.


NEW YORK SECOND LINE  (w/ Donald Harrison)
A nice tune written by Blanchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkN1XXfaCxE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoWANgGSGp4 

A TALE OF GOD'S WILL (a requiem for katrina)
This man has real talent.   Both of these tunes written by him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyj79ZUaHmc 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr5guBDp51c 

Cheers
O-10, yeah, yeah; but, nope, I don’t think so. As always, "Mars and Venus"; too bad.  Btw, kindly explain (with example) where I "took that opportunity to blame those two comments for the fact that it hasn't rained new contributors to this thread".   
Good for you.  Nice Terrence Blanchard clips.  I like them and very timely to the previous Blanchard "issue" and they go to the heart of the matter.  Personally, I find the clip that O-10 posted infinitely more interesting.  While I like the clips that you posted I don't see (hear) the point.  Why should I listen to a hard-bop performance that offers nothing new compared to much of what Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw did decades previously and did it at a much higher artistic level; while I liked them, Blanchard is saying nothing new on the clips you posted.  When I have dozens of Hubbard and Shaw recordings would I pull the Blanchard off the shelf?  Unlikely.  What O-10 posted held my interest if only to see where he was going and there were many truly interesting moments.  Not once, while listening to the clips you posted, did I not know where he was going.  What's the point of that?