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
@rok2id

Okay. A pretty easy to understand personal preference for Ella over Sarah Vaughan or any other female jazz vocalist - I get it. Making that preference some kind of universal truth is a different matter, however. What about her puts her in that (superior, I assume) category compared to anyone else. Right now, as written, your post is neither persuasive or illuminating. Limiting the comparison to their two renditions of "Summertime", for me Ella is like a glass of chilled Chardonnay, while SV is more like a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s room in the world for both, of course.

She has the perfect instrument, perfect pitch,  and has perfect control over both.    But you don't have to  take my word for it, it's pretty much a given in the world of Jazz and also by the folks at the Metropolitan Opera.

Notice in my original post, I did not use the word Jazz.   She was much more.

Cheers

A personal perspective on Ella.  She offered many elements of greatness, no quibble about that.  But I never cared for one of her best known attributes -- her scat singing.  To be fair, scatting is something I can do without in general, few singers pull it off to my enjoyment.

So I know this can be sacrilegious to many jazz fans but Ella is not among the top level of vocalists I choose to listen to.  YMMV.  ;^)