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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
jafant's avatar
jafant
20,534 posts
 
Outstanding! bluesy41

big fan of both Joshua and Christian. These are world-class Jazz musicians.

Happy Listening!
frogman
7,562 posts
 
I think Rok would like this too. One more from the same album as before. These arrangements kill me. Simply masterful and masterfully played. Inventiveness, great feel, gorgeous and soulful singing. That’s when whatever the genre is becomes irrelevant. Check out the very ending of the song and what the orchestrator had the players do.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LkfYNeQBHaE
frogman
7,562 posts
 
acman3, the Orrin Evans trio clip is amazing. What a player he is! Reminds me of the type of clarity that Herbie Hancock has in his playing. Incredible sense of direction in his soloing. Loved it, and thanks for that.
pryso
1,986 posts
 
This is the only Nancy Wilson album I'm familiar with, not bad to include Cannonball.  In spite of her talents it didn't seem to me she had the popularity she deserved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTFEtPXxo0k

Now for favorites, this rates high on my list.  Some will consider it a transition to jazz from pops/blues, but again, does that matter?  It's one of my most played female vocal albums.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0qVdEZKFcc
frogman
7,562 posts
 
I would say that Nancy Wilson was less popular than singers like Sarah Vaughn among the jazz crowd. I don’t know, but I’m not too sure total record sales would support that idea across all the genres that she covered. Nancy Wilson recorded more solo records than Vaughn and during the ‘60s alone had nine top 100 hits including a couple of top 20 in the pop/r&b charts. Extremely flexible singer who was clearly a jazz singer in the true sense of the world, but could also sound great singing a torch song or a pop/r&b ballad. Singers like Ella and Sarah who were arguably standard setters as jazz singers simply didn’t sound as “in their element” outside their comfort zone. Ella singing the Beatles songbook is mostly great because she’s Ella, but a little strange to my ears. One more:

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


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