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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
pryso
1,933 posts
 
Thanks for joining us supertweak.

Weather Report has been a favored band for me for years.  And while I realize personal experience can vary a great deal, and I do appreciate "Mysterious Traveler", was that really such a uniquely creative album to distinguish it from earlier WR albums?  Maybe I don't have sufficient musical knowledge to make such distinctions. :^(

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzpDAH_ISCk
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
4,312 posts
 
Greetings earthlings.
Pardon the flyby.
Add 42 years to Mysterious Traveller and maybe you get this...
(or not)
Takuya Kuroda's No Sign from his 2016 Zigzagger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k7kQyedXbw

Gotta go.
Ciao
frogman
7,457 posts
 
pryso, your musical knowledge is certainly not an issue, imo.  Even more importantly, your musical instincts are excellent, imo.  Having said that, I hope you are not suggesting that you consider all WR albums prior to MT to be on the same level of creativity; that would suggest that you don’t have a favorite.  You are correct that this sort of question seldom has a definitive answer and is subject to personal taste.  Are there any WR albums that you consider to be exceptional?

All those concerns aside, however, I would say that for whatever it may be worth MT is generally cited as, if not always the best, certainly one of the best WR albums.  For me it makes a clear move to a more structured (and, for me, interesting) compositional approach (the tunes are better) as opposed to the more liberal use of vamps for extended improvisations in earlier records.  This combined with the fact that this was the record that, as supertweak suggested, began Zawinal’s more prominent role in the band.  Great band whose music and playing, to be honest, I admired more than I liked.  Then, of course, is the fact that this was the last album before Jaco came aboard.  This changed the sound of the band in a big way.  So, best (whatever that is) or not, I think it is certainly a milestone of sorts. 

pryso
1,933 posts
 
Thanks for the kind words frog.  I've not listened to some of my WR albums in some time so I need to give a re-do listen.  Off the top of my head I can't pick one I consider exceptional.  Favorite(s) may change depending on mood.  But I always considered Zawinal to have the prominent role in the band, although Jaco seemed to contribute a lot with both playing and writing once he joined.

I will say the only time I saw them live was after Jaco joined and that was an exceptional performance all 'round.
frogman
7,457 posts
 
More Wayne Shorter.  Unique voice as a composer as well as player:

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

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UNFfuve42-w

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5_z-_-Kn7U8


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