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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
1,947 posts
 
rok, I caught that last evening.  I agree, nice to see such coverage on a national network.  And the advantage with PBS was it ran longer than 30 seconds!!  For those who missed it, watch here -

https://www.pbs.org/video/lost-coltrane-1531524781/

pryso
1,947 posts
 
Thanks for that link frog.  Here's another link to Webster, this time with Gerry Mulligan, another major favorite of mine.  I just happened to play this album recently.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dRqDktqWUY

alex, this is the only Handy album I have -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrppyREk4FA

Interesting that there was so much disagreement about the sax intro on the Mingus Big Band album.  I have a couple of those Mingus tribute band albums but not that specific one so can't reference the line up if Handy played on that one or not?
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

It was in the Winter of 59; although the temperature was around 0, I had a hot date by my side to keep me warm.

We went to a small intimate club where they had a jazzy jukebox; "Speak Low" and "Sonny's Crib" were our favorite jams, and we punched them repeatedly.

At that time I only knew the titles of the records and that the music was fantastic; fast forward to today; Sonny's Crib is one of the best albums in my collection, but there is a very good reason for that; this album was recorded in 1957 at Rudy Van Gelder's studio on the Blue Note Label, and the most fantastic aspect of this recording is the cast of players; this may have been the only time they were ever even in the same room together; Donald Byrd, on trumpet; Curtis Fuller, trombone; John Coltrane, tenor; Sonny Clark, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Taylor, drums; with that lineup the music had to be stellar.


  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDd_0FuenDc


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qciRcd-CRa8
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

pjw81563, thanks for that Coltrane link; "My Favorite Things" will always remind me of when I saw him live, only a few feet from the bandstand in the Winter of 63 when it was new and fresh.
frogman
7,478 posts
 
pryso, your instincts are correct. I just listened to Alex’s “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” clip. No way that’s John Handy. John Handy was a very good player, but with a style from a different era. This player is a much more contemporary player with a definite post-Coltrane style. I’m tempted to say it’s Alex Foster who often plays with the current Mingus big band run by Sue Mingus, but I don’t think so. Foster doesn’t have as much of a Brecker influence as this player has.

Great Webster/Mulligan clip. One of my favorite Billy Strayhorn tunes. Thanks.


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