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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
nsp
653 posts
 
frogman
+1 on your Dolphy pick. Should have thought of it. Was he the guy who popularized the bass clarinet back then? I think we spoke about this before but I don't think many musicians were playing it as much as him.

nsp
653 posts
 
frogman
Funny joke!!
I also like Miles Live At The Blackhawk
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jpDc5Cp1jLU

I really like Mobley's solo. 
nsp
653 posts
 
pjw
Tough decision on live Soft Machine as I have 7 live discs just from the period 1970-1978. Different lineups, different drummers. I think your input might be a factor. Could depend on which drummer you like they are very different. Give me a couple of days to go back and listen .I will come up with recommendation(s).
I was listening to King Crimson's Lizard and noticed R Fripp used some top notch British Jazz musicians on the record. Several of them also played on Soft Machine's album Fourth, one of my favorites. 
nsp
653 posts
 
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TALWkw3cWqA http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B2yCyUo0c7s


frogman
7,472 posts
 
nsp, I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything by Mobley that I didn’t like. Great player and great record!

You’re right, Dolphy was the first in jazz to play bass clarinet with that level of proficiency. Harry Carney played it in Duke’s band quite a bit before Dolphy came on the scene, but it was mostly in the context of Duke’s great orchestrations and he didn’t improvise on it that much. The great clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and a couple of other contemporaries of Dolphy flirted with the bass clarinet, but not seriously like Dolphy did:

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