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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
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Casandra Wilson:

You don' t know what Love is:     Way too slow.  Distorts the song.
Check out Etta James and Miss Holiday.

Black Orpheus:   Nice enough, but even through she is from Mississippi, she is hit and miss.   As if she is searching for her place in music.  

Billie's Blues:   Great!!   A lot of the impact goes to the arrangement and the band.   But she nailed it.   All we need is a CD full of stuff like this.

Nice clips

Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
One of the great Blues Classics.   Does not have quite the same impact when sung by a woman.   Song by Son House, another great from the Delta.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFvnT0X9eFQ

Cheers

rok2id's avatar
rok2id
7,859 posts
 
Almost two different songs.


bass alert!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=theMDrkhLN0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9vEKTRLnUI

Cheers
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, I agree with you, Casandra is quirky, but I like her anyway.

In the beginning, I didn't care for her because she messed up my favorite songs, but after listening to her for quite awhile (after you buy a CD, what else are you going to do with it?) I got used to the "Casandra Wilson" treatment to everything she sings, and I no longer compare her version to the way the song is supposed to be sung.

No, she's not trying to find her way, she done found it; she's quirky.
frogman
7,561 posts
 
In keeping with O-10’s “great female vocalists” theme:

We have looked at many great female Jazz singers and more will surely be posted; some who definitely deserve more attention.

There is a type of singer who can be rightfully called “cross-over” singers of a sort. They are not, or certainly are not considered to be, full-fledged Jazz singers in the usual sense, but they have a fantastic way of delivering a song; of telling a story. They take the back seat to no “Jazz” singer in their ability to deliver the goods....in a particular way and particular style. They are the great musical theater vocalists. For me, “great” is reserved for those that (again, for me) don’t cross the line into a kind of over the top caricatureness as some musical theater vocalists do. Their acting background certainly helps in their ability to tell the story. Some of them are also fantastic vocalists in the sense of control and sheer beauty of the voice. Rok has previously posted some Audra McDonald who is definitely in this category.

Barbara Cook was one of the very greatest. Amazing singer:

https://youtu.be/WHloHH9KwQc

(Some further thoughts re “dissonance” forthcoming)
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