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
mary_jo, I'll add my thanks for the Beth Hart introduction.  I'd not heard of her.  Even before reading any of the comments in that link I thought of Janis.  I certainly would not consider her (either one of them, although I'm much more familiar with Joplin) "soft", for me "vulnerable" would be much more appropriate.  Both ladies went through a lot and now I can only hope Beth is past all that.
o10, from your story of riding the train to Detroit to hear Aretha I estimate that was around 1964.  When visiting there did you ever go to the Minor Key?

I believe I mentioned it when I first began posting here.  It was a great jazz club that was able to bring in top names.  I heard Miles, Cannonball, Coltrane, Silver, Blakey and others there between 1960 and '62, after which I dropped out of school and went in to the Navy.  The name had double meaning -- obviously in the musical sense, but also because they didn't have a liquor license minors could get in.  Friends and I would drive nearly 2 hours to catch the first set around 9 PM.  Without an age limit it was popular with undergraduate college students in and around Detroit.  For that first set the audience would be maybe 50/50 black and white.  The second set around 11 seldom had more than a 20% white audience.  By the third set we were often the only whites there.  It always impressed me that we never had any problems and seemed to be accepted by the other fans.  In fact many times someone at the next table would offer to top off out set ups from their flasks -- as I said, no liquor license.  Those nights were some of my greatest jazz experiences.

Unfortunately after getting out of the Navy and returning to finish school in '66, riots in Detroit the next year destroyed the club so I could never go back.

This was in 65 Pryso, and the name of the club was the 20 Grand; all the top "Motown" acts appeared there. It was a rather "swanky" place with valet parking and coat and hat check.

When I was a kid, at Christmas time, my first stop would be the big display windows downtown where they had toy electric trains running all over the place. I always prayed that Santa would leave me one under the tree, but he never did.


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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeR0S0jUucU