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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
frogman
7,561 posts
 
Cuba-

Guajira (best known guajira as it was meant to sound. Iglesias’ version is to Cuban music as Smooth Jazz is to Hard Bop):

https://youtu.be/gdYIpvnzoW8

Mambo (by the legendary Cachao, the Cuban Charles Mingus):

https://youtu.be/mHWzfbBxuZA

Bolero (no, the bolero was not created by Maurice Ravel):

https://youtu.be/fugRvM6s5fc

Cha Cha Cha:

https://youtu.be/CqBL_IFfOC4

Rumba:

https://youtu.be/OkHVS-o-2-w

Son:

https://youtu.be/kYLwPTW0NcI

Charanga (flute is fixture in much Cuban music. Jose Fajardo was the Bird of Latin flute):

https://youtu.be/r49cFcNdw4w

Add American Jazz and American pop to the mix from about the late ‘40s forward:

Salsa:

https://youtu.be/AjKVxdtHVvk

Timba  (.....even a little hip hop):

https://youtu.be/BOVFKXMSMqA

O-10’s, Acman’s and grey9hound’s great Dafnis Prieto and Poncho Sanchez’ clips do a good job of bringing things to the present.

pjw81563
1,835 posts
 
Good Cuban music from all. Thanks 010 for the kickstart.

My favorite is  Dafnis Prieto. Thanks acman for posting it.

I am familiar with Poncho Sanchez but was not aware of  Dafnis Prieto. I am really impressed with this drummer/arranger/educator. Needless to say I have listened to acman's selections and searched the web and found many more that blew me away.  Dafnis Prieto's is a wizard on the drums and I would put him in the company of many of the best jazz drummers of today and the past.

Have already ordered a couple of both  Dafnis Prieto small ensemble and big band.

frogman great sampling of Cuban "genres". When you have the time listen to the short documentary of  Dafnis Prieto the acman posted above. It was filmed after  Dafnis Prieto returned to Cuba in 2019 after 20 years away from his native land.

His thoughts on genre's is very interesting. Watching the doc and listening to his opinions made me like him that much more.
pjw81563
1,835 posts
 
I also ordered a 2004 CD  Lucidarium by saxman Steve Coleman. 

Dafnis Prieto plays drums on this Coleman session. It is a 9 piece band plus a vocalist.
frogman
7,561 posts
 
Thanks, pjw. I did watch the documentary. I’ve been well aware of Dafnis for a long time. I worked with him shortly after his arrival from Cuba. He is a monster drummer and a heck of a nice guy. You may enjoy this; I have posted this here a couple of times previously. Much more than meets the eye; his sense and control of time is unbelievable:

https://youtu.be/YXpxsXC4Tdw


orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

When I was very young, and forming my opinions of music from the movies, there was a movie set in Brazil with Glen Ford, that had music I really liked, and for all these years, I thought the music was from Brazil. I didn't know until Frogman told me, that the music was from Cuba.

Also, there were these movies set in Mexico with really beautiful music, and naturally I thought the music was Mexican, but it wasn't, the music was Cuban. If those movie makers used Cuban music, I feel they could have mentioned it somewhere.

I want everyone to know that enjoying their contributions really makes my day.
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