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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
pjw81563
1,829 posts
 
frogman great Don Byas selections.

Don recorded a lot of live material after he moved to Holland. A few of his live releases have a young Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass.

I have 2 of these live recordings titled "A Night in Tunisia" and "Walkin’"

Both were recorded at the Montmartre Jazzhus Copenhagen. January 13 / 14, 1963

Btw in the James Carter interview I posted above Carter describes Byas' sound as "thick". I think "husky", as you described it, and "thick" as JC said, are the best ways to describe the tone of Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Don Byas, and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis. Willis "gator" Jackson and many others could also be put in that category.

In the following interview, Sonny Rollins, at the 1 minute mark of the video, describes Ben Webster's and Eddie Davis' tone as "gruff" so, "thick", "husky" and "gruff" are all good descriptions of this classic "tone".

A question to you frogman, being that you play the sax: Is this tone achieved by the way a player blows, the model of tenor sax used, or a combination of both??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDF8xC6Ats8&t=304s
pjw81563
1,829 posts
 
In the above Sonny Rollins interview he mentions a Herschel Evans. Evans played in the Count Basie Band and he also had that "gruff" tone.

Evans died very young of heart failure in 1939 but I was able to find the following video in which you can hear him solo. A very good player, IMHO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrvw850N84

And this one with both Herschel Evans and Lester Young:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQf8p2hRecc

Herschel Evans quick bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herschel_Evans
pjw81563
1,829 posts
 
Thanks alec for the Bud Shank clips. Listening to them now.
pjw81563
1,829 posts
 
This is priceless. Don Byas live in Stockholm 1962.

"I Remember Clifford"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1LHw551HDA


frogman
7,516 posts
 
pjw, fabulous Byas clip. Thanks. Look closely at the horn he’s playing. That is the very horn that James Carter played and talks about on the interview clip. Tell tale signs (video is not great): “DONBYAS” engraved on the inside lip of the bell. Look at the unusual raised “rocker”. That is the piece on the top of the neck (where the mouthpiece goes). Yup, that’s the one.  Cool!  Re your question:

Each horn has a certain sound/personality that affects the final tone produced by a player to varying degrees. However, a player’s tone is mostly about the way the player plays the horn; how he voices the sound of each note for the desired sound. The mouthpiece and reed also play a role. A special horn will make it easier for a player to produce the sound he hears in his head.
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