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
Not much time today, but it appears O-10 is skipping over New Orleans, where jazz emerged around the turn of the 19th Century.  I encourage any member here to read "Louis Armstrong's New Orleans" by Thomas Brothers.  The book is well researched and, as the title suggests, is as much about the social fabric of N.O. (which differed from most American cities because it flourished as a non-US trade hub for so long) and the earliest roots of what became jazz as it is about Louis.  There were distinct borders for Creole, white and darker-skinned Negro neighborhoods.  Storyville, King Oliver, Buddy Bolden, Kid Ory (who moved to L.A. in 1919 at age 33... hmmm).  Very informative and a good read.

According to Thomas, Louis recalled that, as a child (long before he learned to play himself), he was fascinated by a poor neighborhood "rags, bottles and bones" guy playing music like he had never heard on a cheap tin party bugle someone had thrown away.  The music soon spread up the Mississippi River Valley and to the Northeast to many of the cities mentioned by O-10.  And, yes, the influence of music from Baptist and Sanctified churches figured prominently.

Keegiam, you read to many books, the history of "Modern jazz" is written on the wind in the streets of primarily the "northern cities".
As Rok would say ’tonight listen’....ok, not just that....but I’ll be polite and post just one album...

’Just Wailin’ fro 1958....H.Mann,C.Rouse. K.Burrell, M.Waldron

https://youtu.be/59886h81bKo

full album
https://youtu.be/_Acnk8ccPpc

edit, Just saw last post from Op.
Please dont be so harsh, Orpheus, no need for such tone unless you want to chase people away from the thread


I lied 😉

Lets try it this way. O-10, you accept that there was a strong Afro influence in Brazil’s music along with native and Portuguese. Why then, was not a similar, if not identical, influence exerted unto American music (in New Orleans, initially)?

Alex, these are the words I am guided by;


When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness she is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.


Keegiam, I have never been to New Orleans, nor have I any desire to go to New Orleans. I consider the musicians you mentioned "Dixie Land", and unfortunately, they are mostly absent from my collection. I don’t collect records just to say I have them, I buy records to hear music that I like, no other reason, and I don’t like "Dixie Land"; take me out back and shoot me if you like, but that’s the way it is.


Books are composed of words written on paper, records are composed of music that is recorded on vinyl, such as "modern jazz" which is somewhat different from a lot of music that was recorded before it’s time. The same musicians who were playing before it’s time responded by changing their tune.

Writers have to write, and jazz musicians have to blow. Writers can not become jazz musicians, and jazz musicians don’t want to write, but writers have decided that they must write about modern jazz (that which they do not understand) but just like birds got to fly and fish got to swim, writers got to write, and some people believe what they have written.

You read books and listen to records, since abstract modern jazz can not be put into words, you might have a problem if you can only understand words. Jazz aficionados perceive abstract modern jazz; maybe this is a case of "You have to have sung the song before you can understand and feel it". Jazz expresses so many abstract emotions that are unique, primarily to the city, that maybe if one is from the country, they haven’t experienced those emotions and don’t get the message that Miles, or Bird, or Monk, or Charley Rouse, or Mal Waldron or so many other people are sending out. ( as much as I like Herbie Mann, I intentionally left him out because as well as he can play jazz, he wanders all over the place)

Modern jazz does not "resonate" with everyone; this is what happens when the music excites something deep inside yourself; maybe you have it and maybe you don’t, but modern jazz is not an intellectual exercise, it’s about emotions, if you don’t feel it forget it.