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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
 
OK, Jazz aficionados help me understand some of the older jazz recordings. To give you a background my all time favorite is Coltrane Blue Train, absolutely love it, fabulous recording.


Blue Train was recorded/engineered at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio at his Englewood Cliffs (Hackensack NJ) recording studio for the Blue Note record label.

This was the only recording Coltrane did at Blue Note as a leader. The bulk of his early work was recorded for Prestige and Atlantic and his famous quartet of the early 6o’s on the Impulse label.

This might have something to do with what you are pertaining to. I happen to like the way Van Gelder recorded.

From Wiki:

Van Gelder was secretive about his recording methods, leaving fans and critics to speculate about his techniques. He would go as far as to move microphones when bands were being photographed in the studio.[19] His recording techniques are often admired by his fans for their transparency, warmth and presence.



acman3
4,274 posts
 
I think PWJ nailed it. When stereo was new some recording engineers got it, and some did not. I often wondered, what were they thinking. Let's put Sonny on the left by himself, and the bass and drums on the right, so they can really hear what Sonny's doing.

Obviously, they had ideas other than live music as a goal. 
keegiam
731 posts
 
Some engineers set the groups up as they would normally appear on stage in a live performance, then miked from an appropriate distance that would approximate a good audience seating position in hopes of recreating the soundstage.

It could be done both ways, but there are plenty of convincing recordings out there besides Van Gelder's (don't get me wrong - he was the best).

I remember listening to Coltrane on "So What?" (recording engineer Fred Plaut) imaged about 8 feet in front of me, near dead center, on a friend's tube-driven Magneplanars.  Similarly, there are plenty of live recordings out there with remarkable placements of the players to the left, center and right.

Part of the issue is often the imaging quality of one's home set-up and where the sweet spot is.
acman3
4,274 posts
 
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/a-question-about-old-jazz-records-mono-vs-stereo.38791/
acman3
4,274 posts
 
I always like to look at this list, as it is compiled from the top 10 recordings from a much larger list of reviewers. This year it is 148 reviewers. Then, you can click on any of the 148 reviewers and see their individual lists.



https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956649529/2020-best-jazz-albums-critics-poll
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