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
Re Mulgrew Miller and the Blues. Btw, very nice live clip with Miller by Schubert. Very soulful player! Not terribly surprising having grown up playing in the Church.

Well, as Rok has pointed out many times, “No Blues, no Jazz”. As has also been pointed out, Jazz, and the Blues as well, is about the feeling with which it’s played more than anything else.

Having said all that, with a couple of exceptions in specific spots (1:35, 2:43) where he gets very bluesy with what he plays (melodically), I don’t hear much that is unusually bluesy about Mulgrew’s chord voicings. They are beautiful, fairly classic, but very modern Jazz piano voicings loaded with tight dissonances. The feeling with which he plays them is another story, loaded with Blues feeling like it is with most truly great Jazz players; so, I understand Schubert’s reaction.

Classic Blues piano chord voicings, (a longtime Jazz educator, Miller would often remind students, “Support the soloist, but don’t overwhelm him”) :

https://youtu.be/610kYihV2To

Working my way through recent posts.  Thanks everybody!

Ledisi:  Wow!  Goes on the list.  
Re “Ne me quitte pas”:

The Maysa clip didn’t play for me either. I found this one instead:

https://youtu.be/d4sVeblPaa4

Frankly, I don’t hear much Nina in either Ledisi’s or Maysa’s versions. But, is that the goal? To sound like Simone? I wouldn’t think so. Having said that, while I like Maysa’s I love Ledisi’s version. Maysa’s sounds to me a little too.….theatrical? Just me. She does the best job however with the French lyrics, not surprising given her Brazilian/Portuguese heritage.

Nina. Not terribly comfortable with the French, but the most conversational, as if she really were speaking to her lover; even if she does seem to rush through the lyrics a bit. But truly wonderful:

https://youtu.be/a5FjvWWsH-c
Fro, you are right for the top version. I made a mistake thinking about Nina instead of Ledisi. I could really use some break...(or "there is Nina" for me in Ledisi :--))

Keegiam
That regarding YT happens because of Russians. Alex could explain you why but currently he does not write, only lurks...