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 
You wouldn’t happen to know if there is a CD set of the Brecker brothers and Horace Silver bootleg?  Maybe I looked in the wrong place, but I didn’t find it on Amazon or Qobuz.

Thanks.

One thing appear to me and i just begun to listen to Brecker... His sax mastery musical control is good to the point of being embarassing or shaming for others .... I never hear so much surprizing variations with so much fluidity from any other sax player i listened too... Thanks frogman...

This does not means i cannot appreciate other musical style gesture of Igor Buttman or Wayne Shorter or Sonny Rollins etc...Musical gesture style is not linearly related to virtuoso control levels , it is constrained by them for sure, but music has a life of its own ...It is the reason why there is no absolutely better musician over all of them in jazz ... Too much possible expressive gestures repertory learned in so many musicians different body and personal story ....

There is also another point, nevermind the genius of any musician, the way his sideman work with him and underline his phrasing and sustain it and were inspired in their own playing make an album session great... It is evident with Miles Davis "kind of blue" which is not the best jazz album ever, there is no best ever, but in this album the SYNERGY between the players parts is astoundingly good...

Then it is the same conditions for any musician in jazz so great it is, he will need to play and inspire others...

Listen to my favorite Pat Martino album... "Formidable"... Here too the synergy is so much good that for me it is equal to "kind of blue"... Martino drive the other players to their best as Miles did ...By the way as " kind of blue" " formidable" album are not necessarily the best albums to decipher the specific  artistry and virtuosity of Miles or Martino but it is great album to look for and understand why and how they inspire other musicians to play at their top... The reason is simple : the geniuses as  Miles and Martino serve the other musicians and dont use them as replaceable  servant  but inspire them to go at their maximum level ... We feel it ...

 

Curiousjim,  unfortunately I am not aware of any cd’s of bootleg recordings.  Several things on YouTube.