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

@tyray 

Thanks for your understanding and for sharing your knowledge and experience. I suspect I wouldn’t be frustrated if I didn’t believe, given the richness and diversity of Brazilian culture, there surely must be some style of Brazilian music that will appeal to me. Despite the tone of my previous post, I’m not ready to give up. I will check out H. Pascoal. 

 

@audio-b-dog 

No doubt you are right. I can’t help (whether consciously or unconsciously) but compare Brazilian Pop to the American music that’s far more familiar to me. I’m used to greater dynamic contrasts and variety of mood as opposed to the more understated, mellow MPB approach. Clube Da Esquina is not in this ultra mellow vein, however.  The later "Milton" with H. Hancock and W. Shorter is good if not quite as timeless and and invigorating as Clube:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G85Qa0cnKRk&list=PLHsZtZLpiZPfHDJJBQf5irTiY9lXYCz0E

I like Flora Purim but the 70’s Fusion-tinged recordings that I’ve revisited now sound pretty dated to me, although I haven’t listened to all of them. Yesterday I was listening to some of Airto’s early solo recordings, some of which feature Flora’s vocals. I hadn’t heard those before and am interested enough to listen some more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY-NGZptgZw&list=OLAK5uy_kkRo-c0Q-7ABiby0BB_ZHrUuL74N50nMM&index=2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WJFMR_fzZI&list=OLAK5uy_kLkFvx7Av-CAb7Wy7psLg75H8YDiSllro

 I will make a point of going through Flora’s recordings more comprehensively to see if there are some that might appeal to me that I’ve either forgotten or never heard.

 

@stuartk, You’ve already had a chance to check out Hermeto Pascoal here:

tyray 740 posts 06-07-2023 at 08:20 pm

I’d also suggest you do a search not only on his albums but check out some of his gigs with/on Miles albums too, and if you like any of them, post ’em here...

Just in case anyone wants to know what Milton Nascimento album @stuartk and I are talking about it’s the Opus O Clube Da Esquina 1972 - Full Album. The whole entire album is a banger. You can tell he listened to a lot of the Beatles...

@tyray 

Thanks. Somehow I missed your post the first time around. 

Am listening now -- I like this a lot! 

In a different category, but have you heard this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb6q_zzP2-8&list=OLAK5uy_nEEzClAHymfvLuGFg72vFUOOTkk8rrKOQ&index=5

 

@stuartk, @tyray, the Flor Purim album I come back to again and again is "Encounter." I don't think it can be appreciated over computer speakers. I need to play it loud. I bought it when I was buying a lot of Flora Purim albums and for years it was the one I couldn't listen to. Just too abstract. Then one day it clicked and now it's my favorite of her albums. I think it is super sophisticated jazz. Probably the second of her albums is "Stories To Tell," and again her voice goes into abstraction. She can do things with her voice that I have never heard any other singer do. She can "hear" things that few singers can hear. You know how we were talking about everybody in a jazz band inferring the beat, yet nobody hitting right on the beat. She does the same with the melody. Once you can hear the inference... very, very cool!