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

@audio-b-dog 

FYI, Naturaleza and Feminina are two different recordings. 

I was referring to the album Feminina.

 

 

 

@stuartk, I must have gotten confused. There is a lot going on with my qobuz screen. I'll check it out again. I liked what I heard.

Here is a juneteenth offering of Pharoah Sanders on sax with Leon Thomas singing. To me, this is spiritual music. Let me explain what "spiritual" means to me. I grew up in a secular house. I have only gotten into the concept of spiritual as I have researched my book on the suppression of women through religion. I have gone back to the beginning of humanity, when I think women were the cave painters and shamans. At that time, I believe art and religion were one thing, a celebration of existence in the universe. Then music was spiritual in that it was a joyous expression of being part of the universe. I think Pharoah Sanders expresses that joy in this set, "The Creator Has a Master Plan." It's a half-hour, so when you listen, I think you need to sit back and offer up your soul to the music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViweO33oo2Y

@audio-b-dog,

@stuartk is correct. The confusion is the song Feminina is on this Joyce (Moreno) with Mauricio Maestro - Natureza - (produced, arranged & conducted by Claus Ogerman) (Full Album) 1977 lp.

And this lp Joyce Moreno - Feminina - 1980 is titled Feminina.

I really like both lp’s but I think this Joyce Moreno - Feminina - 1980 lp has better production value with better overall engineering making the entire song writing skills, musicianship and arrangements really stand out. And the songs Feminina and Mistérios are on this lp as well.

 

@audio-b-dog 

Yes; I’m familiar with that recording.

in the late 60’s, 70’s there was an intensified interest in spirituality among musicians, Jazz and otherwise.

R. Thompson, P. Townshend: Sufism.

Beatles: Yoga (TM)

Santana, J. McLaughlin: Yoga

W. Shorter, H. Hancock, S. Cowell and many more: Buddhism

McCoy Tyner and others: Islam

Some, like Coltrane, seemed not to adhere to any single path.

You might say spirituality was "in the air" in that era. It certainly affected me and a number of my friends in high school. 

I recall opening the gatefold to Caravanserai and encountering a quote by Paramahansa Yogananda before I’d even become aware of his famous aurobiography. And of course Mahvishnu Orchestra album and tune titles were an expression of the same. Spiritual themes were common in the music of The Incredible String Band, G. Harrison, Cat Stevens, , the Who, Donovan, etc. It wasn’t until a few years later that I got into Jazz and started noticing this same trend. I guess "My Goals Beyond" was probably the first for me, after Mahavishnu.

@audio-b-dog,

The Creator Has A Master Plan · Pharoah Sanders - Karma. This is nice stuff. Thanks. The musician Lonnie Liston Smith has a hauntingly similar style of playing .