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

Jupiter protect the solar system of jazz music... After Armstrong  Sun birth , i think the most influential trumpet was Miles  second only in influence by his creative size  to Armstrong the sun ...No other trumpeter can be or had been  bigger than these two by their archetypal influence ...

It is just  subjective metaphors not something i felt to justify in debating.. You get it or you dont... 

 Chet Baker is the moon for me because his most of the times introvert playing is completely complementary in energy to extrovert Armstrong, and the two luminaries sing as they play in the same way, which is unique among trumpeters...

 

I spoke also about trumpeters if you remind  not of other instrumentists when i use these planetary metaphors to describe my subjective impression of trumpeters in Jazz.....

I will not try be more "scientifically astute" and you dont need too  ...Sorry.. I am not a musician...You are... Then the metaphors spoke to you or not, they are only the means to convey a subjective impression (mine) ...

 I like the trumpet as much as the piano in jazz... This is why speaking of trumpeters in jazz i thought about these metaphors evident for me about these 3 giants......... 

 

 

I can see how the dazzling, uplifting Armstrong would be the progenitor solar body and the nocturnal, melancholic Baker, the moon, but I’m not sure about Miles as Jupiter. Perhaps because Miles went through so many stylistic shifts,

 

@mahgister 

It is just  subjective metaphors not something i felt to justify in debating.. You get it or you dont... 

FYI, I wasn’t challenging you. Just wanting to understand more clearly where you were coming from, which you did address when you said:

Chet Baker is the moon for me because his most of the times introvert playing is completely complementary in energy to extrovert Armstrong...

This makes sense. Thanks. 

 

@stuartk,

I forgot to mention, and you probably already know this, that Ken Burns also did a series on country music which I enjoyed. I believe that all music influences all other music. Musicians are people and listen to the world of music.

I pretty much listened to classical music until I went to college and then the "crowd" pulled me into other kinds of music. We were going to bars and the Fillmore and dancing, and you can't do that to classical music.

A woman at a party I went to last night mentioned Alban Berg, so I'm now listening to him because he's a classical composer I don't know much about.

You are right about Baby Boomers, but I think it's true of all groups. They stop learning about music after they settle into adulthood. I am constantly trying to find new things but it's difficult to adjust one's musical understanding.

My friend who goes to jazz concerts with me loves Billy Strings. I've tried him but wasn't drawn back. You seem to know a lot about bluegrass. A lot more than I do. I've just kind of picked a few cherries off the bush.

@audio-b-dog 

I am envious of your luck, growing up in the Bay Area in that era! 

You are no doubt correct about each generation tending to focus upon whatever music they happened to grow up with. 

I didn’t see that K. Burns Country series. I will look for it. 

I don’t actually know much about Bluegrass but have been exploring what I simply call "new acoustic music" that often includes Bluegrass influences for some time. I’m happy to PM you with some recommendations if you are interested. There is much to explore in this territory where various genres overlap/intermix and there are some very fine players/singers who’ve found a home there. 

FWIW, Billy Strings doesn't really grab me, either. He's a fine player but I simply don't find his material very engaging. Same goes for Molly Tuttle.  

@stuartk

Please PM me with suggestions. I have a triple album of Allison Krauss and some of her CDs, but really don't know anybody else. I like the jazz-influenced Bluegrass and love jazz violin when it swings. I used to listen to Joe Venuti and Jean-Luc Ponty but don't have any of their recordings. I think you'll enjoy Burns' Country Music series. In later episodes he talks about California (Bakersfield mostly) country music. I was in elementary school in the mid-fifties and we had to learn square dancing. There was a strong country influence here.