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
I like to listen then read up on what I heard to try to understand it better. Squeeze pad controller for squeezebox is great for that. You can bring up a tab with links to multiple key Internet music information sources like Wikipedia and all music for artist track title and album. It adds to the experience. Sometimes knowing more about what is playing before hand helps to enjoy more but not required to like something or not when I hear it. Usually I like first then learn. Or dislike and same. It helps to know more about something you dislike. You might like it better next time.
@Schubert and Mapman -I agree with Schubert that Glenn Gould just doesn't do it for me, at all. I frankly don't really get why so many people think he is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Certainly Bach would roll over in his grave....

@Frogman - thanks for the compliments, and your posts are certainly even better.

@O-10 - sometimes your posts are much more saddening to me than Rok's are. I really am saddened that you seem to think that these things you describe are beyond your understanding. They are not! In fact, it really wouldn't take much effort on your part! I really don't understand why someone who clearly loves music as much as you do won't make the effort, which would bring you levels of enjoyment far beyond even what you have now.

One specific comment you made truly baffles me: "I no more listen for tone and timbre, than I listen for copper or silver wire". Leaving the wire part of it aside, this truly is like someone in an art gallery saying that they don't pay any attention to color or texture. Tone or timbre (these are pretty much the same thing, by the way) are where the heart of our playing is - our personal tone is the most direct expression of our soul. That is our voice. And whenever you are listening to a great singer, yes you are indeed very much listening to their tone! Think of the other instruments the same way, especially the wind instruments, which are actually quite similar, being produced with our breath.

I'll probably piss off some audiophiles here with this last comment, but I cannot resist also adding that if you don't pay any attention to tone/timbre - how the hell do you judge your audio system? For any musician, this is THE most important aspect of it - how close the system comes to resolving those sounds we work so hard to create. After all, fundamentally, music is the creation of sound in time.

Learsfool, Harold Land has one of the most beautiful tones of any sax man; check him out on "A Lazy Afternoon"

I use the word "timbre" when fine tuning the tone. For example; the three way custom speakers of mine utilize a "Heil AMT tweeter", and I had a problem with timbre between the tweeter and Vifa midrange. This lasted for years, until I hit upon Jantzen polypropylene caps.

I use fine stranded copper wire for the Pioneer woofer, copper & silver, midrange, and heavy on the silver for the tweeter. No longer do I spend time thinking about minutiae, just music; although there is the possibility it's in the back of mind, but not in front where it can interfere with the enjoyment of music.

Since we are both audiophiles, I enjoy all your comments; while I don't consciously think of music in the terms you describe, some where in the back of my mind, maybe I do.

Enjoy the music.
Hey Jazz pe0ple. would I be wrong in thinking Horace Silver ensemble was one of the "tightest" groups in jazz ?
I just listening to "Cape Verdean Blues, and they damn sure played together according to my amateur ear.
What J.J. couldn't do on the "bone just don't need to be done .