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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
acman3
4,271 posts
 
Not much to say about Haden…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHq2b93gjK4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_8Y0gkP3bo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muiX6tHHH-E
chazro's avatar
chazro
635 posts
 
Frogman - Cool video of Irakere. My one caveat would be that by 1986 D'Rivera & Sandoval had already defected and by this time the band, while by no means abandoning their Jazz roots, had largely become a dance band. They became one of the pioneers of what was later to be known as 'Timba' (Cuban 'Salsa' music would be the easiest and quickest way to describe it). The album I referred to was released in 1979. Here's an interesting track from it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ma59D5iBoQ

And here's the entire record. Warning! - this is NOT easy-listening! A total antithesis of the Poncho Sanchez gringo-friendly sound! But there was a reason there was such a heavy buzz about them at the time. Dizzy Gillespie in particular championed their cause! Recorded at the Montreux fests in NY & Europe. If you listen to the audience, they're really into it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7KMJ_dTawI
strateahed
305 posts
 
It was always a real treat to catch Bob Parlocha's show on my morning drive to the gym. Not only did he have vast knowledge of jazz, but we was also humble and teachable ... especially when it came to sharing music from young up-and-comers. Definitely a sad day when we lost him.
frogman
7,472 posts
 
Chazro, thanks for the nice post. The links don't seem to work on my IPad, but I know that 1979 American debut album well. I posted that post-defection clip to stay with the 80s theme. I became aware of Irakere even before that 1979 Columbia release, when the year before a relative in Cuba sent me copies of "Grupo Irakere" and "Brouwer/Irakere" on the Cuban label "Areito". I was knocked out when I heard that band. To me one of the great poetic ironies about the history of that band is that the musical project created by the Cuban government, the "Orquesta Cubana De Musica Moderna", in order to show the world that jazz was not forbidden in Cuba (anymore) and which spawned "Irakere", would eventually lead to the defection of two of its highest profile players.
orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 

Rok, I know you're out there! I want you and other aficionados to know that I'm "studiously" adding to my collection, and economy of purchases is of the utmost importance.

Before, when I tried to stay current, it turned out to be a big waste; current musicians seem to capable of only one very good cut per album; this meant the rest of the album was a waste.

Acquiring almost everything by any one musician also proved to be uneconomical; that's because even the greatest had some flops; however, I've discovered one musician this might not apply to, Lee Morgan is his name.

Not until I began adding his albums did I discover that maybe it is possible for a musician not to have a bad album; I'm not talking about anything he was a sideman on, but the albums he put out and led.

In the past there was no way of sampling every cut on an album before you bought it, but now, thanks to "you tube", it's possible to sample other cuts beside the one that made you decide to purchase this particular album.

While in Lee Morgan's case, this only goes for the genre "Hard Bop", that still covers a lot of territory, and adds a lot of music without waste. This aficionado is on his way to Nirvana; that's Heaven to the uninitiated.

Enjoy the music.
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