Jazz for aficionados

I've got this DVD;


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VLKngHexeU


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08e9k-c91E8


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


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fztz_Vr9uHk

Lucky Thompson is an artist I've been listening to a lot lately. He was an American jazz tenor and soprano saxophonist. While John Coltrane usually receives the most credit for bringing the soprano saxophone out of obsolescence in the early 1960s, Thompson (along with Steve Lacy) embraced the instrument earlier than Coltrane. (that's something I didn't know)

Thompson was born in Columbia, South Carolina, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, during his childhood. Thompson had to raise his siblings after his mother died, and he practiced saxophone fingerings on a broom handle before acquiring his first instrument.

He worked in rhythm and blues and then established a career in bebop and hard bop, working with Kenny Clarke, Miles Davis, Gillespie and Milt Jackson.

Ben Ratliff notes that Thompson "connected the swing era to the more cerebral and complex bebop style. His sophisticated, harmonically abstract approach to the tenor saxophone built off that of Don Byas and Coleman Hawkins; he played with beboppers, but resisted Charlie Parker's pervasive influence. He showed these capabilities as sideman on many albums recorded during the mid-1950s, such as Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire!, and those under his own name. He recorded with Parker (on two Los Angeles Dial Records sessions) and on Miles Davis's hard bop Walkin' (which was outstanding) Thompson recorded albums as leader for ABC Paramount and Prestige and as a sideman on records for Savoy Records with Jackson as leader.

Thompson was strongly critical of the music business, later describing promoters, music producers and record companies as "parasites" or "vultures". This, in part, led him to move to Paris, where he lived and made several recordings between 1957 and 1962. During this time, he began playing soprano saxophone.

Thompson returned to New York, then lived in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 1968 until 1970, and recorded several albums there including A Lucky Songbook in Europe. He taught at Dartmouth College in 1973 and 1974, then completely left the music business.[1]

In his last years he lived in Seattle, Washington. Acquaintances reported that Thompson was homeless by the early 1990s, and lived as a hermit.

Thompson died from Alzheimer's disease in an assisted living facility on July 30, 2005.

Discography
Accent On Tenor Saxophone (Urania, 1954; reissued by Fresh Sound)
Tricotism (Impulse, 1956)
Brown Rose (Xanadu, 1956)
Lord, Lord, Am I Ever Gonna Know? (Candid, 1961)
Lucky Thompson Plays Jerome Kern and No More (Moodsville, 1963)
Lucky Strikes (Prestige, 1964)
Lucky Thompson Plays Happy Days Are Here Again (Prestige, 1965)



I have 3 of his albums, but I will have to acquire more; as can be heard here, he plays with "Deep Passion", the kind of music I can listen to non stop.


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


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XrhG2956Uo


That sax is so smooth and mellow.

Any body remember this one;


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


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5rvJKviwaE

According to Wikipedia;


Jerry Butler, Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is also noted as being the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, as well as a 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.

Since there is no R&B hall of fame, one can only go to the Rock and Roll hall of fame; consequently the confusion; but being an "audiologist", I can discern by what it sounds like, that's what it is.

I am thinking only of very special jazz musicians, and I assume you are thinking of special concert pianists. The bottom line is I don't resonate with the concert pianists, and it's too late now. Although I feel I'm right because of the "internal" and "external" statement I made, but "it ain't necessarily so".

I'm glad I've got a number of Tito Puente CD's; I've been a fan of his since I can remember.

Rok, I like stories like that, it makes the music real. If you can think of any more, please share them.

Inna, everything for "audiophiles" is badly overpriced. You are an "audiophile" if, and only if you have a specified large amount to spend on such purchases, and won't hesitate to spend it.

You are not an audiophile if you hesitate to spend a large amount of your disposable income on audiophile purchases. (that goes with the new definition)

When the commodity markets were manipulated (when gasoline cost $4.00 or even $5.00 per gallon) the people on the right side of that equation ( the politically connected) made an astronomical amount of money, and they can still afford to spend a ridiculous amount of money on any thing they choose.

That equation shifted the average income down. (the price of food was manipulated too) If you had to pay more for food and gasoline, two of the basic necessities of life; that amounted to a decrease in your disposable income; ( your bank account took a big hit, now you're lucky if you have one) the amount of money left for frivolities is a lot less now.

Although many of us object to reality, that's the life we have to live; unless we were on the right side of the equation, and can afford a 100K amp.

Frogman, it's not fascinating or mysterious, just a fact of life; the same thing goes for athletes.

So much of who you are, was determined before you were born; it's a lot about "who was yo daddy". If your daddy was rich, I would venture to say you don't have too many financial problems, and even those will be reduced when he joins honorable ancestors.

Tony Scott absorbed the blues bird felt and projected it; that's what you and Frogman heard Inna; there was no Zen meditation projected in that clip.

If you read every scrap of paper that you could find involving the life of Charlie Parker, including his childhood, you would know that he was haunted by many inner demons that never letup; Tony Scott projected the blues Bird must have felt.

Inna, there are many "new" audiophiles in the market that producers are capitalizing on; they are the ones who are convinced that the most expensive is the best; hence "some" records are much higher than normal; especially when money to these new audiophiles is like confetti.

While it's true that there have always been a few, never in such large numbers; this can be confirmed by the ads in "Stereophile"

When there are many who can not only afford, but are willing to pay this price, I wonder....


        https://www.stereophile.com/content/siltech-and-crystal-cable-big-and-small

Inna, if you keep swinging, sooner or later, you gonna strike out; but don't let that stop you, eventually you'll hit another home run; just ask Babe Ruth.

Inna could you describe this unusual music for me? But make sure you listen all the way through.


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB6GkA54n_Q

For everyone who is tired of my old jazz, I am going to tune into WSIE Radio and find something new; how many votes can I get for this?

Frogman, how do you get e-mail addresses?  I'm wandering if I should e-mail, or ask you a question here related to $23,000. interconnects?

Like you said Frogman, this is not the thread for that discussion, "The end".

I didn't know, or forgot, when I mentioned WSIE, that they don't play jazz exclusively, but a wide variety which I am not ready for, so we can mark that one off the list.

Primeval jazz was a very good description Innus. The title is in reference to when the first man stood upright.

My observation was Jackie Mac's alto, he blew the best solo he ever played on that one.

Rok, what did you do; pick the worst George Benson you could find, he will never forgive you.


I know this is overplayed, but at least it's getting back to the "good" George Benson.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgl1hQmjITY

I vaguely remember getting distant stations at night that you couldn't pick up in the day; they played R&R, plus R&B.

Like you said Pryso, Dick Clark changed everything for teenagers; it came on about the same time most of us got home from school, and we couldn't wait to catch the latest steps.

It's funny how we all shared the same sentimental songs; "girls", at least the ones we had a crush on, seemed more complex than geometry, but we were determined to figure them out, which always seemed to involve heartbreak; that brought us to these sentimental songs.



                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZh6ZSRoYg

Nina Simone was playing piano at a lounge to earn money to pay for tuition that would further her studies in classical piano when the owner demanded that she sing to accompany herself.

That was the beginning of history as we know it. I still enjoy her instrumentals without any singing; she plays a mean jazz piano.


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHeIASIwBp0


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynnb6ejdEz0


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeMfDflHM1E


         

Thank you Acman; not only will I keep my subscription, but Potter is on my buy list as well.

Nothing good came out of slavery,  although I wish the civil war had never been fought, and that the Mason Dixon Line would be our southern border.

Blacks are leaving America;


  http://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/mitchell-the-list-of-blacks-leaving-u-s-mainland-grows/article_...


  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/we-re-out-black-americans-leaving-country-trump-takes-office-n70...


  http://avidly.lareviewofbooks.org/2017/08/24/leaving-america-behind/



Once upon a time it was about racist in the country, now it's about a racist country from the "White House" on down.

This is one of my all time favorite albums as well as favorite tunes; the title is most appropriate, they have been told that Ike has terminal cancer.

Everyone has a "Heavy Soul", and you can hear it in the music; especially Freddie Roach's organ.


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwc1bTn7Fd8

Thanks nsp, I'll add those to my collection.

Yes Mary-Jo, you can sense it in his music, you are fortunate to be able to hear and appreciate that quality in his playing.

nsp, I am fortunate to own that LP, and the tune you posted is my favorite on that album.

This is absolutely the best time to be a jazz aficionado; "You Tube" gives us so many choices that we were unaware of, like this "Carmell Jones" for example;


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


During my most active collection period, I missed out on some of the best West Coast players, now I have to play "catch up".

When I was a kid, my mama told me, if you haven't got anything nice to say, keep yo mouth shut. Somehow I still follow her sage advice.

Takuya Kuroda is nice; he achieves a very pleasant balance that makes for easy listening.


Enjoy the music.

Ghosthouse,I was referring to the JB's; they most certainly didn't suit my mood that day; while I enjoyed Takuya Kuroda, as a matter of fact I'm listening to him right now, his music is thoughtful and original.


I'm enjoying the music.

"Enigma" is the most creative musical group to come along in decades; they have presented a new form of artistic expression with mystic and experimental components which enabled them to sell 700 million records world wide.

Their music fits all the various definitions of the word in regard to "genre"; therefor it is music of the world without any specific definition, or genre, although we demand that all things be classified.

My musical receptors make no such demands; the guard at the gate simply says "Come in" or "stay out", and Enigma was welcomed with open arms.

I have both CD's and DVD's by Enigma, that way I go on their visual, and aural journeys.


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr_2W1dTMao


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



Enigma explores the depth of all emotions to their limits, and then some.



          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F80QIeequEI


Journey to the inner sanctums of Enigma;


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbO8KBGWXhA



Enjoy the music.

Alex, right now, I find it much easier to go with the flow, and get on the Gene Ammons bandwagon, than to explain "Enigma".

"Seed Shack" is my first selection;

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


Followed by "The Happy Blues"


              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLKa1y9Sb-c



Here's "Swinging for Benny"; meaning Benny Green;


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rnw2FQUckE


And last but not least Ca'Purange


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egl9nKJzJ7E



Enjoy my music.

Frogman, although what you said seems correct, I never heard of "Carmina Burana". Who else here knows about "Carmina Burana"?

Apparently he or she is completely outside of my musical awareness. Is that good or bad for "Enigma".?


Enjoy the music; Carmina Burana too.

Frogman, I appreciate your very informative post. I never approached music from an academic point of view, it has always been from an emotional, or resonant stance; meaning if the music is in harmony with my inner vibes we, (me and the music) go into a state of "resonance" . Enigma affects me in that fashion.

The music we like is a composite of who we are, that includes all of our various lives before we reached our present state of awareness; in other words, I might have been one of the Knights of the Round table in one of my previous incarnations; that would most certainly explain my affinity for Enigma.


Enjoy the music.

I'm with you Rok; I listen to music for enjoyment, not to break it down like dissecting a frog in biology (pun unintended). Them super "aficionados" got all over me about Enigma, but failed to comment on "Swinging For Benny" which is a real Gem, and I know they probably hadn't heard it before because no one has posted it before. Here it is one mo time.


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rnw2FQUckE


Can you dig it.


         

Frogman, I don't care how another man spends his money either, but I was trying to exemplify how the gap between rich and poor is widening. I don't believe any "audiophile" would spend $23,000 on a 3 foot interconnect, because he would know the factors involved; such as resistance, conductance, capacitance, and realize how foolish it was; while someone who had been in on the greatest heist ever, which was the robbery of the average, or middle class American when the commodity markets were "illegally manipulated" causing gasoline and food, two necessities of life, to cost twice as much as normal.

In the past you seem to have interpreted my statements regarding such things as having a relationship to capitalism and the "American way of life". What I stated was about over-riding the CFTC and breaking laws that had been laid down to prevent "commodity market manipulation". Imagine if you could "illegally" shift the prices in the commodity markets and reap the profits.

When I guided you to a website that explicitly explained how and when such a thing was done, you simply shrugged it off with a non-comment.

I used those interconnects to exemplify how that group of people who spend money like "confetti" is growing.

Here is another unusual bassist who thinks with his heart; Omer Avital. It is stated that he descends from the Mingus family tree of bassist leaders; he does not need to display his monster chops through solos. The whole band smokes on this one.


       
                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpd-V3jRg04


It's for certain that Omer Avital will get his fair share of my musical allotment for this month; "Marrakesh" is just another one of those places that I dreamed of visiting but never made it.


                                https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDC3Kesm80wlS2qk92CsIjw

Marakesh has always had a deep fascination for me, although it's a long way from the Indian rhythms you prefer.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yyt3IcWpg8


Here is another favorite by Mingus, or did you hear this recently?


            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5j4dou8osU

Frogman, you were given all sorts of opportunities not to have the discussion which you didn't have; but you jumped off on another subject, I don't get it; one of us is in need of treatment.

This is the second, or third time I posted Gene Ammons, and no response; there is the implication that "communications" be two way; other wise we only have an "attempt" at communicating.

In regard to the "music critic" type of response; it might be appropriate in a music school or class, but comes off as condescending here, where one is more concerned about how the music affects you; "Do you like it"? As opposed to what kind of grade you give the music.

I'm sure those of us who simply listen without analyzing, enjoy the music more than the analytical critic, which is why I always say;


Enjoy the music.

Frogman, the beauty of this thread is that we are all uniquely different individuals; I don't expect that to change.  Since we all have sizable collections, it's apparent we all enjoy  music to the highest degree.

In regard to "condescending" ; I often exaggerate, and occasionally use the wrong word, but it's not meant to be as offensive as you make it sound.

As you know, tonight it's "Enigma", tomorrow it might be something from the outback, but I just go with the flow and the moment, which is forever changing.


Enjoy the music.

Frogman, I just realized, you have a problem with accepting the fact that we are uniquely different individuals, and none us are going to change; or maybe it would be OK if we changed into "Frogman Clones".

One example of that is your sensitivity to criticism, even when it's not that at all, but simply a difference of opinion; that's when you go into one of your long "diatribes", and after reading a page of that stuff, the person it's addressed to doesn't even know what he said; especially after you infuse your long "misinterpretation". "Did I say that"? is what the person who is the object of the "Diatribe" is thinking.

Differences in musical taste are never more clear as in the "genre" of jazz, For example; I have submitted one tune by "Gene Ammons" four times, and got no response. While I know everyone here likes Gene Ammons, it could be that no one likes this particular tune by Gene Ammons.

Since I really think this tune is hot stuff, maybe it's my taste in music that is the objection; the name of the tune is "Swinging For Benny", which any aficionado would know, is in reference to "Benny Green" on trombone, as opposed to any of the current "Benny's"


Enjoy the music.


             

Rok, you hit the nail dead on the head; this is the real deal, and it probably sounds strange to those who didn't respond, but we have to overlook that; must be a bunch of newbees. ( I betcha that got their attention)

Enough is enough; I tried it and I didn't like it; but since my mood changes from day to day, maybe Fridays will be a good day for new jazz.

Never the less, I'm going oleschool and getting in the "jazz jazz" groove.


Enjoy the music.

You did it again; you neglected to comment on a post that was ages ago, while you're bringing in a new element of objection on this current post.

That tune was most significant for a real jazz "aficionado", and the title of the tune was most significant. Apparently I'll have to resume my roll as "aficionado in chief" and explain the significance of the players.

"Benny Green" was in that unique group of trombonists who were the absolute swingers; hence the title of the tune. Sax is not the only jazz instrument, the trombone cooks too.


                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rnw2FQUckE


Hear Benny come in at 3:58 and blows like crazy; never mind that this is "jazz jazz", as the new title it acquired here, it's jammin; this is "jazz jazz" supreme; which is probably the reason it was overlooked.


why don't you just e-mail me what you would like for me to post, and I'll post it.

My last post was in "English"; that's my native tongue, what was it that you didn't understand?

My suggestion to you, is to refrain from communicating with me about anything in any fashion, and I will reciprocate, that way I'm sure we will get along.

Ghosthouse, I've got those albums; it may take awhile for me to find them, but I'll get on it.

"jazz jazz" is just like any other genre of music; some good, and some not so good, choose the best and leave the rest.

I'll see what I can find,and in the meantime;

Enjoy the music.

Ghosthouse, this is "jazz Jazz" that's too cool for words; "Ham Hock Blues"; now you know with a title like that, this is the real deal, I know Rok, can tell us all about dem ham hock blues.

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosa8uF6myU


Pass the corn bread, and don't go light on the beans.

I don't know what jazz is, but I know it when I hear it, I also know you can not learn it in anybody's school; not even the best in the country.

My kind of jazz began with "Be Bop"; that's what "Bird," Dizz, Monk and a few other musicians worked on before Miles; he came to New York looking for Bird.

It's a funny thing, but none of them liked to call their music "Be Bop", but they had to call it something, why not "Be Bop". Although that's what made them famous, when they played music from the heart, meaning music that emanated from deep down in the soul, it
didn't even sound like "Be Bop". That's the music we call "Jazz", we had to call it something.

I also know they wanted a type of music that couldn't be stolen; music from the inner depths of the soul couldn't be stolen. I might call it "Geist" music, because a guy named Hegel spent his entire life trying to explain the soul in print, but he never succeeded.

Since he couldn't do it in a lifetime, I certainly can't explain it in a post; but I believe I understand it as well as Hegel. I'm sure he understood it too, but just couldn't put it in writing. That's what the jazz men were after; something that couldn't be put in writing, and patented. They succeeded beyond their wildest dreams; that's what this thread is about, and that's why we keep hoping and praying that some new musicians will come along and give us what they gave us, but it ain't happening; so I say, until that time;


Enjoy the music.