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

Funny story about Monk and Miles; Monk didn't take no crap off of anybody under any circumstances, him and Miles had some kind of minor dispute. (having a dispute with Miles wasn't the hardest thing to do). On the record "Bag's Groove", there is a cut where I make the same mistake every time, I say to myself,"That's Monk on piano", wrong, it's Horace Silver. The reason I make this mistake is because Miles told Horace to "Play like Monk right here", and Horace did so well that I still make the same mistake.

But the story get's even funnier, because Miles said he didn't want Monk's "Plinkin and plunkin", and evidently changed his mind before the day was out, because Horace imitates Monk's "Plinkin and plunkin".

I know you got this record; pick out who's playing piano on each cut.




Enjoy the music.
Rok, i agree on a surface level that you are correct, but if you listen to what a  Bassist and drummer are playing behind the frontline, and how they add much more than foundation and beat, and are just as important as lead players. And when all the players are listening to each other; Awesome!

The playing of Haden, on bass, and Dejohnette , on drums, is a revelation, on the Metheny/ Coleman recording of Song X. I know this is not a style for you, but I listened to the rhythm section, over and over in the 80's, so this is the only thing that I thought of as a perfect example.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d66Ytt2g7ns


At first it is like watching the offensive line open a hole in American football, but before long you start to see the beauty of the interior line play. ;)





While fishin in lake "you tube" I caught a nice pair of swingers who can scat like you wouldn't believe;


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

Enjoy the music.
Jeri Brown and Leon Thomas:

Nice enough, but she can't hold a candle to Dee Dee Bridgewater.   No sense even mentioning Ella. Leon seems to be stuck in the same narrow range all the time.   Does he ever go any lower?

The good ones sound like an instrument when they scat.

Cheers