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
O-10, Tiny played with Charlie Parker, I believe the Dial recordings, and Art Tatum. 

Short on on time or I would play a YouTube .


Acman, thank you very much for that valuable information; now I'll be able to find the best of Tiny Grimes, playing with "Bird" says more than a mouthful.


Enjoy the music.
Yes,Tiny Grimes with Charlie Parker "Red Cross" on Savoy 1944.Early Bird and almost pre-Bop.Tiny with Art Tatum,look for the Capitol trio recordings.He made lots of sessions in the 40's as Jazz was in transition from small group Swing to Bop.Prior to that he was in the "Cats and the Fiddle" a string group that played hot Jazz.In the 50's he had a instrumental band called the Rockin' highlanders and made some hard driving Jazz flavored R&B sides for Atlantic.Through all this he kept at that 4 string tenor guitar.I was fortunate to hear him live and meet him when he came to L.A. in the early 80's for a concert with guitarist John Collins,who was Nat Cole's guitarist as well as an important 52nd st.Jazz player in the 40's.Too bad Collins didn't make more solo records,he was a real master.
     Tiny Grimes was not a Blues player as we would usually associate with that genre,but he always shined there and the relative uncomplicated nature of the Blues lent itself to the tenor guitar.He greatly enhanced those Prestige Swingsville sessions.
   One of the unsung heroes of the intersection of Jazz and Blues guitar was Teddy Bunn. Poorly represented on records but if you can find them you will hear some great playing in the T-Bone Walker meets Charlie Christian vein.He made a few sides for Blue Note in the 40's.
   Irving Ashby was another of those 40's guitarists who made a few records but had a great Christian influenced sound. 
   I would like to think that people still listen to and appreciate the innovations of Charlie Christian.Tiny Grimes might have been a footnote in Jazz,but Charlie Christian is a chapter.
Hi O-10 - as Frogman has tried a couple of times to explain to you, it is not the tune itself that sounds like elevator music.  It is the cheesy string arrangement backing up the piano in that particular Previn recording that sounds like elevator.  I guarantee you Previn himself performed it live in a much different fashion that would not have sounded like elevator music - probably many times, in many different versions, since he wrote the tune.  That's the thing about jazz - it is never the same twice, even from the same performer, unless you are listening to a recording.    Don't you remember that from your world class friend who lived with you that summer and never practiced who you heard perform a few times a week?  I wonder what he really thought about your proud ignorance of music?

And no, of course the Ella performance of that tune does not sound like elevator music - your conclusion that I must think so because I thought the other one did is completely illogical.  If you really cannot understand that, then it is truly hopeless to have any sort of intelligent conversation with you about jazz, let alone music in general; but I think you really do understand that, and are just pretending not to - so I am forced to wonder, as others have, why on earth did you start this thread when you are so resistant to anyone else's opinions?   You should start a blog if you want the floor to yourself - this is an open forum.