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

Finally we're into 1959 (that was a very good year) "The Piano Scene of Ahmad Jamal" is the featured album. BTW here are some comments by other musicians about Ahmad:

 
The Musicians Speak
 

"When people say Jamal influenced me a lot, they're right..."

Miles Davis.


"Ahmad Jamal is Number One with me!"

Shirley Horn


"Ahmad approaches each song as a composition in itself. He doesn't allow the groove to become stagnant. He'll go into an interlude that changes the mood and then he'll go out of the interlude into a different groove that's even more swinging than the first was. He always gives the impression of having something in reserve. 'Don't shoot everything in one tune and play 50 choruses or it'll all sound the same,' he told me."

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley


"The space that Ahmad leaves in his playing creates a tension that captivates his audience...I tried to practice a trill that he makes look so easy, but I gave up!"

Harold Mabern


"Ahmad is a master at knowing how to draw the ultimate from a musician. He can fit his entire thing--something like Duke--to make you sound a hundred times better. Ahmad is a rhythmic innovator. He never settled for the trend at the time, the straight ahead jazz thing. He always intermixed 'exotic times or feeling' into jazz--rhumbas,tangos--he was able to do all these things and still make it all sound like jazz. I think Ahmad is still developing!"

Vernell Fournie


These are comments by other musicians about Ahmad's music, that we can listen for.


Enjoy the music.

This is what "The Piano Scene Of Ahmad Jamal" looks like according to "Discogs"

Jamal ‎– The Piano Scene Of Ahmad Jamal
Label:
Epic ‎– LN 3631
Format:
Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country:
US
Released:
1959
Genre:
Jazz
Style:

Tracklist
A1 Old Devil Moon
A2 Ahmad's Blues
A3 Poinciana
A4 Billy Boy
A5 Will You Still Be Mine
A6 Pavanne
B1 Crazy He Calls Me
B2 The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
B3 Aki And Ukthay
B4 Slaughter On 10th Avenue
B5 A Gal In Calico
B6 It's Easy To Remember


Now it has become apparent to me, why I didn't buy Ahmad's albums every year; by this time, I think I had all those cuts on other LP's; although I might not have "Slaughter on 10 Avenue".


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M78p4p0GShQ


Enjoy the music.

Frogman, as a result of so much enthusiasm, I most certainly will not be covering "Ahmad Jamal" record by record, year by year; I will decide what I think is significant, review the best, and leave the rest.



Enjoy the music.

Since there is so little interest in Ahmad Jamal, I have chosen to let there be a beginning and an end to the Ahmad Jamal story; someone else can fill in the middle, or start on another artist.

This ends with one of my favorite artists Mr. Yusef Lateef, and Ahmad Jamal.


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8DGIqgRF7Q


Ahmad and Yusef is a 2 CD set, which means you get your monies worth.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ643ujAf5E

This concludes the Ahmad Jamal story.



Enjoy the music.
Do not want to jump from one theme to another, so you can think of this as time out...
Here’s a historic TV broadcast of the founding fathers of bebop, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, playing together in 1952. It’s one of only two known sound films of Parker playing–and the only one of him playing live, rather than synching to a prerecorded track.

http://www.openculture.com/2013/03/charlie_parker_plays_with_dizzy_gillespie.html