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
Hello @frogman 
Coincidentally, I was checking in briefly this morning.  Been spending more time lately on Head-fi.org.  Anyway, I will check out that GITarr player on the Blanchard clip.  Still owe Alex a listen to his suggestions.  

In support of your position, I respect the heck out of Orpheus' and Rok's depth of knowledge about and enthusiasm for "old school jazz" but seems needlessly restrictive to draw a circle around that and dismiss content that falls outside it...regardless of wardrobe.  

I'd also suggest time has exerted a filtering effect making more obvious the great material produced "back in the day".  BUT I suspect, living in the moment back then, there would have been an equal amount of "sad stuff" cluttering up the musical landscape.  We don't have the perspective provided by the passage of time to accurately assess all contemporary jazz.  Let's talk about it again 50 years down the road.  

Frogman, the Bru-Ha man; Rok made a short comment about the news, I responded with a "short" comment, Frogman took that opportunity to blame those two comments for the fact that it hasn't rained new contributors to this thread; he was wrong and he had to have a goat to scape.

Rok, has consistently come up with "new-old" music; that's good music by the old masters that eluded me; Gene Harris isn't new, but the music Rok presented by him is new to me. Frogman, you are beating a dead horse, when are you going to bury him.

Maybe you should be president; they are professionals at playing "The Blame Game", but none of them ever roll up their sleeves and solve any problems. Don't misunderstand me, new people for this thread might be a dead horse, but blaming me isn't going to make anything better.


**** The notion / sense, that Jazz must 'progress' or 'Improve' or move on to something Mo' Better is the major problem. It is only in the Jazz genre that we have this situation. ****

Always hated the term "progressive" as used in political circles.  I don't believe anyone has used it here re music; and certainly not the term "improve".  Evolve, yes.  But to conflate that with "improve" is very telling of the mindset of blind protectionism that wants to draw that circle around a certain period in the music.  Btw, this is another one of the themes that is continually misrepresented here and needs to be corrected.  As was pointed out, "déjà vu all over again"... and again, and again.  

**** I could junk Mozart in favor of Philip Glass. After all, his music is 'Modern'.   Yeah right ****

That's like saying "I could junk Bird in favor of Kenny G"; while ignoring all the great modern jazz artists because, just as during the "Golden Age", there are some knuckleheads out there producing crap.  See, that's the real problem, too many broad strokes and not enough depth of thinking about all this.  Of course, you are mistaken about how the notion applies to other genres.  All music (all art) evolves and is widely recognized to do so.  You don't like the notion and that is why you don't like a Classical music that has evolved beyond Mozart and Beethoven.  It is ideas like "most current music lacks life" that are so ridiculous and need to be countered.  It is not that the music lacks life and coherence; it is that some listeners are locked in a narrow sphere of awareness and are of a personality type that needs that idea as a security blanket.  "Knowledge" that has notions like that as a backdrop is questionable at best.  

Cheers.  


Today's Listen & Lesson:

Two of Terence Blanchard's better efforts that I own.


NEW YORK SECOND LINE  (w/ Donald Harrison)
A nice tune written by Blanchard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkN1XXfaCxE 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoWANgGSGp4 

A TALE OF GOD'S WILL (a requiem for katrina)
This man has real talent.   Both of these tunes written by him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyj79ZUaHmc 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr5guBDp51c 

Cheers