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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
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 
Donald Byrd was a man of many phases. While I liked them all, here are two tunes from this phase of his development that have stuck with me over the years. How many LP's you've worn out of one particular album or another speaks volumes in regard to the high esteem you held that particular LP. For me, this one ranks up there with KOB, and "Somethin Else"; the title is "Out of This World", it introduced Herby Hancock, and now Herby needs no introduction. This tune is clean "Out of this world".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmW_iRcs3D0

This next tune is titled "Curro's"; although I have no idea of where the title came from, I picture myself in a real hip club like "Gino's", which is where I saw Trane, and company live about the time of "My Favorite Things". This tune is so hip, that "Curro's" is even hipper than "Gino's". (I have no idea what that truck represents, but you can't have everything)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzwgbtT2x98

Enjoy the music.
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

Rok, this should be an interesting CD, "Pepper Adams, Playing Charles Mingus"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIu87qCZnJ4

Enjoy the music.
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

Rok, while we always compare new vocalists to past greats, I prefer not to focus on those differences, and just appreciate what present vocalists have to offer.

Karrin Allyson is a vocalists who sings the classics the way they're supposed to be sung; she always projects the essence of the tune. While that sounds simple and easy, it's not. First, the artist must know what that "essence" is in order to project it. One of the greatest of the greats was asked to sing a song without knowing the "essence" behind it. Things didn't go right, and she, being an honest person, admitted it.

When you hear Bobby Timmons, the pianist who wrote "Moanin", play it, the essence of that tune smacks you upside the head. Karyn Allyson prejects that essence as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK5UYkENgDU

"Everything Must Change" touches upon one of the sad facts of life; I don't think I want to know what that "Super fox" I met over 40 years ago, looks like today. Karrin Allyson projects the essence of "Everything Must Change".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-q6TiiyTZI

Enjoy the music.
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
O-10:

Enjoyed both tunes sung by Karrin Allyson. She is really good. A Stone Fox also!

My problem with a lot of the current artists is not whether they are as good or better than the greats of the past, it's that they tend to discard and ignore the past in it's entirety. By singing the tunes 'Moanin', and 'All Things Must Change', she shows she does not do this.

When I heard her sing 'Moanin', I just knew I had heard it sung many times before, but could not remember the performer. Thanks to Google, I remembered it was Lambert Hendricks & Ross. I like Allyson's version better.

To refresh our memory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynZDm50EgBY

Thanks for the clips.

Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
*****Rok, this should be an interesting CD, "Pepper Adams, Playing Charles Mingus"*****

Just attempting this shows the boy has balls, if nothing else. I never thought of anyone "playing Mingus'!! Some folks you just don't 'play'!! Ellington and Goodman, you 'play'.

Good effort.

Cheers
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