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

Pryso, that tune was definitely not mainstream, and I was just curious to know if anybody liked it beside me. That was when Don was in his Buddhist phase.

Serge Chaloff is often overlooked, but I have appreciated him as a sideman on various records.
Yes, nice Mulligan clips; thanks, O-10. And Serge Challof! First bebopper on the big horn and of “Four Brothers” (Woody Herman) fame. Beautiful and very expressive player. Very nice “Body And Soul”; thanks for that clip. Re Don Cherry:

Well, for the first two minutes and 18 seconds it was about what I expected. Then at 2:19 it was “WHAT?!, NO WAY!”. From the first tenor note I knew it was Michael Brecker. I had no idea that Brecker had recorded with Don Cherry and it came as a big surprise. Don Cherry does the conceptual heavy lifting on this clip and leaves the instrumental heavy lifting to Brecker and the others. Can’t say I particularly liked this, but I do find it kind of interesting; although I confess to a bias for Brecker’s playing during this time period since this was, for me, the sweet spot in the evolution of his tenor tone. I listened to the rest of the record and I can do without it. Back to baritone saxophone:

My all-time favorite baritone sound (pre-bebop) and which can be heard as an influence in Serge Chaloff’s low register playing. Hard to imagine Duke Ellington’s band without the underpinning of Harry Carney’s beautiful and robust sound:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=brqxEdwsTQs

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jVtNIS0jFmc

Here’s an interesting record with the great Gerry Mulligan and Stan Getz. Interesting because on the first three tunes they switch horns; Mulligan players tenor and Getz plays baritone! :

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7SQkaI9Y2QA
o10, I have maybe 20 Brubeck albums and that one must be in my top 5.  But no, I've never actually rated them all. ;^)

frog, that Mulligan/Getz album is the one I have.  Also I should have known that Chaloff was one of the famed Four Brothers.  My excuse is the Herman albums in my collection seem to be from the mid-60s onward.

And yes, Carney was another who had a beautiful sound.  This may be true with any instrument, but the potential for the tonalities make both the bari and tenor sax favorite instruments for me.

The boss of the baritone sax was Pepper Adams, he could do "hard bop" on that big horn, the same as "Bird" could do 'be bop' on his  alto.

He's on top albums with Donald Byrd, Charley Mingus, and Lee Morgan (Am I leaving anybody out?)


Donald Byrd "Curro's"


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNk3qtzNM_s


Mingus "Moanin";


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


Lee Morgan, "A Night in Tunisia";


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo0P2YugUnU


Pepper isn't on this one, but I couldn't resist it;


        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CutrIZzTJl0