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, I appreciate your comments. There is nothing wrong with disagreement nor even with dispute when it is handled with a modicum of respect for others and for others’ point of view.

**** I am not denigrating anyone or anything. Just stating my point of view, along with a few facts. ****

Rok, those relatively new to this thread may not be aware that this latest dispute is nothing new. As I have suggested many times previously there is a way to express one’s point of view without referring to others’ points of view as “bogus”, “noise”, etc. Why that is not obvious nor a priority when having a “discussion” is a mystery to me, but imo that is what causes problems; and this has been demonstrated time and time again. Clearly, your “facts” may not be someone else’s. Perhaps this example will cause you to reconsider your “facts” (and “sabbatical”?) and consider the possibility that there may be something else at play here:

**** Having done so, I think I will take a sabbatical along with the OP. As someone said recently, my kind of music is no longer discussed here. ****

I went back one month over this thread’s posts (to 3/7) and took a look at all the posts. I stopped at 4/6 with the first Mose Allison post. I stopped there because that seems to have been the catalyst for the recent dispute, but mostly because I couldn’t take the counting any more 🤪. I divided the posts during this period into three categories. Each submission of a music clip was counted as 1 whether it was accompanied by commentary or not. A commentary without a clip was also counted as 1. I didn’t need this exercise to know what the results would be, but since “facts” seem to matter most let’s present some facts. The three categories were:

1. Music clips that were presented without any claim of being jazz of any kind (Doo wop, Classical, Soul), and/or commentary unrelated to music.

2. Music clips of, or commentary supportive of “new jazz” (loosely speaking, post-Bitches Brew, to use your criterion).

3. Music clips of, or commentary supportive of “old jazz” (loosely speaking, pre-Bitches Brew, to use your criterion). And btw, the majority of these were submitted by those also supportive of “new jazz”.

I hope I will be forgiven for being off by 10 or so in each category; expediency demanded a bit of a rush job. I believe the results are representative of the entire history of this thread. The results:

1. 95

2. 65

3. 250 !!!!!!

Begs the question: Exactly what is the problem? I hope you reconsider.


Since "Bitches Brew" came out in 1970, there is no way you can call jazz after that "new jazz". If so, there is a ton of new jazz that I like.

We haven't had enough female vocals; here are two for you.


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



      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpQ_pWev24w



I like the piano on this as well as the vocal; who played this type of piano exclusively?






Yo Rok, what is, is what they say it is; we can let it be, or argue for the rest of our lives, and this is nothing new.
Wow, what a flurry of activity. The best part is it brought out o-10, glad to see you here buddy.

pjw, there was one important step for Miles you missed, "Birth of the Cool" -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRjjqFogPGI&list=PLED9CF5CAEE7AD60A&index=2

Miles seemed to be like a plant, he had to continue growing or else he felt he was dead. Actually the PBS Nature program last week on Butterflies suggested a better simile. He metamorphosed through multiple rebirths in style, just as pjw outlined.

I remember attending a Miles concert in the mid-’70s. When we entered the auditorium the curtain was open and the stage was lined with speakers and electronics. When the musicians entered everyone "plugged in". Well, maybe not the drummer and percussionists, their instruments were already mic’ed. I can’t say now but it was likely 7 or 8 in the band, and they were loud! The concert was long enough to have an intermission and by the break at least half the audience walked out. That was not the Miles they knew -- and loved.

Because he remains one of my favorite musicians (but yes, I don’t enjoy EVERYTHING he did) I’ve read a few books and interviews on and with him. My sense is he despised the fact that jazz musicians such as himself achieved limited popularity and financial reward compared to many rock musicians which he considered to be without much talent. So his restless musical mind drove him to explore new "electronic" expressions, but he also admittedly sought to reach a wider audience. From my reading that was a very conscious move.

For the record, I enjoy "Bitches Brew", but a few albums later he lost me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbCt-iXIXlQ

The exception was this single example, obviously a reversion to the more melodic Miles -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23VCyohcUxg

Apparently near the end he did revisit some of his "classic" numbers. Was that the nostalgia of aging? I don’t have any recordings from that period.

Otherwise, can we simply admit we don’t all hold the same tastes and preferences and just post what we enjoy to share with others to judge for themselves? That is how I read o-10s concept in beginning this anyway.
**** Since "Bitches Brew" came out in 1970, there is no way you can call jazz after that "new jazz". If so, there is a ton of new jazz that I like. ****

Not my criterion (dividing line). I would prefer to call it simply jazz. Your comment makes my point. Why attach those divisive labels to it which come with preconceived notions and biases?  It does the music a disservice. Of course there is a ton of jazz to like after BB. There still is.

Nice Salvant clips. I haven’t always liked her that much, but she sounds great here. Thanks for the clips. I like the piano player too. His bio is a great testament to the scope and depth of many of today’s young players and shatters a lot of the preconceived notions and biases that some of the “old jazz” hardliners hang on to. Check it out:

http://www.aarondiehl.com/aaron-diehl-bio

In answer to your question: Well, if you go to the very source of that style (stride), it would have to be James P. Johnson or Willie “The Lion” Smith, but most associate Fats Waller with the style.