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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
 

Jimmy Smith, "The Sermon" ; this is definitely one of the top tunes in jazz. It's best savored like expensive brandy or scotch; meaning the important contributions of each individual artist.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IKC2BW4pxc



Tracks 1, 3

Jimmy Smith – organ
Lee Morgan – trumpet
Lou Donaldson – alto saxophone (lays out on 3)
Tina Brooks – tenor saxophone (lays out on 3)
Kenny Burrell – guitar
Art Blakey – drums
Track 2

Jimmy Smith – organ
Lee Morgan – trumpet
George Coleman – alto saxophone
Eddie McFadden – guitar

orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

Be Bop is not a musical genre that can be understood intellectually, it has to be absorbed by osmosis.
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nsp
362 posts
 
frogman
I appreciate your perspective in poInting out the evolutionary process of jazz from swing to bebop. Nothing happens in a vacuum. I had forgotten about the AFOM strike but now remember reading about it. IF there had been recordings from 1942-1944 perhaps this evolutionary process would have been further documented on record(s). And you did not say that either the 1939 or 1944 Coleman Hawkins recording was THE first bebop recording.
But to try and answer pjw's question (which is not easy) would you go with musician's such as Parker & Gillespie , who had a fully  developed bebop style or the earlier 1944 recording which had elements of bebop but not the full rhythm style as Hawkins was a swing player who, as we discussed previously , never fully broke out of that earlier style ?Tough choice.And I am sure there were other guys working in this new jazz style at that time who did not have the opportunity to get it down on record.
pryso
1,501 posts
 
I can't add anything to the discussion of the earliest bebop recording, but I have I believe a related question I'll tag on here.

I'm also a bit of a movie buff so when Robert Altman's "Kansas City" was released I saw it.  The setting was the 1930s in KC and featured a club with a house jazz band in several scenes.  I remember thinking at the time watching the film the music was too modern, some too close to bebop for the '30s.  But that has never been an area of particular exposure or knowledge for me.  I jumped from the Armstrong/Teagarden style to post bop NYC and west coast jazz of the '50s.  Here's a link to the film -

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116745/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1

And the soundtrack -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyVNApGCeWE&list=PLA14E2CCB19AEBA3B  

So my question: did Altman get it wrong and place 40's jazz (early bebop) in his setting for the '30s?  Not sure, I might feel different watching it today.
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

I absolutely do not want to change the subject or alter the conversation, I just want an opinion on a current CD.


                  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvB0f5akEoQ
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