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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
pjw81563
258 posts
 
orpheus10,

Thanks for the Kenny Clarke and Oscar Pettiford  links. Very cool rendition by Kenny Clarke with a phenomenal line-up of musicians.

And Pettiford's take is just as good!
pjw81563
258 posts
 
frogman I agree 100% that Nina Simone is not in a league with Sarah Vaughn. I never really like Simone's vocals, nevermind her piano playing. 

Sarah Vaughn, IMHO, is on a short list of greatest female vocalists in any genre.
pryso
1,501 posts
 
First, thanks frog for that listing of Chamber's recordings.  I've long admired his playing but had no idea he was so active during his short (sadly) career.  It seems now there was hardly time to go on the road with any one group!

Regarding Nina, we've discussed her before.  But I liked the observation of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  While I never thought of her in those terms it does make sense.  For my taste, what tied it all together was the emotion she conveyed in her performances.

Also frog, while it may not have been at Curtis, I remember reading that she did train as a classical pianist before turning to jazz.  Was that true?
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

Curtis didn't like the way Nina Simone played the piano; that was not necessarily racist in one sense, but it could have been racist in another sense. The bottom line; it was our gain, if they had liked her, she would have become another boring classical pianist.
frogman
4,637 posts
 
pryso, yes, she did.  I don’t know for just how long she attended, but she attended Juilliard for a very short period of time before applying for a scholarship to Curtis.  I agree about the emotion she conveys; pretty riveting.  
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