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
Schubert, I love Sonny Stitt; and you're right, he was one of the greatest improvisers with a wonderful ease in how the ideas flowed out of him. When he played there was never a sense that he would run out of ideas and seemed like an endless font. A great tenor player as well as alto; he was, nonetheless, an alto player at heart and it could be heard in his sound and concept when playing tenor. He started playing tenor as a way to combat the idea that he was trying to sound like Parker on alto. This is a piece of one of my favorite stories in all of jazz lore. When Stitt and Parker first met they realized that even though they had never heard each other play, they sounded a lot alike. I think the says some interesting things about the natural and inevitable evolution of an art form.

Re Ron Carter: well, can one say about Miles" own choice for one of the greatest (perhaps greatest) rhythm sections ever. Carter, Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams. Fantastic player!

Acman, although that post was short, it communicated very well; I do remember Chauncy Gardner. However, I believe you are denying us your vast storehouse of knowledge.

Enjoy the music.

We're going round and round like a dog chasing his tail in regard to new music VS old music, and new musicians VS old musicians. The reasons for this have absolutely nothing to do with the music or musicians; I'll explain.

The primary reasons are economic; back then, there were many more "Juke Joints". While the term "juke joint" is normally used exclusively for "blues joints", I'm using it in reference to all small clubs that hire live entertainment. For example: I saw Phyllis Diller and Richard Pryor at such a small club before they became famous. Not together or on the same night, but at the same club.

Albert King, Ike and Tina Turner, worked the same juke joints in St. Louis. I saw them many times before they became famous; the same for Grant Green. I saw more dynamite jazz groups than I can shake a stick at. My point for bringing this up is that musicians, and all other entertainers have to have a place to work while honing their craft. The number of "juke joints" have shrunk by at least a "gozillian"; now you get my drift.

Since you can't resurrect the dead, when it comes to live music we don't have a choice; but that's no problem for me, because live music is usually better than recorded music, and new musicians have more formal training than yesterday's musicians from what I can gather. (If you kant git what you wont, like what you can git) That's what Rok told me, and I know he knows.

Enjoy the music.
Thanks, Frogman. I'm going to trot over to the U of MN's gigantic bookstore and buy a theory text, though that will never tell me how Cater must be able to play the front and back of his string at the same time.
I have done several compare and contrast sessions between Stitt and Parker. Great as Parker was, I prefer Stitt because his sliding in and out of dissonance reminds of how Bach and Brahms maintained the forever forward sound in their music I love so much.