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

Frogman, at one time Jay and Kai were inseparable; you couldn't have one without the other.

I liked each and every solo on that "Walkin"; especially Lucky Thompson's. I have very little by him. There was a bar that played jazz on it's outdoor speakers to attract customers, and that seemed to be playing every time I passed; I don't know if it was the way that was recorded, or whether or not his solo had that "echo" effect, like it was reverberating off the buildings, but I liked it.

I remember the name "Fontana", but that's all, he plays a nice trombone.

What I submitted was the "original" Miles, the first Miles before he went through any transitions. That was the one his "Homey's" liked and still do.

If you ask for Miles, those prestige recordings are the one's they will pull out first. There are some Miles I doubt if they even had. As much as his brother loved Miles, I would venture to say, he didn't even have some of them in his collection. Miles went through a lot of transitions; too many for the people I knew that loved him I would bet, but that subject never came up with those people. I just happened to be thinking about it lately; the people I knew, that he knew, are no longer with us.

Since he mentioned in his book that he knew everybody would not like what he was doing, I think he was thinking of the very same people I'm thinking of; the one's he loved, and still loved him as a person, of course that had nothing to do with his music. It's just interesting trivia.

I visited one of best friends, it was about 63, and he had every record Miles had ever recorded; that was before Miles went through his most drastic transitions.

I think Miles was like "Calvin" and had a duplicator;


        https://www.google.com/search?q=calvin+and+hobbes+duplicator&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&...



Enjoy the music.
Frogman.

re your comments about the Miles track (The Man I Love - Take 2, I believe) that O provided, pretty certain it’s the same recording as on the Jazz Showcase album he recommended. The opening segment featuring Miles’ trumpet is kind of "sleepy" as you say but, to me, once Milt Jackson starts in earnest at around 2:15, the energy level picks up and takes another upward bump at around 4:40. Your comment did bring to mind one somewhat related observation about the Miles Jazz Showcase - that being the performance tempo used on Track 8, Blue Haze. While there might be well respected justification for it, personally I found the plodding slowness of that particular piece painful (for what little that critique is worth!)

I located Atlantis and had sampled it briefly but did not spend much time with it. It is saved and I will check it out more thoroughly.


I got the same feeling on "Blue Haze" as you Ghosthouse. If it had been on CD, I would have bypassed it, but that was before CD when you had to get up, or tolerate the cut you didn't like.

Not to change the subject, but I happen to hear this last night, and thought about that time before AC; which is the time depicted in this song. I also like the story it tells.


      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn8EtaxGJP0


Now back to Miles; I like this entire LP, never had to get up.


          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn8EtaxGJP0




Enjoy the music.

   
Orpehues, I would bet that I have mentioned Lucky Thompson' album 'Tricotism' before, but if I am wrong, here it is again.

Its recorded in 1956, and cd edition has recordings from two dates that he made that year,in January and December with Oscar Pettiford, Hank Jones, Skeeter Best (never made any album as a leader, as far I know) Hank Jones and Jimmy Cleveland.

On ytube some of the songs are listed under Oscar Pettifords name, so unless one knows what to look for, it might be a problem to hear above mentioned album.

Some links, first part are drumless songs, with Skeeter and Pettiford
https://youtu.be/qa2Hs-nSX0k
https://youtu.be/n7gKcfKdeQ4
https://youtu.be/_XrhG2956Uo

Than, compositions with Hank Jones and Jimmy Cleveland
https://youtu.be/tCkhapYhebw
https://youtu.be/RrwLp0tkckI
https://youtu.be/j4jspWvxKMM

Also I like his album 'Lucky Strike' from 1964. again with Hank Jones
https://youtu.be/fkKneiZNNXs
https://youtu.be/3694AGofxF4

Lucky Thompson also(among others) recorded several albums as sideman for Milt Jackson, all in mid 50's if somebody wish to hear more of his playing