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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
acman3
2,267 posts
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOKt3AjFZ6M
acman3
2,267 posts
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBIqzLkeXQ
orpheus10 OP
5,988 posts
 

Acman, thank you for those wonderful Carmen McRae posts. I hope they were to Schubert's satisfaction, I know I enjoyed each one of them; keep the fantastic posts coming.
frogman
4,637 posts
 
Re Carmen McRae, Schubert’s observation about her young voice and related recent topics:

Clearly one of the great and true Jazz divas, McRae was more than just a great singer. While much is made, sometimes deservedly so, of the fact that some singers played piano, the fact is that many other great singers also played piano and sometimes chose to focus on singing; or, being performers after all, felt that they better presented themselves by not sitting behind the instrument. Carmen McRae got her start as a pianist and she was a good one.

As Schubert points out her young voice was truly beautiful and clear. I also liked the change in her voice as she (and her voice) matured; a change in timbre not unlike the one that Sarah Vaughn’s voice underwent. There truly was something special in the sound of a young Carmen. Adding to a man

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0h3evZg5WFo

She was also a composer. One of her admitted most important influences was Billie Holiday. While many singers, out of respect or ego, make a point of not singing songs made popular by other singers, Carmen made a point of singing at least one of Billie Holiday’s songs in each of her live sets. This is one of McRae’s compositions which, interestingly, Billie Holiday herself recorded. Obviously, there was a lot of mutual respect:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrnF6pMKp_w

We recently looked at the Francy Boland/Kenny Clarke Big Band. Carmen McRae was married to Kenny Clarke for a few years and for a while worked as pianist with the name Carmen Clarke. She was featured as vocalist with that band:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7tB7_trSQYI

Playing piano as well as singing, here is a more mature Carmen. Richer voice and in some ways a more self assured stylist. Excellent piano playing:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KGUxPneG8vA

Regardless of the time in her career, always a treat to listen to. One of my very favorite renditions of this classic:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBhrzzfg9Y
frogman
4,637 posts
 
**** Adding to a man **** ?????

Funny, I was going to edit my post to acknowledge acman3’s clips at the precise moment in time, apparently, that my post became ”uneditable”. Amazing; the digital gremlins at work, and they allowed only some of the data through.

Btw, the wonderful piano accompaniment on “My Funny Valentine” is by the great Ray Bryant.
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