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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
mary_jo
252 posts
 
https://youtu.be/lUxQLU_eqfU
Can anyone tell me more about Michel? I haven't noticed, at least lately, that somebody was talking about him.

I have read somewhere that he was frustrated towards awards that he received, believing that he gained them partly because people were feeling sorry for him. 

I have also read that he was influenced by Bill Evans a lot.

After all, what we should respect an artist for? For the virtuosity only, for the talent and the struggle, for the emotions they bring to us...? Little bit of all? No rule I guess. My point is, should we value Michel, due to his struggle, more?


frogman
4,637 posts
 
mary_jo, I like to keep and catalogue quotes by musicians. I read this quote by the great Wayne Shorter some time ago:

**** There are a lot of people walking around, full-grown and so-called normal—that have everything that they were born with at the right leg length, arm length, and stuff like that. They’re symmetrical in every way, but they live their lives like they are armless, legless, brainless, and they live their life with blame. I never heard Michel complain about anything. Michel didn’t look in the mirror and complain about what he saw. Michel was a great musician, and great because he was a great human being. He had the ability to feel and give to others of that feeling, and he gave to others through his music. ****

In answer to your question “should we value Michel, due to his struggle, more?”. I would say, no. Artists want to be judged based on artistic merit, period. As a good friend likes to say, the answer is often in the question. As you pointed out, he was frustrated because he felt the awards were given because they felt sorry for him. I would say that as fellow human beings we can admire and respect how he dealt with his struggle, but I suspect that he would have wanted his playing to be judged independent of that.


pryso
1,501 posts
 
Well, I've been away for a couple of weeks, so much was posted here I could comment on.  Even if I concentrated on the music and ignored the personal challenges. ;^)

But that would take too long, in addition to being old news now.  So I'll limit it to one post specifically for mary jo, in the event she didn't see it when posted here previously.  This responds to the image of jazz ladies in hats -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qef0cVtmBms
schubert
4,867 posts
 
Not that I really know, how could I , but I have a gut feeling that Carmen was the most intelligent of all the jazz divas .
frogman
4,637 posts
 
Great hat!
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