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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
pryso
1,501 posts
 
First off, I noticed o10 has recent comments on other A'gon sites so know he is current, even if not posting much here.  But I feel a tip'o'the'hat is due his way for beginning this discussion.  It is approaching 1.5 MILLION views and has over 15,100 posts.  Absolutely NOTHING in the Music section comes close to this activity.  Of course in addition to o10, thanks also go out to all the regular contributors who continue to share their knowledge, information, and finds which make this site so fun and interesting.

frog, it is fascinating to see which stories major news media choose to cover.  Without intending to divert into a political discussion I'll just comment that it strikes me that ABC World News seems an odd combination of hard-hitting coverage of important events while including other stories almost attributable to National Enquirer in the same broadcast.  Maybe they are simply trying to reach the broadest audience possible?

Back to jazz, frog you posted my favorite version of that holiday classic as well.  But I must ask, are those same radio stations now banning "I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Clause" for all that "implies"? ;^) 
schubert
4,867 posts
 
frogman, I call it Deep Time .A lot of the guys in the old big bands had it, notably,(to me) was Tony Pastor,Arty Shaw’s right-hand Saxophone man .
frogman
4,637 posts
 
Schubert, not too many listeners know about Tony Pastor, one of the more obscure heroes of the Big Band era. Not only was he a terrific saxophonist as you point out, he was a good singer often featured as such in Shaw’s band. Shaw’s was one of the greatest of the big bands. A very demanding leader there were no weak links in Shaw’s bands. As you have pointed out, his saxophone section was always a model of great ensemble playing. Benny Goodman was crowned the king (of swing), but in my book Shaw the better clarinetist.

Btw, I second pryso’s sentiment re O-10.  Interesting, I was going to say much the same thing in my previous post.  While searching for the YouTube link for the Ray Charles/Betty Carter “Baby, it’s...”, I came across a link for a version of the tune supposedly by Charles and Nina Simone.  I had no idea that they  had recorded it and intended to post it with O-10 in mind.  Alas, it was a mistake by the poster.  Not Nina Simone, but Betty Carter instead.  
schubert
4,867 posts
 
Any body who loves music for the sake of music would put Shaw over
Goodman .Many symphony bands aren’t as coherent as Shaw’s was much less other big bands .Pastor did not have a great voice but he had fantastic rhythm! Watching the old clips, Tony’s natural walking gate was even rhythmic .
If Diana Krall had 1/20th of his time she’d have 50 times as much as she does have .Another largely forgotten great rhythm man , who many take as a clown and fool , which he was NOT, was Cab Calloway . Black folks in Harlem audiences knew what Cab was about .

millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
324 posts
 
I'm no jazz aficianado. Fact, don't usually care for it all that much. But Duke Ellington Jazz Party is a big exception. Got the LP, grew on me so much I got the 45. Its jazzy. Its bluesy. Got a little classical/symphonic structure in there. Its live. It rocks! 

Benny Goodman kills it, too. Seem to remember reading somewhere, more people heard him play live than anyone else ever. Or maybe it was Ellington. One of em from back in the day, when instead of performing once a year to 30,000 in a stadium with amps they performed 350 times a year to a couple hundred in a club. No amps. Talent.
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