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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
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
**** Rok couldn't care less, ****

I beg your pardon!! How did you come to that conclusion?
I may not know anything about Jazz, but you can't accuse me of not caring. And another thing, you "aficionados" are leaving the 50/60's, and have not even mentioned Jutta Hipp. The baddest Frau in Jazz. Ties in with the 'female' thingy on Wynton.

And besides, my lack of knowledge has never stopped me from posting my opinions!

Cheers
rok2id's avatar
rok2id
4,494 posts
 
Ghosthouse:

I have never heard of this group. I did google them after I read your post. I watched and listened to a clip of their concert in Paris. I thought it looked a little dated, then realized it was done in 1970!! These guys have been around forever.

I then listened to "5". I should have listened to "5" first, because I thought it was pretty good. But first impressions are the most lasting, and that was the Paris gig. There, everything about them screamed "Rock". From the music to their appearance.

I am not sure they are playing Jazz. That is, as I unbderstand Jazz. O-10 and The Frogman can better speak to that. I did find an interesting statement in one of the reviews on Amazon.

Long ago, someone wrote, "Young people think that any instrumental music (without vocals), is Jazz." This has always stuck with me. This was back when Rock ruled.

From Amazon Reviewer:
"They took the crowd totally by surprise. Their performance was wordless, and contained very little vocal. It was just great playing, with improvisation, and, I learned later, a close relative of jazz fusion.".

Thanks for the post.

Cheers
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
Rok - Thanks for your reply and especially for giving Soft Machine a listen. I'm definitely interested in your opinion and that of Orpheus and Frogman. Beyond the heavily improvisational nature of their music I don't know if what they play is jazz either. But then, I probably can't tell you what jazz is to begin with. At any rate, if you do Spotify and are interested, you can find a lot more of Soft Machine there. I owned '5' long ago. Was glad to rediscover it the other night. it's a bit of a stretch for me but not totally out of reach. It holds my interest.

By the way, if the time machine has moved into the '80s, and guitarists like Metheny and Scofield are going to get mentioned - don't forget Ralph Towner (although start with him in the 70s). Check out Solstice with Garbarek, Weber & Christensen or Dis w/Garbarek. Don't know if this stuff is jazz either (although I'm not trying to pollute the thread!).

Ciao
mapman's avatar
mapman
15,679 posts
 
Ghost soft machine was an early Canterbury rock group that was very influential to other later progressive rock groups. Caravan. Is one of my favorites that comes to mind. I was never big on soft machine themselves though. Kind of a psychedelic rock sound with a penchant for jazz like jamming. Some caravan had more outright jazz influences than others. Their album Waterloo lily is the main one that I think a jazz lover might take too. Great album. Soft machine predates bitches brew btw and I could guess that groups like soft machine were an influence on miles in the late sixties.
ghosthouse's avatar
ghosthouse
3,718 posts
 
Hello Mapman - Yes, I'm recently aware of Soft Machine's Canterbury/psychedelic connection, though by the time of 5, I don't think there's much left of that sound. Did not know their influence on Prog Rock or your Caravan. Interesting you should mention Miles and Bitches Brew. I was thinking about Miles while listening to Soft Machine last night. There's definitely a connection (at least in my mind). A similar sort of (free-form?) loose improvisational structure maybe. But not so out there and cacophonous as something I once heard by Pharaoh Sanders (and hope to never again). I'll have to pull out In A Silent Way and compare that as well.
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