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
Nice to see you back here, Chayro.  Dismissive of those guys?!  No way; especially of MB.  Perhaps it was my additional comment about the "purists" perhaps preferring Liebman or Grossman that gave that impression.  Truth is that Brecker, and Berg/Mintzer who emulated Brecker to a large degree, all played in a style that was informed by Rock and Pop in addition to the primary Coltrane influence.  Liebman and Grossman (especially Liebman) while bringing some of their own stuff to the table never really wandered away from the Trane train much.

Some favorite Liebman:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5YQ86ETQZeE

Liebman on soprano with Grossman on tenor (@3:17); both were practically kids still!  Grossman sounds absolutely fierce on this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YsUfriV43GA


A lot of our favorite jazz artists were real characters personality-wise. Johnny Griffin was also known as a real sharp dresser. One of my favorite humorous jazz-related clips on the Tube; must have been filmed while on tour sometime during his two year or so stint with Monk:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xAz_t2Ybvmc

Speaking of characters and Teo Macero:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CNKAv1aa9IA
Thanks. Been smiling for the last 20 minutes or so.

Gotta get me some of them Danish pants.

Macero is funny! He does a great Miles voice. God help any OCD types working with some of those guys. Talk about getting stressed. 

Good stuff.
**** I'm sure I didn't play it anymore after that, but somehow I put it on the play list (is this convoluted or what?) I'll let you figure it out.... ****

I'm not a big believer in coincidences, O-10.  I suspect that the music struck a chord (😉) subconsciously and you knew there was good stuff there.  Classic record.  In spite of all the hoopla (deserved) around "Bitches Brew", it was "In A Silent Way" that was, as ghosthouse points out, the first major deflection point towards a entirely new genre; or, as someone used to say here and speaking of sartorial acumen, the beginning of Miles' "Sinbad period".   More great Teo Macero storytelling on the making of "In A Silent Way" (@ 5:00):

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2yK6kXSqB2k

Hey Rok, if you're out there, hope all is well.
Interesting about "In A Silent Way".  I'd been listening to Miles for at least 10 years when that was released, but I loved it immediately.  Maybe my ears were softened because I already enjoyed non-heavy metal rock?  That pleasure continued with "Bitches Brew".  But a couple more electronic Miles albums and it wore thin for me and I quit buying his latest releases.

A funny story, which I expect was duplicated many times around the country.  Around '72 or '73 I attended a Miles concert at our local civic auditorium (my preference for smaller venue performances was no longer possible because of his popularity).  When we walked in the curtain was open to expose an array of mics and speakers spread across the stage.  When the musicians came out everyone plugged in except the drummer (who already had fixed mics).  The audience didn't boo or throw things but at least half walked out by intermission.  We stayed and enjoyed the entire performance.

Wish I could find a video of Macero at a studio Monk recording session to share.  I thought that was a bit embarrassing the way he acted, putting on a black jive routine when greeting Monk.

Like ghosthouse I'm not particularly a fan of boxed compilations but I was not aware either of the production of "In A Silent Way" so that would be interesting.