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

To begin with, jazz is near the bottom of the list in regard to popularity of music genres; this thread is an example of that, it's at the bottom of the list on "audiogon".

Some have given more reasons than you can shake a stick at for that fact, but the fact remains.

Most of the people you named are well represented and appreciated in "Aficionados collections".

The only way they could be more widely appreciated is to play Rock, Pop, or Rap; but then it wouldn't be jazz.

The people you mentioned are very well known to me, and have been appreciated for most of my life. While we are introducing them to "newbies", they are well represented in our collections, as old aficionados.

The fact that jazz is a very individualistic art, also means that the people who appreciate it are very individualistic as well.

Out of the artists on that list of 6, "Blossom Dearie" is the only one I question. Although I have her in my collection, I wouldn't rush out and buy one of her albums; maybe there is a reason "Blossom Dearie" is under appreciated.



I guess 5 out of 6 according to me, isn't too bad, but Earl Hines is the only one that I could appreciate that I haven't listened to lately; sort of "nostalgic" he is, and today is my day for nostalgia.




The biggest outrage is that, the greatest trumpet player to come out of the South since Pops,  Kid Rok, didn't even make the unappreciated list.

What's up with that??

Bogus I Cry!!!


Cheers

I don’t think we even need to go to the issue of the popularity of jazz relative to other genres. First, many ( most) of the artists we are talking about predate R&R and were active when jazz was, in fact, a popular genre. Those “top ten underrated” lists are intended and considered by listeners that already have an interest in jazz; and, sadly, most pop/rock listeners today wouldn’t have a clue as to who Rollins or Coleman were. The point is that longevity of popularity of artists from the heyday of jazz is determined, more times than not, by the ultimate level of their contribution to the music.
I thought Blossom Dearie was a joke the first time I heard her.
Third time I heard her I knew she was not .
From a listing along the side of the Dizzy/Getz link was this one by Jaco. He certainly was one of the most "influential" bass players.  Not that many great bassists didn't come before him, but he developed new stylings that influenced those who came after him.  Interestingly I found other links to him alongside links recommended by others here following the Dizzy/Getz post.  His performances in jazz extended far beyond Weather Report.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtqvKnZ_LMg