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.
Notes: "When we play Beethoven on original instruments we have the opportunity, perhaps even the duty, to rethink each work according to the written score, the known intentions of the composer and the DEMANDING PLAYING STYLE OF THE TIME." (what does this refer to?)
As Shubert commented earlier, excellent performance.
Original orchestral instruments sound with a different sonority (timbre) than modern instruments. Generally speaking they were softer textured. This often means that certain compositional musical detail can potentially be heard more clearly. May sound counterintuitive, but the more powerful sound of modern instruments en masse can obscure subtle detail that the composer intended to be more clearly heard. The argument against period instruments is that some music lacks that sense of power. Ultimately, it is the interpretative skills of the conductor and players that determines wether its is a good performance of not. The use of period instruments, by itself, will never make up for mediocre playing or conducting. One of the driving forces of the period instrument movement is the stated goal of observing very strictly the composer’s indications in the score. Beethoven included specific metronome markings in his scores so that there would be no ambiguity as to what the tempo of the music should be at various points in the piece. In modern times, the trend has been to perform the music faster than is indicated in the score. This is probably the main reason that the “repeat” indications are not observed. It is fairly common practice for modern conductors/orchestras to not observe the indicated repeats of certain sections in the “written score”.
Just as in Jazz there is a general playing style that is typical of a particular period in the music. This is in part a product of the inherent sound of the instruments available at the time as well as accepted performance practices at the time. Not sure what the author of your article means by “demanding playing style of the time”. It is demanding because it is not how most modern players approach playing that music. I like the “period instruments” approach and its attempt to get as close as possible to the sound that the composer wanted...as one valid approach. However, there are a couple of things that make me a (little) bit of a skeptic. The case of Beethoven is particularly interesting....he was deaf by the time he wrote his 9th. It is entirely possible that the sounds that Ludwig heard coming from the orchestra in his head were quite a bit different than the sounds of instruments at the time were able to produce. Secondly, composers were often frustrated by the limitations of early instruments.
Great performance with some unique qualities, but don’t throw out you Kleiber recordings yet. In most great scores is built in the potential for different and still valid interpretations.
Rok, a correction/clarification to my post above. There is much controversy re Beethoven’s metronome markings in his scores. Many of those markings indicate that the music should be played much faster than how it is often performed by many modern day conductors and performers. I should have written that the trend in modern performances is often to have less tempo contrast between the slow and fast movements.
Frogman, thanks for the response. Precise and Concise as always.
I have been doing a lot of listening to Beethoven lately and have concluded that these conductors take a lot of liberties with the score.
On the 4th movement by Norrington that I posted, everything seems pretty much normal, given the instruments and the smaller orchestra and choir, until, around 8:12 to 10:21 there is something magical there. Like hearing Beethoven for the first time. How it’s supposed to sound. Maybe it’s the bass drum.
Also, at 11:23, the violins don’t create the same degree of tension as they do on other recordings.
Anyway, as a real reviewer might say, the whole thing is glorious! I was in Germany when this was released and the reviewers went gaga. So all these years later, I have it. I owe much to Stereo Review.
Tempo: I thought Gardiner was out there by himself, then I heard Gewandhausorchester-Chailly. Maybe these guys use tempo to satisfy their urge to improvise, or to put their personal stamp on a performance. Surely the score is marked.
Period Instrument limitations: Was that more pronounced in the Brass family of instruments?
Thanks again.
Cheers
Btw, I am on a roll. In addition to Norrington and Chailly, I received The Complete String Quartets - Alban Berg Quartet. Wow!
The best example of what original can do I have is a series of Bach Cantatas with one of the pioneers , the Belgian Sigiswald Kuijkenwith his "La Petite Bande" . I had over 500 Cantatas when I first heard him, I was a convert before the first CD was over.His label , ACCENT , folded before they finished the entire Cantatas ,but there are 64 out there, if hard to find .
I can't believe I actually liked this music; that was before I was even in high school, I had a vivid imagination, and believed this is what you would hear in the jungle. Which jungle, I never questioned.
Slight amount of noise. Taken from 78rpm records. Recorded in 1943. That's 77 years ago folks. Classic indeed!! Just think of who was playing saxophone in 1943. Giants walked the land of Jazz.
I started to indicate which player was playing on the different tunes, but I thought that would be an insult to a true Jazz Aficionado. :)
Looking at Rachelle Ferrell sing Autumn Leaves is a sight to behold; I'm trying to decide whether I want to look and not listen or listen and not look; both together are quite an adventure, but there is no denying, the gal can sing even if she is a drama queen to boot.
Rok, I'm not fond of jazz from the 40's, but if you take the very same musicians and put them in the 50's, I can dig them and the music. (don't feel like analyzing that at the moment)
When you can play trombone with that group, while smoking a cigarette, you know you be bad!! Love it when those trumpet players 'get up there'. a'la Maynard.
Trying to get this bunch on one subject is like "herding cats". I think I'll try herding cats; "Git along you little doggies"; or I mean you little pussies. (that didn't come out right). Anyway, you get the idea.
Only shows what US does to folks coming in , no doubt assumes we are above all . Best bet is have you friends call National Passport Info center ,toll free , 1-877-487-2778.
Those from the entire Schengen area has to do 14 days quar. here.Only Slovenia which many still think of as Balkan is on that .So does UK and Ireland but not dear Russia .
I imagine Zagreb is safe bet but I won’t go anywhere these days without being sure . P.S . if the c-19 is ever lifted there is a little Air Line called Air Canada . 2 way to Toronto , 2 way to rest of world .
Concertgebouw in the age of the virus. What changes, if any, are required in how they play, if social distancing is in effect. Will the sound of the orchestra be affected? They sound normal, to me, on this clip.
Today is the birthday of a pianist that hasn’t been looked at. In many ways the quintessential West Coast Jazz musician. Fine Jazz pianist (and accordionist) with a solo recording career and who was a Grammy winning composer ensconced in the LA studio scene. We’ve all heard his music many times without realizing it; he wrote the themes for popular TV shows “Mash”, “Dallas”, “Get Smart”, “”Mannix”, and many others. Definitely one of “the cats” during the heyday of the LA scene.
A style which can be said to be classic West Coast; cool, light swing reminiscent of Vince Guaraldi’s. His favorite format was always the piano trio . The personnel in his trio remained unchanged for decades and it shows; they played with a particularly high level of cohesion and musical telepathy:
THE (unanswered) questions for orchestras and their players right now. First, a couple of things as part of the always important backdrop:
Fabulous orchestra and one which can play Beethoven 7 in its sleep; and I mean that in the most positive way possible. This is important because were they playing a newer and/or unfamiliar work it would be a different story in some important ways. Also, there is a reason that players in an orchestra normally sit the way that they do (did?).....strings, two to a stand and everyone much closer together. The reason for close seating is it allows maximum musical integrity. More on that later, but goes to follow that not seating close together would not allow maximum musical integrity.
Yes, they sound pretty “normal”.....playing a very familiar work. Still, and taking into account the effects of individual conductors’ visions for the music, right off the bat one can hear two subtle musical details that could possibly be attributed to the “social distancing” seating arrangement. Listen to the accented chords that open the piece and compare to this; same orchestra, same hall and presumably same recording arrangement:
In the “COVID” version the players (strings especially) dig in a little more; a little more aggressive. I think that this is an attempt to compensate for the fact that there is more space between them. When that is the case one doesn’t hear the other players’ dynamic expression as clearly as when one is sitting closer together which in turn allows one to play with more dynamic nuance. Listen to the overall sound of the orchestra in the “COVID” version. To me, it sounds a little less “concentrated” and is a little “airier”; as one would expect from having more “air” between the players. What is the French horn player to do now that the trumpets, which he may have unison lines with, cannot be heard as clearly now that they are farther away? It can be a problem. With unfamiliar music, a big problem. Professional orchestral players are very flexible and adaptable. As you note they still sound very good (normal). This is all uncharted territory and there is a tremendous amount of anxiety as to all the possible known and unforeseen effects of all this. What about larger (many more players) works which require extremely close seating in a stage’s finite amount of space? Will this affect orchestras’ programming? Probably; certainly in the near future.
Time will tell.
BTW, do you own the Beethoven violin sonatas? In my book some of the greatest music ever written.
BTW, do you own the Beethoven violin sonatas? In my book some of the greatest music ever written.
I have The Complete Violin Sonatas Vol. 1&2 on the Philips Classics label. Each vol is a 2-CD set. Henryk Szeryng - Violin, Ingrid Haebler - Piano. Royal Concertgebouw - Bernard Haitink.
I’ve heard the SPCO play in their hall , which is as good as any, both with the 1350 seats full and 20 people listening to rehearsal . To my old hears a SLIGHT more "’air"" was about it . To me LvB greatest is his last String Qts. I’m addicted to the old Yale Qt. on vinyl .
This morning in my car I heard this Ray Bryant version of my favorite for the first time . Very original to the point of being compelling !
A newbie in my universe. He's ONLY 51 and still alive. Great player.
Notes: "I think we instrumentalists are always trying to copy vocalist. The closest you can get to nature with an inanimate object is imitating and trying to surpass what a vocalist has done, with your instrument. If you play well, people feel your music as a vocalization." --- JC
Today is the birthday of one of our OP’s favorite musicians, the very influential and prolific Grant Green. Here’s one of my favorites by Green and one that I don’t think has been posted. Particularly adventurous playing from Green. He is joined by two of my favorite musicians, Larry Young and Elvin Jones:
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