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

****Now, Brubeck part of the cultural war?  Seriously?  Kindly explain.****

I suggest you all go back and watch the Ken Burns Series JAZZ and get refreshed.

If you don't know American history, you will never understand the Cultural war thingy.   You won't even understand Jazz. 

You'd be better off reading a little more history and a little less of that music school propaganda.

And stop it with the BS from Mingus.   Love his music, but that's where it stops.  Since I became aware of his refusal to tour the South with Pops, I won't take lectures from him about anything.

Cheers

"When you are talking about Jazz, you are talking about Race."

Wynton Marsalis (from the Ken Burns DVD series 'Jazz'.)

Cheers


If you really noticed "Bird", he always had a sly grin, as if he knew something he wasn't sharing with anyone; his music, it had something special and different, it was a secret that only he knew. Even today, his "Bird with Strings" sounds like it could have been made yesterday.


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmRkZeGFONg&list=PLqzxGGRskMsArMdq06cOawHAbO2kBWfmD

Notice how he plays the melody so smooth and easy, but Bops and riffs all over and around the melody at the same time; a mixture of be bop and a smooth melody, nobody but Bird could ever do that.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbXauqq9ayY&index=4&list=PLqzxGGRskMsArMdq06cOawHAbO2kBWfmD


All through this album he does that, and makes all the riffs blend so easy with the melody; that's why his music was deified, "Bird lives on".

Although I only posted two, listen to your favorites on this album that sounds current, even today.

When you are talking about "Jazz", you are also talking about "Super Creativity"; that's why they have so much respect for one another. Jazz musicians are born, not made; nothing I can think of would enable a musician to get on a bandstand in front of a crowd of people, without knowing what he's going to play, and blow them away.

That's what I've seen hardbop jazz musicians do; of course it took most of the waking moments of their lifetime to do that, but never the less, they finally arrived at that moment.