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
rok a few pages back I posted a video of Oscar Peterson and Count Basie playing together and discussing music. One of the topics was Art Tatum. They both are of the opinion that Mr. Tatum intimidated them with his virtuosity. Its a 45 minute video so I guess everybody moved passed it and there were no replies. I watched it in its entirety and it is well worth it. Here it is again.

[FULL CONCERT] Oscar Peterson & Count Basie & Joe Pass 1980 - Words & Music - YouTube


All fans of Miles Davis' Jack Johnson should get the "Complete Sessions" here:

Miles Davis - The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions - Amazon.com Music

It is an outstanding box set and well worth the money.


mary_jo that Desmond Baker track is great. I just picked up a new Chet Baker album titled "Chet is Back". It is a great album with not one "dud" on it. Chet also sings on a couple.

Chet Baker - Chet Is Back - Amazon.com Music

Amazon BLURB:

UK reissue. Chet Baker made almost as many headlines for his drug habit as he did for his musical abilities, being sentenced to several spells in prison for various drug charges. In the summer of 1960 he was imprisoned for eighteen months in Italy, but on his release found the local RCA label was willing to get him back into a studio as quickly as possible! Assembling a number of up and coming musicians from Europe, including Amadeo Tommasi (piano), Rene Thomas (guitar), Benoit Quersin (bass), Daniel Humair (drums) and Bobby Jaspar (tenor saxophone and flute), CHET IS BACK was a more Bop orientated album than his earlier efforts. It has been suggested that Chet's drug addiction and with it the almost constant need for cash led him to accepting many recording offers that he might otherwise have been better off avoiding. Certainly, the sheer abundance of material he recorded is of varying quality, as one might expect. Fortunately, CHET IS BACK is one of the better albums he recorded, fully justifying the moniker 'overlooked Baker classic' it has been dubbed.