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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
frogman
7,353 posts
 
Keegiam, I did catch the Berg interview. In fact, I had written a response with clips and the iPad gremlins struck again. It lost it before posting. Let me try again.

Great interview. One of the striking things about it for me was his comments showing how wide and varied his tastes in music are. Most musicians don’t dwell much on what genre the music is and more on the ways that all genres are intertwined. Berg loved Barton’s harmonic language and Sinatra’s phrasing. Thanks for the clip.

Another great tenor player and who was the father of the post-Coltrane style of tenor playing that would influence players like Berg was Steve Grossman. Played with Miles at age 18 (!) and had a troubled personal life with a career long drug addiction. He spent many years in Europe and his records seem to stay under the radar. His sound a lot changed over the years, going from a Trane inspired sound to a softer more traditional one.  It wasn’t as fully developed a sound as Berg’s, but had ideas that were, arguably, even more interesting than Berg’s.

https://youtu.be/IVDy5lxKrWU

https://youtu.be/wLZoVnRXxuY

https://youtu.be/0UzpG_7fAAY

https://youtu.be/-RpPr08P5Dg

https://youtu.be/K3wE7KrNXAc

acman3
4,116 posts
 
Two for one special.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_SVp5QtuHI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ_huWSzWCM
keegiam
730 posts
 
Frogman, fantastic Grossman clips, thanks! At least I’ve known about him for ages, unlike Berg. I appreciate your never-ending willingness to share great stuff with members here. I would say the “educational” balance is: gain for JFA members +95%, gain for Frogman +5%.

Two different reactions:

  • In all five clips, Grossman’s playing is seductive and frenetic at the same time. Not an easy feat. It begs the question as to the balance between drugs and sheer creativity. How many music giants were deeply into drugs? What is in there? We’ll never really know.
  • Because Grossman stays in the lower octaves (and “husky”), I find him more listenable than Coltrane when he went on his screeching journeys. Love JC of course, but I can’t listen to some of it. My aversion to frenzied soprano or alto (and preference for rich tenor) has/have become more pronounced as I’ve aged. Then again, I’ve always been turned off by ear-piercing upper-fret electric guitar “noodling.” I figured my sensitivity to high frequencies would wane as I got older. Not yet.
frogman
7,353 posts
 
Great stuff acman3, thanks.  One of my favorite piano-less bands.  This one with the great Dave Liebman.  One more with Liebman and Gorssman.  With piano this time, but one of my favorite Elvin Jones records from that era.  Liebman on soprano and Grossman on tenor:


frogman
7,353 posts
 
Great stuff acman3, thanks.  

Keegiam, thanks, but no need to compare.  I have been exposed to a lot of great stuff and learn a lot from you guys/lady.  
As in acman3’s clips, Elvin Jones’ was one of my favorite piano-less bands.  Not too many horn players that can play credibly without a harmony instrument behind them.  One more with both Grossman and the great Dave Liebman.  With piano this time, but one of my favorite Elvin Jones records from that era.  
Liebman on soprano and Grossman on tenor:

https://youtu.be/fZ8UY6pJe38

Grossman on tenor (no piano):

https://youtu.be/sVK0hjDopXU

Liebman on tenor (no piano):

https://youtu.be/D4Y3x7SeRKo

Astounding soprano playing by Liebman.  Wayne Shorter, not too shabby either 😊:

https://youtu.be/SEDeROOFGok



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