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

Tyray, thanks for the Brazilian site. I'll check it out. I bought the Black Orpheus album when I was in high school in the early sixties. The film blew me away and then I went out and bought the album. I took it to college and played it all the time. That and Stravisnky's Firebird. I beat that album up pretty bad but I have a perfect  copy in my collection now. I have a number of Elaine Elias CDs. But if you can, poke around, try to find Tania Maria. I think she'll blow you away. I heard her in L.A. a couple of times. You can't sit down and listen to her music. Another recording I'd recommend is Flora Purim's Encounter. I had that album for years and couldn't listen to it. It was too abstract for my ear. Then one day--boom--it hit me. I was totally into that s**t. I listen to her all the time when my wife isn't around. It's like nails scratching a blackboard to her. For Bossa Nova, the female voice that really gets to me is Maria Creuza. She's got this husky fragility that touches me. For the Salvador da Bahia music, try Maria Bethania. I have an album with her, Vinicius, and Toquinho in which they sing Samba Da Benacao which became famous in the French film A Man And A Woman, that famous samba you can't get out of your head once you've heard it.

@audio-b-dog

I don’t enjoy Rap for a variety of reasons. I haven’t listened to female rappers, so I don’t know whether they display a different perspective than the male rappers I’ve heard. To my ears, Rap sounds more like a spoken-word genre than music.  

Brazilian music is an area I’d like to explore more deeply. My favorite Brazilian recording is Milton Nascimento’s Clube Da Esquina , which is, of course, not jazz. 

You mentioned Flora Purim. I find much of her most popular work dated-sounding due to the Fusion influence that was dominant in the mid to late 70’s. However, I do enjoy her work in Chick Corea’s first, Latin-tinged Return to Forever group and her later "Perpetual Emotion’, which is in more of a mainstream Jazz vein.

 

stuartk, yes you're right about the fusion aspect of Flora Purim. But I like it. I think Tania Maria might also have some of that. I like music you want to dance to. I can also listen to more cerebral jazz, though. With Flora Purim see if you can find the album Encounter. It is very abstract to my ear, but maybe some fusion in places.

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Bobby Hutcherson - Happenings 1967 - ℗ 2006 Blue Note Records Remaster of Rudy Van Gelder Edition   

 

’I just thought I’d share some vibes music today’

 

Associated Performer, Composer - Vibraphone (tracks 1-6), marimba, drums (track 7 only): Bobby Hutcherson

Producer: Alfred Lion

Mastering Engineer, Studio Personnel, Recording Engineer: Rudy Van Gelder

Associated Performer - Piano, box full of rocks (track 7 only): Herbie Hancock

Associated Performer - Bass (Vocal): Bob Cranshaw

Associated Performer - Drums, marimba (track 7 only), triangle (tracks 2, 7), timpani (track 7 only): Joe Chambers

Producer: Michael Cuscuna