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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
curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
6,101 posts
 

Listening to Triilogy 3 by Chick Corea,  Brian Blade and Christian McBride.

(2025)

stuartk
4,083 posts
 

@tyray 

Feminia is a strong release, for sure! 

stuartk
4,083 posts
 

@curiousjim 

That was an excellent group.

curiousjim's avatar
curiousjim
6,101 posts
 

In my opinion, Christian McBride is the best living jazz bass player out there and Chick Corea might be in the top five living jazz pianists. And while I am not as familiar with Blade, he kills it in all three Trilogy albums.

tyray
1,046 posts
 

@stuartk, @audio-b-dog,

 

in the late 60’s, 70’s there was an intensified interest in spirituality among musicians, Jazz and otherwise.

R. Thompson, P. Townshend: Sufism.

Beatles: Yoga (TM)

Santana, J. McLaughlin: Yoga

W. Shorter, H. Hancock, S. Cowell and many more: Buddhism

McCoy Tyner and others: Islam

Some, like Coltrane, seemed not to adhere to any single path.

You might say spirituality was "in the air" in that era. It certainly affected me and a number of my friends in high school. 

I recall opening the gatefold to Caravanserai and encountering a quote by Paramahansa Yogananda before I’d even become aware of his famous autobiography. And of course Mahavishnu Orchestra album and tune titles were an expression of the same. Spiritual themes were common in the music of The Incredible String Band, G. Harrison, Cat Stevens, , the Who, Donovan, etc. It wasn’t until a few years later that I got into Jazz and started noticing this same trend. I guess "My Goals Beyond" was probably the first for me, after Mahavishnu.

I couldn’t have written it any better myself. It was Mike Shrieve the original Santana drummer who introduced Carlos to Coletrane, and the rest is history. I have the Caravanserai lp as well and also the Carlos Santana · Mahavishnu John McLaughlin - Love Devotion Surrender lp .

Check out the roughly made Beatles documentary of their experiences with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who developed TM.

Many years ago I had an opportunity to become part of a medical study at Morehouse College of Medicine to take TM, totally free and all they wanted to do was monitor my blood pressure and see if TM would lower your blood pressure. It was one of the best classes I’d ever had the opportunity to take.

By the time I was 18 I had mastered about 10 Hatha Yoga Asanas  (poses/stretches). But that was a LONG time ago...

Lonnie Liston Smith · The Cosmic Echoes - Meditations 1976

 

 

 

 

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