Category: (Music)
35 new, starting at $5.87
6 used, starting at $5.45
This is truly one of the great classics of hard bop, with drummer Art Blakey leading arguably his greatest Jazz Messengers lineup through a driving program that never lets up. Tenor saxophonist Benny Golson (whose composition "Along Came Betty" is heard here, subsequently becoming a jazz classic), brilliant trumpeter Lee Morgan, and funky pianist Bobby Timmons (who wrote the hit title cut) each take some of the best solos of their great careers, and Blakey was never greater. No jazz record collection should be without this disc. It remains one of the premier items in Blue Note's catalog, and rightfully so. As part of Blue Note's 1999 60th anniversary celebration, original session producer Rudy Van Gelder's done a smash job remixing Moanin', adding warmth in the low end and far greater color across the spectrum. And the booklet opens like a gatefold LP with vintage black-and-white photos of the original session. --Skip Heller
Moanin' stays on my mindReviewed by Boris B. Delaine, 2009-11-14
The Jazz Messengers were a seminal Jazz mentoring group. Art Blakey developed many great musicians through the Messengers. Moanin' is a tune I can listen to repeatedly. This is music one can listen to anytime. Great album for the jazz heads.
Much Better Sounding Versions are AvailableReviewed by D. Allen, 2009-03-13
This album is a 5 star jazz legend, but unfortunately, extremely
poor mastering significantly detracts from the enjoyment it can
bring. Except for the two Monk titles, the RVG Edition series is a
seriously flawed collection of historic jazz, especially the first
batch that came out in '99, and this is one of those. They sound
bottled up, exhibit no air or ambiance, and they possess a hard
glare. The glare is generally missing after "99, but the other
issues are still present.
Another flaw in this series is that many of the titles are in mono
when excellent stereo masters exist. Rudy Van Gelder recorded
exclusively in mono prior to March '57, and stereo exclusively
after October 30 1958. He only recorded in both formats during the
time spanning those two dates. While some will rightfully argue
that the mono master sounds best in some instances, the RVG series
has many titles in it that were recorded after Oct. 30 1958 that
are mono. No mono masters exist for these sessions, so these CD's
are simply the stereo master folded down into one channel. What's
the purpose of that?
Relief is Available: Most of the RVG Edition titles are available
in an earlier US version and as a Japanese import here on Amazon.
These sound dramatically better and give you a sense of stage depth
and air around the instruments. They are also stereo when possible,
and appropriate, and they lack the glare of the RVG Edition.
Everything I've purchased that was released before 1999 in the US
has been good, and all of the Japanese versions have been good. The
imports are very pricey so you might want to get the older US
versions through the Amazon Marketplace. I've purchased many of
these for under $10 in "Like New" condition. To avoid problems, I
recommend only dealing with sellers who have a positive rating of
98% or better. They don't generally misrepresent the condition, and
they'll usually get it to you within 4 business days.
This can be a tough neighborhood, and I fully expect to get a
pant-load of negative votes and comments since I have dared to say
that all is not well with this series, but if it guides those who
care about sound quality to the version that makes them happiest,
it'll be worth it. I wish someone had done that for me before I had
spent considerable money, only to be unhappy, and then finally
discovering what I was looking for in the first place.
genius of an albumReviewed by jo, 2009-01-13
Every year I look to extend what I listen to within the world of jazz and much to my shame I have overlooked this wonderful album for too long. But now I'm saved, what a fabulous album, this is truly an essential cd for any music lover, and don't make the same mistake as I made, buy it now rather than wait.
Art Blakey - The King Of Hard-bopReviewed by J. Rich, 2008-12-01
"Moanin" was released by Blue Note Records in 1958 and features one
of the best Jazz Messengers line-up jazz has ever witnessed: Benny
Golson on tenor saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet, and Jymie Merritt
on bass. Benny Golson, who later would be replaced by a young Wayne
Shorter, pinned two tunes on this recording: "Are You Real?" "The
Drum Thunder Suite," "Blues March," and "Along Came Betty." Bobby
Timmons, who later wrote "Dat Dere" for the 1960 album "The Big
Beat," wrote the title track.
This is an outstanding album full of virtuosity, swing, pure
emotion, and some of the best jazz drumming you ever heard. Highly
recommended.
the essence of hard bop jazzReviewed by FFracer, 2008-01-20
This is simply a fantastic CD. One of the hard bop classics. Pure soul. Sound is great too! All the tracks are just amazing - the playing is simply sublime. Can't lose with this one!
