April is most well known for its showers leading to May flowers, but something unknown to most people about April is that it is Jazz Appreciation Month. Jazz is one of the few musical styles that emphasizes improvisation, making it spontaneous and fostering creativity and collaboration among musicians. Since the start of the 20th century, jazz has been and continues to be a crucial part of American culture.
One of the many great things about jazz is that it’s timeless. Any album from up to 75 years ago can sound like it was recorded yesterday. Here are three must-listen albums to celebrate jazz Appreciation Month:
1. Clifford Brown and Max Roach (1954)
This record is a staple of a style of jazz called bebop. Bebop is characterized by fast tempos, dextrous solos, and complicated chord changes. Trumpet pioneer Clifford Brown was a master of all of these, and his quintet with legendary drummer Max Roach was a match made in heaven.
Tragically, Brown died in a car accident in 1956 at the age of 25. However, he lives on through his iconic trumpet playing. He displays his skill, musicality, and compositional prowess on Clifford Brown and Max Roach. Although the band performs several jazz standards, the standout tracks are Brown’s originals, “Joy Spring” and “Daahoud”.
HHS senior Anthony Ricci agrees, remarking, “Joy Spring is one of those songs that never gets old. It has a catchy melody, an outstanding solo section, and an iconic intro that every Jazz musician should know.”
Roach and Brown shine as always, but tenor saxophonist Harold Land also greatly contributes with his lyrical style. The remaining rhythm section members, George Morrow and Richie Powell, also add to the swinging vibe and tight rhythm section that was always characteristic of bands led by Max Roach.
2. The Modern Touch (Benny Golson, 1957)
Benny Golson is most remembered for his tenor saxophone playing on the popular track “Moanin’” from the album Moanin’ by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. What sets Golson apart from other tenor players is his compositions and arrangements, frequently featuring complicated harmonies and dissonance, creating specific moods.
The Modern Touch features three original Golson compositions and three more of his arrangements, two of which were written by saxophonist Gigi Gryce. In addition to the fantastic compositions, the album features an all-star lineup that includes Golson on tenor saxophone, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, J.J. Johnson on trombone, Wynton Kelley on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Max Roach on drums.
All three horn players are known for their silky smooth tones and laid back styles influenced by bebop and blues. This unique blend of horns allows Golson to explore dissonant harmonies while still allowing soloists to stretch out and giving the rhythm section space to swing. The highlight tracks on this album are “Out of the Past” and “Reunion”.
3. Them Dirty Blues (Cannonball Adderly, 1960)
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley was an alto saxophone master, composer, and blues connoisseur. Along with his cornet (similar to a trumpet) playing brother, Nat, he made an unstoppable force of swing.
HHS junior Casey Salerno thoroughly enjoys Cannonball’s playing, commenting, “his tone sets him apart from other saxophone players. He really fills up the horn and can play all styles fluidly while still maintaining his own improvisational style and voice, which is what I really love about his playing.”
Them Dirty Blues has it all. As the title suggests, blues is a recurring theme throughout the album, but it also contains elements of soul, gospel, and hard bop (an offshoot of bebop). The album features another all-star lineup of the Adderley brothers on horns, piano players Barry Harris (tracks 1-4) and Bobby Timmons (tracks 5-9), Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Haynes on drums.
The great thing about this album is that all the tracks are consistently excellent, making it difficult to choose outstanding tracks, since almost all of them have become Jazz standards. However, a few fan favorites are Nat Adderley’s “Work Song,” Bobby Timmons’ “Dat Dere” (interestingly, Harris plays on this track), Sam Jones’ “Del Sasser,” and Duke Pearson’s “Jeannine.”
With April having recently come to a close, it is important to appreciate jazz as the art form that it is. However, another one of the great things about jazz is that you can listen to it at any time, not just in April. Enjoy these three records as April showers turn to May flowers.
