Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic

I know for most of those reading this I'm preaching to the choir saying Norman Granz was the most important producer of jazz events as well as jazz records in the 50's. I collected a number of the 45's back when I was a kid in high school in the 60's.. They were on sale from the suggested retail of $1.58 per record for I don't remember what. Amazing "real" jam sessions. I picked up one of them a while ago while sorting through looking for something else. Amazing record. Great artists....and on 45rpm. Music on these records are still an education as to what great music can be. Check out the description inside the two record album.

Kehaulani

The Norman Granz recordings were fun. They often had artists I enjoyed listening to but not enough to purchase a record of. I leaned more to the productions of Alfred Lion whom, I believe, was a contemporary.

One cool thing about the NorGranz stuff was that, at that time, you could check this stuff out from the public library, so one could have a good turn-around of recordings.

As I recall it, a lot of the JATP recordings were rather "loose", and you could hear a great deal of on-the-spot spontaneity. Great memories, thanks.

@Kehaulani The thing that attracted me was that these recordings were of great jazz artists in spontaneous jazz performances and not only playing with but competing with each other in vintage free wheeling jam secession style. One guy would lay down a musical path, maybe with a standard melody at base, and the next guy would take it up from where the previous let off and continue into uncharted territory. Exciting stuff then. Still is, if you listen to any of those records.

Lots of young guys probably never heard of Norman Granz records. And if one of them is reading this and comes across any of his old Jazz at the Philharmonic at a flea market or old record store I'd suggest consider a small investment and take a listen.

Hi Niner!
Oh my goodness! I've not listened to JATP recordings for decades. Thanks for reminding me how good they are. These live recordings can be heard on YouTube and are very much worth listening to. A must for any jazzer
Thank you Niner

Here's the JATP Blues that came in that cover. I really like the Buck Clayton trumpet at 1:48 minutes in. What he's playing flows and is well connected one note belonging and linked with the next as he improvises. Not just a horn blower throwing a bunch of scales like I seem to hear pretty often from less accomplished players.

Hi Niner,
The Buck Clayton at 1:48 is an excellent example of the use of time and space in music. Buck will say a little something, back off and let the harmony play and then come back in with a little something else. The sax that follows lends contrast in that the sax player plays a lot where Buck gives the audience a chance to digest what their ears just consumed. Not that the sax player's solo was less than because it wasn't in my opinion. Just constructed differently. Just so happens we recently got a topic called How Do You Use Time and Space in Music. A learnable moment.

Kehaulani

@Niner said in Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic:

Lots of young guys probably never heard of Norman Granz records. And if one of them is reading this and comes across any of his old Jazz at the Philharmonic at a flea market or old record store I'd suggest consider a small investment and take a listen.

Of course, that's assuming that anyone's still got a record player, LOL.

@Kehaulani Vinyl is making a come back and Sony is even gearing up to produce records again. If you visit a flea market you will find a lot more old records than old cassette tapes that were the first popular replacement for records. If you don't have a turn table you are missing something. Hey..... Joe Biden, leading Presidential contender, recommends them as an educational device.

Kehaulani

I would think that, while some audiophiles are on the listening-gear search, the vast number of today's listeners with cell phones, YouTube, Spotify, etc. couldn't care less. Sad, but I fear true.

@Kehaulani said in Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic:

I would think that, while some audiophiles are on the listening-gear search, the vast number of today's listeners with cell phones, YouTube, Spotify, etc. couldn't care less. Sad, but I fear true.

Just because something is seen as old fashion technology doesn't mean it isn't good technology and increasing numbers of young people are discovering that. Take the guy in your signature. He still makes LP records now and again.
https://wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/lp

Mike Ansberry

HOLY CRAP!!!!! The players on these recordings. I gotta get me some of that.

Kehaulani

@Mike-Ansberry said in Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic:

HOLY CRAP!!!!! The players on these recordings. I gotta get me some of that.

Sadly, dude . . . YouTube.

Tobylou8

@Kehaulani said in Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic:

@Niner said in Norman Granz Jazz at the the Philharmonic:

Lots of young guys probably never heard of Norman Granz records. And if one of them is reading this and comes across any of his old Jazz at the Philharmonic at a flea market or old record store I'd suggest consider a small investment and take a listen.

Of course, that's assuming that anyone's still got a record player, LOL.

In the garage "somewhere"!

Mike Ansberry

I have two Technics turntables. One in the music room and one in the house. Too many LPs to afford to replace with cds.