Dust off your head charts and brush up your best licks, cause it's time to wade into the warm, welcoming waters of jazz.
NOW ON PATREON
Strong Songs now has a Patreon! If you liked this episode (or, you know, any of them), we hope you'll consider supporting the show. Learn more here: https://www.patreon.com/strongsongs
MOANIN'
This episode's Strong Song is Bobby Timmons' gospel-tinged "Moanin'," from Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers' 1959 album of the same name. Kirk zooms out a bit more than usual to talk about jazz small-group arranging, how a great solo is constructed, how jazz song-form works, and how (hopefully) to have a better appreciation for what's going on on a given jazz recording, even if you don't play. He also talks about anime.
Band/Artist: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers
Album: Moanin', 1959 (recorded in 1958)
Composed by: Bobby Timmons
Personnel: Lee Morgan, trumpet; Benny Golson, tenor sax; Bobby Timmons, piano; Jymie Merritt, bass; Art Blakey, drums
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
------
ALSO FEATURED:
"Freddie Freeloader" by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
--
"Giant Steps" by John Coltrane from Giant Steps, 1960
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
--
"I Wish" by Stevie Wonder from Songs in the Key of Life, 1976
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
("I Wish" was also featured on a 2018 episode of Strong Songs)
--
"Jordu" by Duke Jordan from Clifford Brown and Max Roach, 1954
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
--
"Cherokee" by Ray Noble as performed by Clifford Brown on Study in Brown, 1955
Listen/Buy: Apple Music | Amazon | Spotify
--
"Tank!" by Yoko Kanno from the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack
--
The wonderful anime Kids on the Slope, streamable on Hulu and Crunchyroll.
————————————
NEWSLETTER/MAILING LIST!
Sign up for Kirk's mailing list to start getting monthly-ish newsletters with music recommendations, links, news, and extra thoughts on new Strong Songs episodes: https://tinyletter.com/KirkHamilton