Best Ever Albums

Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:50:34 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/15/2026 16:50

... the jazz journey hits the '80s...

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Betty Carter - The Audience with Betty Carter
Year: 1980
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
I have two previous Betty Carter albums and love them both, but they didn't prepare me for this! This is a monster two album live set that is the sort of thing it can be surprising to hear actually get released. The songstress takes full control here and starts the sprawling set with a 25 minute vocal improv-fest... and it never gets old. The rest of the double album isn't as ambitious (how could it be?), but it is every bit as singular and a continuous testament to artistic integrity. Carter delivers tremendous variety without ever losing energy and, at the risk of sounding cliche, I'll say this is an exposition of an artist truly being her authentic self. It's definitely a winner.

Link

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Pat Metheny - 80/81
Year: 1980
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Avant Garde
I coincidentally went big again for my second 1980 selection as this Pat Metheny release is also a full double. Interestingly, it also kicks off with a cut running over 20 minutes, that also holds interest throughout its considerable length. Truth be told, the sax does get a little too avant-goosehonking for my taste at times, but overall, the composition and delivery are superb. Throughout the album, Metheny is in top melodic form, delivering one hummable tune after another along with his trademark tone and precision picking. This is essential Metheny for sure.

Link

Bonus content; my car of the year, the Lotus Esprit Turbo

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 16:48:52 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/14/2026 20:48

...The jazz journey slides into 1979...

Jack DeJohnette - Special edition
Year: 1979
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Avant Garde
Jack DeJohnette is, if not my favorite drummer, at the very least in my top 3, but I have little music from him as leader. So it was easy to grab his Special Edition as one of my 1979 choices. In addition to DeJohnette being maybe the most musical percussionist I know, I love him for his versatility; he can play with literally anyone and elevate the music as a result. Here as leader, he goes mostly avant garde flowing out of a post bop foundation and gives us yet another release that is both excellent and unique. This album is quirkier/less straight ahead than I'm used to from DeJohnette, and took a couple extra listens to resonate, but I had zero qualms about taking the time and making the effort to do so, because DeJohnette never fails to reward, and that's the fact, Jack.

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Charles Mingus - Mingus at Antibes
Year: 1979
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Avant Garde
Alright, so this one is a bit of a cheat. Yes, it was released in 1979, but it was recorded in 1960. It makes an interesting contrast with the DeJohnette album above. Both can be categorized as bridging from post bop into avant garde, yet the two decade differential distinctly influences the approach and outcome, as does the distinct personalities of the leaders. This one is all Mingus, that's for sure. It seems every time I dig back into a Mingus album which may be a little less familiar to me, the more impressed I am with his body of work, and digging into this one is no exception.

I think of it like this. Here I am trying to pick up as much Czech as I can in preparation for a vacation in Czechia. As someone obviously fluent in my native English, and who has comfortably picked up enough Spanish, German, and French to travel to those places, I'm a little taken aback at how different Czech is. Which is not to say It's not a beautiful language; it most certainly is highly appealing to my ear. But it's different. Very different. I'm not just talking about how plurals are made or how verbs are conjugated here; Czech has its own, very distinct rhythm, a flow unique unto itself. This makes it a little more challenging, as well as a genuinely fascinating delight to listen to. So it is with Mingus. He speaks his own language. His work is totally unique and has its own, totally distinct shape and flow. It is a genuinely fascinating delight to listen to.

Bonus material- my car of the year, the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.3 Coupe

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:29:33 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/10/2026 14:29

... the jazz journey rolls into 1977....with a bonus connection!

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Jean Luc Ponty - Cosmic Messenger
Year: 1978
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
This is a violin album for people who don't like violin. In addition to violin, Pony plays a lot of synth, and even when he's playing violin, it's run through enough effects that it doesn't really sound like a violin. But most importantly, this is great music. I haven't heard his whole catalog, but from what I have heard, this is one of Ponty's more tuneful albums, probably a great starting place for someone wanting to begin exploring fusion.

Link

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Joanne Brackeen with Ryo Kawasaki - Trinkets and Things
Year: 1978
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
I can never get enough Joanne Brackeen. When I saw new-to-me this album as a '78 release, I had to slip it into this year's edition of my latest jazz journey. I was not disappointed. When soloing, she is as dynamic as ever. She is equally adept at providing a foundation for virtuoso guitarist Kawasaki's flights of fancy. And when the two get going together, it blows my musical mind in the best possible way. This may not be the most acclaimed entry in the Brackeen discography, but it is both unique in her output and as brilliant as ever. Interestingly, as I was listening to it for the first time, I couldn't help but recall a 2000 duo release from Dream Theater virtuosos John Petrucci (guitar) and Jordan Rudess (piano), which I had to slip back into the queue for comparison.

Link

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John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess - An Evening with John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess
Year: 2000
Style or Subgenre: Free Improv, Neo Prog
Upon pulling this out from my collection and listening to it immediately following the Brackeen/Kawasaki, I thought it provided a nice compare/contrast experience. The style here contrasts in sound, recording, and the specific direction the virtuosity takes. But the genre and sound contrasts sound superficial relative to the strong comparison in approach; both albums excel due to the incredible, uber-sympathetic interplay between the two musicians on each. Two instruments, one musical mind, one vision, and a fantastic album in each case.

Link

Bonus Material: My car of the year, the Mercury Monarch

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Accompanying anecdote: I purchased one of these (mine had a white vinyl landau top) in 1983. In reality, it was just a glorified Ford Granada, but it was astonishingly quite, smooth, and the 302 under the good gave it a surprisingly serious amount of get up and go. I loved the car. My girlfriend not so much. You see while the car was not quite land yacht huge, it was pretty big and in the two door version, those doors were quite long.... and quite heavy. I lived in a mountainous area and you always had to park on a hill, so that big ol' heavy door always wanted to fly open or fly shut, depending on which side of the street you were parked on. It seemed every time my girlfriend got in the car, the door tried to maim her; she subsequently named the car "Christine" after the sentient evil car in the Stephen King book/movie that was always trying to kill the protagonists girlfriend.

Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sun, 8 Mar 2026 11:38:55 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/08/2026 15:38

... the jazz journey rolls into 1977....and it is one glorious stop!

Marian McPartland - Now's the Time
Year: 1977
Style or Subgenre: Mainstream Jazz
This popped up in my queue for my 1977 listen, which was great, as I'm always happy to listen to Marian McPartland' I love her piano playing. The interest factor increased as this is an all female quintet, rather unusual as late as 1977. And then the expectations went off the charts as I saw one of those women was Mary Osborne. I'm always on the lookout for Osborne as she is most definitely one of my favorite guitarists, any genre. Even with such elevated expectations this album did not disappoint. Here are exceptional presentations of many great standards spanning just over 80 minutes.... and as it turns out, some of Mary Osborne's most enjoyable work, which is really saying something. Her lines are sparkling clean, fluid and precise, and yet still chock full of expression. Lovely. Just lovely. Oh, and it's not just Mary and Marian making this a special album. Previously unknown to me (AFAIK) alto Vi Redd seriously adds to the expressiveness factor. Pioneering drummer Dottie Dodgion and bassist Lynn Milano on bass keep everything grounded but swinging nicely. Wonderful album. Strong keeper.

Link

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Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass - Fitzgerald & Pass... Again
Year: 1977
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
For Saturday Night Vocals, I reached for the 2nd of three collaborations between veteran icon Ella Fitzgerald and guitar virtuoso Joe Pass. I hadn't heard this album before either and was once again blown away. The then 60 year old Fitzgerald is absolutely brilliant.... brilliant I say! Her combination of control and expressiveness is a sound to behold. Sitting in a support role, Pass isn't showing off chops, but his uber-clean technique is sheer perfection in supporting the top quality vocals. Yeah, another strong keeper here.

Link

Bonus material: my car of the year, the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow II

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sat, 7 Mar 2026 11:40:54 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/07/2026 16:40

... the jazz journey hits 1976 with debuts by Pat and Jaco....

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Pat Metheny - Bright Size Life
Year: 1976
Style or Subgenre: Fusion, Contemporary Jazz
Modern guitarist Pat Metheny is often cited as one of those artists who's debut album remains their best, or at least the most essential. When I first heard Bright Size Life, I was 100% in agreement. There's certainly no denying either the skill or creativity that went into this album. Metheny joins well into the ECM fold here, and the fretless electric bass wizardry of Jaco Pastorius really helps make this special. Now if I'm honest, I have to say that over the years I've come to like a few Metheny albums more than this one, but that in no way diminishes this debut. It's as fresh and meaningful as ever.

Link

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Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius
Year: 1976
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
1976 was an unbelievable year for Jaco Pastorius. Not only did he lend his amazing low end voice to Metheny's stunning debut, he also released his first true solo album, chock full of that wizardry and to this day considered one of the greatest bass virtuoso album of all time. Every technique known to the bass is on display here, all beautifully integrated into the song. This is the sort of thing that compels people to use the word "genius."

Link

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Jaco Pastorius/Pat Metheny/Bruce Ditmas/Paul Bley - Jaco
Year: 1974
Style or Subgenre: Fusion
Some will say that the aforementioned Jaco is not really Jaco's first album. Indeed, two years prior, his name was listed first on another album also entitled Jaco. However, others will say that the 1974 release is really a Paul Bley album that just happens to carry Jaco's name. Certainly, Jaco is but one voice of four on this early release, another being Pat Metheny, so this is definitely the first time they recorded together. However confusing title and attribution may be, there's no confusing that this is a great fusion album with wide appeal and points to the greatness that would come from these two brilliant stringed artists.

Link

Bonus material: my car of the year, the Jensen Interceptor

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Wed, 4 Mar 2026 19:56:28 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/05/2026 00:56

... jazz time machine hits 1975...

Yosuke Yamasita - Breathtake
Year: 1975
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz
34:13 of very nicely improvised, eminently listenable free jazz solo piano. I like.

Azimuth - Azimuth
Year: 1975
Style or Subgenre: Jazz Funk
This is the opposite of the totally free solo above, being some seriously groove laden jazz funk ensemble. I like just as much!

Variety is the spice of jazz for sure.

Bonus material: my car of the year - the Mercedes Benz 450SLC

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sun, 1 Mar 2026 14:48:48 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/01/2026 19:48

... the jazz journey rolls into 1973...

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Ralph Towner - Solstice
Year: 1974
Style or Subgenre: Folk Jazz, New Age Jazz
For my first 1974 listens yesterday, I went with one of the prettier ECM albums. Ralph Towner's Solstice starts off more Windham Hill (new agey), but gradually blossoms into a full fledged ECM bit of layered loveliness. Jazz that soothes. Nice.

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Joni Mitchell - Court and Spark
Year: 1974
Style or Subgenre: Singer Songwriter
Being Saturday Night, it was of course some time for vocals, but I didn't go straight jazz, rather opting for the epitome of a jazz influenced singer/songwriter album. I like all of Joni's early/mid seventies stretch, but somehow managed to enjoy this even more than I remember. In fact, the only song I didn't fall in love with all over again was the one big hit. The rest of the album... pure gold. Her voice is in top form, her phrasing full of her unique quirkiness without going to distraction, and the compositions and instrumental backing are perfection. Of course, that instrumental backing is extra special with the greatest of all session players and jazz giant Larry Carlton lending his guitar to the effort.

Bonus material: my car of the year, the 1974 Plymouth Satellite

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Attached anecdote: in 1985, I was in need of a new car, having gotten my beloved 1978 Mercury Monarch totaled in the middle of a 12 car pileup. Going a few months without a car at college really sucked. Then my father calls and asks if I can hitch a ride back to my rural hometown for the weekend as he may have a line on a car. Turns out his buddy who worked in the county garage let him know in advance the Sheriff department was auctioning off three of it's cruisers that Saturday. The mechanic noted that two of the cars were pretty well used up, but one was near pristine and he was going to make sure that one got auctioned last (after those willing to bid more had already picked up the first two). Bottom line, I got a 1974 Plymouth Satellite Custom with a 383 police interceptor and an anti sway suspension for all of $800. That thing just floated at insane speeds and cornered on the mountain roads like a Porsche. It wasn't wise for me to have, but yeah, it totally kicked ass!

Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 20:29:56 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 03/01/2026 01:29

... the jazz journey rolls into 1973...

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Joe Pass - Virtuoso
Year: 1973
Style or Subgenre: Bop, Guitar Jazz
It's hard to really get into a purely solo guitar album sometimes. Not so with this. Pass is a wizard. A wizard, I tell you. Alone, he gives us melody, harmony, incredibly phrasing, and yes, virtuoso lines life few others in history have done. This is a truly seminal guitar album, no matter what genre you're into. It is essential.

Sam Rivers - Streams
Year: 1973
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz
A few days ago, I confidently declared Don Cherry's Eternal Rhythm my new favorite free jazz album. Well.... not so fast there, sport. Sam Rivers's live Streams here is gonna' give it a strong challenge! This album flat blew me away. Sometimes when I reach a key juncture or climax in music that makes me all giddy, I have to stop an think: does this have me floored because it's such a great lick, or is it because of what led the music to this point making it so potent? That question takes on extra meaning in free jazz; how can something so unstructured have a flow that creates these mind blowing climaxes? But Rivers does it here multiple times in this 49 minutes of managed mayhem. That dude plays multiple instruments and knows exactly when to bring out each one only makes it better. Really, this thing is a marvel.

Bonus material; my car of the year - the De Tomaso Pantera

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:23:14 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/27/2026 23:23

...the jazz journey rolls into 1972...

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Jan Garbarek - Tryptikon
Year: 1972
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde, Free Jazz
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek is pretty much synonymous with ECM records. While this album is indeed on ECM, it is probably his least ECM-ish record and one of the least ECM-ish in the label's history. Sure, it has that sparse, relatively subdued Nordic sound, but for this one Garberek goes solid free jazz, eschewing both discernable rhythm and tonality. While I really fell in love with my last new-to-me free jazz discovery, not so much this one. It's fine; nothing offensive as one would expect with ECM, but nothing to wow me either. It's just kind of there.

Pat Martino - Footprints
Year: 1972
Style or Subgenre: Neo Bop, Post Bop, Guitar Jazz
Meanwhile, Mr. Pat Martino and his gorgeous jazz guitar never fail me, no matter what era of his career or what label he's recording under. Footprints is not exception, delivering impeccable bop oriented guitar with incredible purity of tone and flawless facility of lines across the fretboard. Every time I start to think Martino's starting to settle into predictability, he'll toss off a totally unexpected lick that perfectly livens up what might otherwise become routine soloing. This one is a strong keeper.

Bonus content: My car of the year - the Aston Martin Vantage

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 18:12:16 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/27/2026 23:12

...the jazz journey rolls into 1972...

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:53:36 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/25/2026 15:53

... jazzing into 1971...

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Herbie Mann - Push Push
Year: 1971
Style or Subgenre: Crossover Jazz, Soul Jazz
So, I finally got around to checking out the album behind the infamous cover. It is pretty much what I expected, which is some very good flute-led early 70s pop oriented groove jazz. There are a couple soft pop/rock covers that should never have been done, but thanks to CD or streaming and the availability of a skip button, one can easily enjoy a consistently great, albeit slightly abbreviated listen. The opening title cut and especially the third cut, "Spirit in the Dark," are real highlights.

Push Push

Link

Spirit in the Dark

Link

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Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett - Gary Burton and Keith Jarrett
Year: 1971
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Fusion
This album has a little in common with the Mann above inasmuch as it brings an accessible vibe of the time into it's jazzy presentations. That said, the instrumentation is very different, being a piano/vibes album and I must say the musicianship is a little more elevated. Pianist Jarrett certainly has his moments as one would expect, but it's vibraphonist Burton who shines throughout. He lays down the cleanest lines, bringing tremendous heard and soul into every strike of the mallet. Truly beautiful. The whole album is special, but is particularly so on the side openers with "Grow Your Own" kicking of side one and especially the totally entrancing "Fortune Smiles" opening side two.

I managed to go off script in the time journey and stepped back a couple years to check out some more Burton on his 1969 Throb album. This was a less successful listen for me owing to the albums very strong country flavor.

Grow Your Own

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Fortune Smiles

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:42:46 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/23/2026 23:42

... jazzing into 1970...

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Houston Person - Truth!
Year: 1970
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
I really enjoyed this turn-of-the-decade soul jazz classic. It may be a little lightweight relative to the more aggressive or forward thinking jazz of the time, but damn! it has a groove and Person can definitely blow. This is head bobbin', toe tappin' jazz right here!

Link

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Charlie Haden - Liberation Music Orchestra
Year: 1970
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde, Progressive Jazz, Experimental Big Band, Global Jazz
This sits pretty well on the opposite end of the challenge spectrum from the Person album above. There is social upheaval throughout this album, usually with a strong Latin American flavor. The album is the most amazing combination of too many genres to count, with avant garde, experimental big band, progressive jazz, and global jazz being the most prominent. This so easily could have been nothing more than a cheap pastiche, but somehow, like some of those great Mingus compositions, it defies time and style and commands both attention and respect. Credit to Carla Bley for the well thought out arrangements it took to even make this possible. This is a must for anyone who likes anything from Latin jazz to world history!

Link

Bonus material: my car of the year, the 1970 AMC Javelin

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:04:02 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/22/2026 17:04

... the jazz journey rolls into 1969...

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Priscilla Paris - Priscilla Loves Billie
Year: 1969
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
1969 came to me on a Saturday evening, so a Saturday Night Vocals album was chosen. Pop singers doing jazz don't always play well. This one didn't bode particularly well, with Priscilla Paris starting off as the youngest sister in a Phil Spector-produced girl group. What's more, as she took the leap into jazz, she didn't just dip a toe in, she decided to go all in and sing the Billie Holiday songbook! Wow. Fortunately, she doesn't try to be Billie. She remains squarely herself while delivering legit jazz vocals and giving us a very nice addition to the canon. This is a really good jazz vocal album.

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Don Cherry - Eternal Rhythm
Year: 1969
Style or Subgenre: Free Jazz
I may have a new favorite free jazz album. The album title here is a little ironic as rhythm implies structure, exactly what free jazz eschews. And yet the album is indeed free and manages to have a discernable rhythm, not so much in the sense of a repetitive beat measure by measure, but more in the sense of how the album flows over it's length. Adding to the distinctiveness, and for me enjoyability of this album, is a broader than usual range of instrumentation, all swinging free yet remaining tightly integrated with other elements of the music. At one point, we get a very melodic yet completely unstructured flute solo that channels the essence of great Native American cedar flute artists. For his part, Cherry's trumpet is exceptionally sharp, always brilliantly on point and full of vibrant life. Sonny Sharrock is the perfect guitarist to add spice to this stew and (as far as I can recall) new-to-me drummer Jacques Thollot keeps an incredible pace throughout without ever losing focus or allowing anyone else to lose their way. Incredible album. I take back what I said earlier - it's not that I may have a new favorite free jazz album; I DO have a new favorite free jazz album.

Bonus content - my car of the year for 1969
Earlier I lamented the loss of our 1963 Triumph TR-3 but noted it really wasn't so bad because of what dad would replace it with in 1969.... 400 cubic inches of massive American Muscle in a new Pontiac GTO. That car ruled!

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sat, 21 Feb 2026 11:56:50 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/21/2026 16:56

--jazzing into 1968--

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Modern Jazz Quartet - Under the Jasmine Tree
Year: 1968
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz, Third Stream, Crossover Jazz
Modern Jazz Quartet on Apple Records? Sure, why not? This is a really fun, cool modern crossover jazz album. Milt Jackson's vibes are a beautiful as ever and the quartet deliver a real accessible bit of jazz for just about any ear without watering down the soul.

Link

Nat Adderley - You, Baby
Year: 1968
Style or Subgenre: Soul Jazz, Crossover Jazz
This album sits in a similar vein as the one above. This time, Nat Adderley gets the A&M mainstream for the masses treatment. Unlike the above album which retains its charm throughout, this one while having some wonderful moments, also has a lot of inexcusably tepid moments as well. There are a few playlist selections here, but this is not an end-to-end album for me.

Link

Link

Bonus material: my top car of 1968, the Mustang Fastback of "Bullitt" fame.

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:49:59 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/21/2026 01:49

...the jazz journey hits 1967

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Bill Evans - Further Conversations With Myself
Year: 1967
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop,Piano Jazz
If I'm gonna listen to someone talk to himself, it's gonna be Bill Evans. This is pure gold.

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Bobby Hutcherson - Oblique
Year: 1967
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop,Piano Jazz
Hutcherson taps out such brilliant lines on that vibraphone! Actually the whole ensemble is killing it! A must have.

Bonus Material: My car of the year - the 1967 Toyota 200GT

Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 20:27:43 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/18/2026 01:27

... jazzing into 1966...

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John Handy - Recorded Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival
Year: 1966
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Modal Jazz
I knew nothing of this album going into this listen and I have to say, it was a great day of major musical discovery. The album starts out not at all as one might expect, with some relatively soft and very classical sounding strings. After a brief into, Handy and his alto launch into a lengthy a capella solo full of super creative modal lines. That, folks, is a great way to start a program! Then we get the bass and eventually the full ensemble and it is all so brilliantly constructed, it's very easy to see why some critics say this was the zenith of Handy's career (and everyone else's in the ensemble for that matter). I'm sure, had I been in the audience, I would have been 100% agog. Even more amazing, even setting aside that the music was new to me, I would confidently say that the music is not at all tied specifically to 1966; this is fully intriguing and relevant here some 60 years later. Top marks and I will definitely listening to this more.

Link

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Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye
Year: 1966
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
After a couple more straightforward outings, Blue Note really let Wayne Shorter branch out on this one! Both at a compositional level and in terms of delivery, this explodes beyond his previous bop oriented efforts. You could call this album a few different labels or genres, but that would be meaningless; it is very much its own thing and a brilliant thing it is. Yesterday's listen included sideman Freddie Hubbard bursting forth and he brings that same forward lean to his siding on this album, and once again the album is what it is in large part because of his contribution. Also joining the ensemble was yesterday's leader, Herbie Hancock sharing that forward lean. This ensemble grows with the addition of out there trombonist Grachan Monchur III who surprisingly, plays it more straight than the rest of the crew. Early on in the album I hear the beginnings of what Shorter would eventually bring into Weather Report, but as the album progresses, it gets more and more unique across time, and it's clear this cat has his very own stripes.

Link

Bonus content: My car of the year, the temperamental but sexy as hell Lamborghini Miura

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Additional nostalgia: The first Lambo supercar was one of my first Matchbox Cars as a kid

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 11:59:11 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/16/2026 16:59

... the jazz journey time trip hits 1965 ...
yesterday, I erroneously jumped forward with Basra as a '64 album when it's actually '65. today I compensate by backtracking to '64 with my first selection

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Herbie Hancock - Empyrean Isles
Year: 1964
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, Post Bop, Modal Jazz
Right from his first, relatively straightforward album, Herbie Hancock hinted he was going to bring a rather unique musical personality. On this, his third album, that uniqueness stopped being a hint and came out in full, almost radical force. While overall, Maiden Voyage a couple years later might be considered more essential, this is the real future shock (yes, pun intended). It's an incredible album in historical context as well as a great listen independent of historical considerations. Interestingly, this is also the album where trumpeter Freddie Hubbard really bursts out; there's no way Hancock's musical vision is realized here without Hubbard's also almost shocking leap forward. The melodic and harmonic adventurousness here somehow manages to be huge without fully crossing over into the avant garde. All of this is brilliantly underpinned by bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. What's more impressive is, despite the shift away from the tried and true, the album generated something of a jazz hit in Cantaloupe Island, a very clever neo bop/blues. But the album's most amazing feat is the incredible composition and delivery of the 14 minute The Egg, something unlike anything heard before.

Cantaloupe Island

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The Egg

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Yusef Lateef - Psychicemotus
Year: 1965
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop, Modal Jazz
Speaking of unique musical personalities, back in 1965 proper I landed on a new to me Yusef Lateef album. I always find Lateef intriguing as he rarely brings the same ol' same ol', and this album is no different. On this album alone, we get hard bop, post bop, third stream, exotic global jazz sounds, and some straightforward swing and balladry. Lateef really varies his instrumentation here with all manner of woodwinds finding their way into these arrangements. The result is an album that never sits still. Some might say that not all forms are equally well executed or that the variety comes at some expense to album cohesiveness, but I loved hearing what was around the next corner at each turn.

Psychicemotus

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Bamboo Flute Blues

Link

Bonus content: my car of the year - the Shelby Cobra

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sun, 15 Feb 2026 12:04:31 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/15/2026 17:04

... the jazz journey time trip cruises into the year my journey began...

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Nancy Wilson - Today, Tomorrow, Forever
Year: 1964
Style or Subgenre: Vocal Jazz
My annual reviews hit the year of my birth on Saturday night, so my first 1964 entry is a vocal selection; Nancy Wilson's Today, Tomorrow Forever.[/i]
I have to say yeah, Ella can sing a bit, Billie's not bad, Sarah can spin a tune, and Dinah does pretty well, but Nancy? Nancy may be the most special of all. Ridiculous? Maybe so, but hear me out. Here we have an album that is as much carried by pop of the day as it is standards/songbook, something I should like quite a lot less. And yet Ms. Wilson makes each song both her own and totally worthy of a listen. There are songs on this album I actively dislike, but once Nancy sings them, yeah, I'm on board. No, this is not my favorite Nancy Wilson album, but that I am happy to listen to the whole thing without ever lifting the needle is probably the greatest testament to my appreciation of her I could provide.

Link

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Pete La Roca - Basra
Year: 1964 1965
Style or Subgenre: Hard Bop, International Jazz
Oddly, I've never made it a point to pay attention to this seminal album until now. That was a mistake. This thing is hot! The opening Malaguena us utterly captivating. That comes largely due to some very forward leaning (for 1964) and dynamic soloing from tenor Joe Henderson riding over an amazingly active yet atmospheric foundation provided by La Roca's drums and Steve Swallow's bass. Pianist Steve Kuhn is so marvelously integrated into the whole thing as well, making this one of those albums where the brilliance of the listening experience is in large part determined by how tightly everyone in the ensemble is locked in to the bottom line musical expression. Wow. Yeah, incredible. One wonders why La Roca had so few dates as leader.

Link

Bonus content: My car of the year - Ford Vs. Ferrari, baby! The Ford GT40

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Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:10:11 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/14/2026 17:10

... the jazz journey time trip motors into 1963...

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Al Grey - Having a Ball
Year: 1963
Style or Subgenre: Bop

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Al HIrt - Honey in the Horn
Year: 1963
Style or Subgenre: Dixieland, Crossover Jazz

This particular 1963 stop was a less successful one with a couple crossover Al's. The Al Grey album is some crossover bop that seems fun on the surface at first, but ends up sounding like it's just trying to hard to hook the listener with cheap hooks and crossover jazz pastiche. As a kid, I took a strong like to Al Hirt's hits (I still miss fun instrumentals hitting pop charts), and this album has one of my favorite such hits, the delightful Java. But every other song is to my ear drug down by the Anita Kerr Singers with whom Al partners here for the first time; it's like a "so and so with strings" jazz album taken a notch lower. I'm keeping Java on a playlist, but that's it.

Link

Bonus content, my top car of 1963, the Studebaker Avanti

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Additional anecdote:
When struggling Studebaker decided their last ditch attempt to save the company would be to shed their traditional boxy designs, they went all the way and came up with this thoroughly sleek and sexy bit of American muscle. Alas, it was of no use and the failing auto maker shuttered. But the design would be saved multiple times over then next few decades as a string of boutique shops would buy the design for the shell and mate it to available chassis. After retiring from the Marine Corps, my father went to work for a dealership that sold one of these incarnations; the Avanti II, which had the Avanti shell mated to a GM (usually a Chevy Monte Carlo) chassis and a souped up engine. As a perk/sales facilitator, Dad was allowed to drive various cars home and around a bit and the first time he brought one of the sexy monsters home, my preteen self was thoroughly smitten. I then researched the history and found out about the Studebaker origins which was both fascinating and terribly sad. Dad moved on from that job quickly and the Avanti gravy train came to a halt by the time I was 12, but my love for the shape remained.

Flash forward a couple decades, my wife and I were visiting her uncle on his 40 acres in rural northern Virginia. As the ladies were all chatting, her uncle said to me "Come with me, I'd like to show you something." Sure, why not? He led me to an outbuilding, threw open the barn door and sitting inside was an original Studebaker Avanti he had about 90% restored. I was thrilled! A blurted out "You have an Avanti!.... Original Studebaker!!!" Well, that made his day as well as the car is not well known, especially among people as young as I was at the time. That I knew all about the history, spec, backstory, engineering, etc excited him tremendously. It was a great day for both of us.

Re: A Century of Jazz: Time Journey - 1980

Fischman — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:22:59 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 02/13/2026 23:22

... the jazz journey time trip motors into 1962...

Steve Lacy - The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy
Year: 1962
Style or Subgenre: Avant Garde, Free Jazz
Well, that horn may be strait, but the music ain't! Even with one foot planted in relatively traditional jazz, Lacy takes his soprano sax into largely uncharted territory here, increasingly so as the album progresses. You can really hear the adventurous spirit reaching beyond the status quo in this music, and the experiment is a huge success. Every once in a while, I hear an album that I think would make a great transition album for a listener looking to take a first step into the avant garde or free jazz worlds, but this may well be the best of them all. The brilliance of the album is that it need to be limited to neophytes in the genre either; it has the depth to entice even a jaded old veteran. Great album, recommended for all.

Link

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Jimmy Smith - Bashin': The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith
Year: 1962
Style or Subgenre: Big Band, Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
After such a forward thinking album, it might seem anticlimactic to take on a mainstream hard bop/soul jazz album with the word "unpredictable" in its title. Marketing overreach, surely! Not so fast there; Jimmy Smith is an organist famous for his small group sessions, but on this album he hooks up with a big band sound. That's kind of unpredictable, so there. Further unpredictable is just how well this unexpected collaboration works. It swings, it rocks, and it has real soul! Another strong recommendation!

Link

Bonus material; for 1962 my car of the year, the Triumph TR-3, here in its last production year.

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Accompanying anecdote:
This car is today's selection, not only because it may be the most classic British roadster of all time, but also because my father had one. At the time (1967), he was stationed at the United States Marine Corps base in Twentynine Palms in the Southern California desert. One day we were returning from a family day at the beach (the car is a small two seater with a cubby behind the seats big enough for one suitcase or one small three year old child; this was in the days before seatbelts let alone child car seats). As we were cruising across the desert when a colossal freak sandstorm came up out of nowhere. We had to pull over and there was no time to put up the ragtop (probably for the best as the sandstorm would have completely shredded it). Mom hunkered down on the passenger side and dad shielded me with his body as the blowing sand stripped one side of the car through paint, primer, and right down to bare metal. Now normally that would have been kinda crushing.... but Dad had splurged on comprehensive insurance which meant free paint job. He'd never really cared for the traditional English hunter green, so he had the car repainted in his beloved sapphire blue. Not original or authentic, but quite pretty and exactly what he wanted. Alas, society was learning the importance of safety restraints, and I was I was outgrowing the little cubby any way, so we'd only have the car a couple more years. Parting was a little traumatic, but don't fret.... wait 'til you see what we got in '69!