Ok, 1960 should be over by now, there is only one artist remaining. Since I saved the best for last, I will adopt a different approach with him. Instead of commenting on three or four albums by the man (as I did with some others, for example Ellington/Coltrane/Coleman/Davis) I’ll compile a more comprehensive - though far from complete- list which in all likelihood I’ll present in a countdown format, ie. beginning with what I perceive as his weakest effort and work my way to the top. So, these are the albums I will include:
Jazzical Moods, Vol. 1
Jazzical Moods, Vol. 2
Mingus At The Bohemia
Pithecanthropus Erectus
The Clown
Mingus Ah Um
Blues And Roots
Mingus Dynasty
Presents Charles Mingus
Oh Yeah
Tijuana Moods
Money Jungle
The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady
Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus
Mingus Plays Piano
Let My Children Hear Music
Changes One
Changes Two
The truth is I already have a rough estimate of the final order in mind, as I ‘d like to believe I know most of those inside out – which is a naïve assumption, his music is so rich that you will never fully comprehend it. That being said, I intend to re-listen to everything at least once before making any call, he is one of those artists that can surpise you no matter how many times you've listened to his work.
Also, it goes without saying that the list is not set in stone. If there are any other essential records -I'm sure any Mingus aficionado could spot a glaring omission or two - or simply personal favourites for whatever reason, just let me know and it will be my pleasure to add them.
San Sebastian had flown under my radar so far, I'll keep that in mind when I make the big decision - based on the current circumstances, it is safe to assume that it will take some time. Also, I don't know if it's possible to visit everything in one go, in all likelihood it isn't. Maybe something like Bilbao/San Sebastian/Barcelona/Valencia/Mallorca being part one and Madrid/Toledo/Seville/Granada being part two, I'll need to do some research.
Disclaimer: Not trying to turn this into a travel forum, but Spain is -in my book at least- a fascinating destination, so I guess it's ok. :)
Yeah, final derailment—
Toledo's cool too, and super easy/cheap to get to from Madrid. Places with no signs have the best food (also, don't expect people to follow 'work hours' :lol:). I hopped by for a couple days about 5 years ago now (which sounds insane, feels like last year...), and it was long enough. Super affordable place though. Don't think I spent more than 20 euros a day on food. If you do go to San Sebastian, there's a super easy/cheap bus you can take to Bordeaux. Went back and forth a few times, and Bordeaux's stellar (first place I ever went to in France, don't regret it). Never been to Bilbao, but I've heard good things (and good food). If you're really into food, I honestly don't think there's too many places better in Europe than Basque country.
Yeah, hoping you go one day. Great places all around. _________________ Doubles & Conch
Toledo's cool too, and super easy/cheap to get to from Madrid. Places with no signs have the best food (also, don't expect people to follow 'work hours' :lol:). I hopped by for a couple days about 5 years ago now (which sounds insane, feels like last year...), and it was long enough. Super affordable place though. Don't think I spent more than 20 euros a day on food. If you do go to San Sebastian, there's a super easy/cheap bus you can take to Bordeaux. Went back and forth a few times, and Bordeaux's stellar (first place I ever went to in France, don't regret it). Never been to Bilbao, but I've heard good things (and good food). If you're really into food, I honestly don't think there's too many places better in Europe than Basque country.
Good to know, I'm taking notes.
Mingus project will take some time, so in the meantime I’ll start with 1961. Let's get some big albums that I don't find particularly appealing - despite the deserved acclaim - out of the way.
Robert Johnson - King Of The Delta Blues Singers
The most celebrated man in the history of blues. I understand and definitely respect the cultural and historical significance of this, but that’s all I can say about it. From what I’ve been told, his other compilation is supposed to be slightly better -it offers the full experience if you will- , while this is more beginner’s friendly. Well, if this is his accessible version, I don’t wanna find out how his “hardcore” one is. However, there is one song I've always had a soft spot for and in particular one line that's among my favorite lyrics "If I had possession over judgment day Lord, the little woman I'm loving wouldn't have no right to pray". Maybe it has more to do with his delivery than the lyrical content, but I've always found this part so real and so powerful - I imagine many of you feel the same way about the entirety of his work and that explains a lot, but I guess even one moment of epiphany is better than none. 6/10.
Ray Charles - The Genius Sings The Blues
Second album by GZA Ray Charles to feature in this diary and it is just as solid, maybe even more when judged on the basis of individual songs. After all, it is a compilation, what did you expect? It’s reasonably diverse as well. On the other hand, it lacks the cool concept the other one had, so I 'd say they are more or less equal. 6.5/10.
Patsy Cline - Showcase
Another case of respect, admiration even, but not much more. She has a charm and can get you emotionally involved, but overall it was too forgettable, nothing that would stay with me for a long time. 6.5/10.
I think I’ve already made it clear that I’m not a big fan, but he has some of the highest rated albums of the era to his name, so there’s no way around it. Nothing too good or too bad compared to the rest of his discography, maybe Ring-A-Ding Ding! had slightly better songs overall, but to be honest most of them sound the same to me – maybe it’s not the songs that annoy me, it’s the attitude/swag. 5/10 and 5/10.
RoundTheBendI miss the comfort in being sadProfile Ground Control
Was wondering if you were going to drop Blues & Roots but it looks like you are holding that on for last?
I will do it in a different way with Mingus, namely I will make a list with about 20 of his albums and present them in a countdown format. Blues & Roots will be a part of this list (you can check the list on the first post of this page, feel free to add any albums you 'd like to see).
RoundTheBend wrote:
You already get to Miriam Makeba?
Yes, it was one of the first albums I tried, you can find my comment on the second page, post #13. In short, refreshingly out of the norm, but I failed to connect with it, not exactly my cup of tea.
RoundTheBend wrote:
Kontakte (or not doing that kinda music)?
I've been thinking about it - the 60's are full of great albums in this field, but I decided I won't go down this rabbit hole, maybe someday I will do a separate project, who knows.
Thanks for the rec anyway, es hört sich außerordentlich spannend an! 😉
(For some reason this suggestion inspired me to write something in German, nothing crazy, I just said it sounds extraordinarily exciting)
Haven't made a lot of progress recently, only one album during the last two days.
Ella Fitzgerald - Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!
I've already had the chance to listen to three of her albums (see page 3, post #26) and this wasn't that much different. One thing I have to point out is that I’m shocked this album didn’t exist in the database, I knew it’s not her most well-known, but thought it enjoyed an above average spot in her catalogue nonetheless. The dynamics between her and the band don't always work 100% - generally speaking, I believe she is a case of "the bigger the band the better", there's no danger of being overshadowed anyway. 6/10.
Poor harvest goes on.
Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blues
I liked this much more than expected. Most blues records are raw and gritty, they pierce right through me in an uncomfortable way. This, however, is soft, smooth and clean, much more relatable, something like blues tailored to the faint-hearted. To be fair, though, this is not exactly old school blues, even the title suggests that, it is also a bit soul/r&b. Now that I read the above again, maybe my phrasing was kinda off, don't let my description fool you, he sings with all his heart, the emotions are there, it's just that he presents them in a more digestible manner - for me at least - than most blues artists. 6.5/10.
Another day that was far from fruitful music-wise.
Jacques Brel - N° 5
Here's my problem with this album and this artist in general: I remember a performance I watched as a kid, where someone made a parody of this guy - and I have to admit it was an extremely successful one-, so this memory keeps coming back whenever I listen to him. Instead of getting emotionally involved, this feels like comedy and makes sure I get a good laugh. Embarrassing, I know, but it is what it is. Taking into account that the language barrier doesn't help either, this holds up reasonably well. 6/10.
No new albums for today, just a quick update regarding Mingus, I 've added two extra albums on the list, namely East Coasting and Pre-Bird, so it's nice round 20 at the moment, though this doesn't rule out the possibility of further additions.
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Hayden
RoundTheBend
