(For some reason the small pictures that I tend to prefer couldn't load properly so I guess I'll stop being a caveman and use the large artwork as everyone else instead)
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Sister Rosetta Tharpe - Gospel Train
You are right, that’s an essential artist that simply can’t be ignored. I’ve heard of her multiple times in the past, I could even recognise a couple of her biggest songs, but I don’t think I’ve ever listened to an entire album by her before. The one thing that’s immediately striking is that, despite being primarily dedicated to gospel, her blues foundation is so powerful - and obviously extremely influential as well - and at the same time her songs come with shiny poppy wrapping paper. She takes the best elements of different worlds and combines them in an effortless yet passionate manner. As a result, it’s easy to vibe with her no matter where you’re standing in terms of music taste. 7/10.
Well that cover gets closer to saying "this is sex music" than any mainstream music I'm aware of to that point. And it's a straight-up exotica album, which is actually a first for me. I haven't historically been very into easy listening, and the colonialism of exotica made it an even harder sell. My understanding from what I've read and passively heard is that as a genre it revolves around the fetishization of usually unspecified 'exotic' cultures, inauthentically grafted onto what middle-of-the-road music sounded like in 50s-60s America. The musical expression of so-called tiki culture. Anyway, I really didn't find my qualms realized in this album. It doesn't have the corny or heavy-handed feints at foreignness that I was expecting. It's just beautiful instrumental music that fits the aquatic themes indicated in the track titles and cover. Lush, bright, and stays interesting throughout. A very good album, and much better than I thought it would be. 3.5/5.
Now for some doo-wop. This is only credited to The Coasters, but about half the material is by The Robins.
The Coasters - The Coasters
This album is so much fun, everyone here is having such a great time. Its cohesiveness is impressive if you consider how it was put together. Hadn’t you told me about the two parts (Robins and Coasters), I doubt I would have noticed, as it effortlessly keeps the same mood throughout its entirety. Even the songs that would normally qualify as “filler” have an infectious groovy energy that makes them highly enjoyable. This attitude reflects on the lyrics as well, they never take themselves too seriously, they are like a group of friends telling anecdotes and jokes. Lots of highlights to choose from, but I’d have to go with One Kiss Led To Another, it is simply hilarious.
7/10.
Chavela Vargas by Chavela Vargas
(The album is in the database twice, so I just submitted a correction to merge the reissue into this original version.)
This is a cool record. Songs about lesbian love released in 1961, although many thought they were just songs from a man's point of view until she came out in 2002. Her debut album, it features very good vocals and instrumentals throughout. I'm not head over heels in terms of the songs themselves, but that's probably due to my lukewarm feelings for ranchera and bolero. In any case, it's quite nice and will be joining my year chart straight away. 3.5/5.
The last time I was part of a band of any kind was in middle school playing the xylophone, and that family of instruments remains a personal favorite, especially in jazz. So listen to a great album fronted by one of the masters:
Dialogue by Bobby Hutcherson
So, it’s 1965, jazz isn’t the powerhouse it once was – actually, it still is, but other genres are catching up, so many artists feel they need to step up in order to stay relevant and get some attention. Despite their best efforts, some of them take it too far. Well, not this guy, he knows his stuff. The opening track, Catta, is an irresistible banger that I could listen 10 or more times in a row without complaining one bit. Then, Idle While takes a breather and lets the emotions come to the surface, some classical music influence as well. Les Noirs Marchant is a weird one. It appears to be so innocent, but there’s a sense of “something isn’t right” looming, it keeps teasing you. The self-titled track, Dialogue, continues the same pattern, surrealism at its finest, this is the kind of music that would get David Lynch’s stamp of approval. Maybe I’m stretching it too far, but I think there’s a clear psychedelic vibe here, I could easily imagine Syd Barrett/early Pink Floyd taking notes. Ghetto Lights was a bit confusing to be honest, I ‘ll have to spend more time with it. Jasper pulls no punches and ends the album on a high note. The vibraphone is a nice touch that adds a little extra "sophisticated randomness" so to speak, I guess the album could work without it, but the outcome would be entirely different. The bass also does a great job, Richard Davis knows when it’s time to take a stand. It doesn’t happen that often, but when it does, it’s a joy to behold. It goes without saying that Freddie Hubbard/Sam Rivers/Andrew Hill are also excellent, but everyone will tell you about them, that’s why I brought up the bass instead. 1965 has a few great records and this is undoubtedly one of them.
I 'll change gear and go for a big one this time.
(Based on RYM it appears to be on your wishlist. If that doesn't hold true anymore and you got your hands on it in the meantime, let me know and I'll replace it with another one.)
I don't know about the GOAT talk, but Reinhardt is definitely an excellent guitarist and it's good to finally hear some of his work. In this case, recorded in 1949 and released in 1961. The rest of the combo is a pleasant accompaniment, but nothing too special. I would have preferred fewer violin leads, and not every song is a winner. Overall though, a mellow and mostly beautiful nocturnal album with some virtuosic moments, and a good introduction for me to the realm of jazz manouche. 3.5/5.
The Newport Jazz Festival was last weekend, so listen to my favorite album from 1956. Can't speak to the longer reissues floating around, but I love the original.
Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Ellington at Newport
A studio session that recreates a live performance? Well, that’s not something you encounter every day. When it comes to the actual music, it would be hard to imagine anything done by him being a let down, it’s Duke we are talking about after all. This is no exception, I’d say it ranks near the top of his stuff - not that I'm an expert on his discography, I've barely listened to a dozen of his records and maybe even less. Although it’s one of those cases where I like the influenced (Mingus) significantly more than the influencer (Duke), that hasn’t hindered my enjoyment of his work to the slightest.
7/10.
Judy Garland is the O.G. gay icon, and deservedly so. Her amazing voice is the clear highlight of all her music, including this album. Unfortunately in this case, I'm not wild about the material. I prefer her jazzier recordings, but this is mostly a pop album. There's also a clear show tunes bent to this record, and I'm rarely a fan of show tunes, those here not being exceptions to the rule. In spite of these reservations, Garland's strong performance makes this a pretty good album overall. 3/5.
Not entirely - apparently it's 40% live. In any case, glad you enjoyed it. Try Nina Simone's debut album next:
Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue
Nina Simone has always been an artist I respected and admired, but never considered her among my favourites - I would probably say something similar for the likes of Billie Holiday or Ella Fitzgerald, so I guess it has to do with the fact that I’m not the biggest fan of vocal jazz. Coming to this album, most tracks were somewhat familiar, though I can’t say for sure if I’ve listened to this record before (If I had to guess, most likely not - didn't find it in any of my files, which is an indication, but far from an incontestable truth), it could simply be that these tunes are extremely well-known. Don’t Smoke In Bed was a clear highlight, her unrefined emotional outburst hit home. Love Me or Leave Me was a cool one, it made for a welcome change of pace.
6.5/10.
Probably my most risky/adventurous nomination so far, hope you 'll like it - but it's perfectly understandable if you hate it 😁
Well, I listened to the entire thing. And it was certainly an experience. 1.5/5.
Because you like The Smiths and Orange Juice, try this. Not sure how complete your ratings are, so if you've already heard it, I can give you something else.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum
baystateoftheart
