I'm going back to the start
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These are some fine selections, rockbluesfolkjazz. Based on those, I'd also recommend - in all likelihood you'll be well familiar with them, as they are extremely well-known - Band Of Gypsys by Hendrix, Made In Japan by Deep Purple, Europe' 72 by Grateful Dead and of course the Dylan albums that have already been brought up.
If you are looking for something different, the jazz legends - Coltrane/Miles/Mingus/Monk/Duke/Bill Evans among others - have a ton of live albums worth exploring.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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Chico Hamilton Quintet - Passin' Thru
First time listening to a Chico Hamilton album and I'm wondering what took me so long, I need to take a closer look at his discography. This was one of the most cheerful albums I’ve encountered in recent times, and that’s not only in jazz, in general. Listen to this and everything will seem brighter and happier, this is the joy of life. Excellent guitar work as well – something I rarely say about a jazz album, but this one was quite a jam.
7.5/10.
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Dick Hyman / Mary Mayo - Moon Gas
(This was posted in the "You must listen to the album below" you thread as well.)
Most -if not all- songs were cool. Were I to complain about something, it would be that some of them featured an intriguing idea, but were disappointingly short. As soon as something interesting started happening, it was over, give me some more. Still, I don’t think you can find many similar albums in the early ‘60s, an extremely refreshing listen compared to the rest of the stuff I’ve been checking out lately. And of course the jazz touch is always welcome, as it gives the album a much needed extra dimension. I wouldn’t have been a fan of the vocals on general principle, but they work fine in this context.
6.5/10.
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Bill Evans - Conversations With Myself
Well, I guess this should appeal to Bill Evans fans, it’s only him and piano. It sounds cool in theory, but it felt a bit awkward. Actually, this record shows how essential the other two members of the trio are, this setting didn’t suit him at all – in my opinion of course.
5.5/10.
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Sonny Rollins And Coleman Hawkins - Sonny Meets Hawk!
This kind of albums is always special. One has the chance to see/listen two legends jamming together. And who knows, sometimes the ensuing albums justify the fuss. In this case, I have to say that the other two records of Sonny Rollins I recently checked didn’t prepare me for this. One of them (Saxophone Colossus) was the epitome of hard bop, the other (The Bridge) moved closer to cool jazz. Sonny Meets Hawk, however, is a different beast altogether. He took the next step. Actually, he took many steps at once. His traditional style has been replaced by a willingness to explore the latest avant-garde trends. Many interesting ideas, some of them admittedly too advanced for me, it requires multiple listens to start getting into it, I’ll give it another try at some point. And of course Hawkins’ adaptability is even more surprising, who would have thought.
6.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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theblueboy
- #343
- Posted: 12/16/2021 12:11
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| kokkinos wrote: | Part 2: 50-1
50.No Time To Think (Street Legal)
49.To Ramona (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
48.Girl From The North Country (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
47.She Belongs To Me (Bringing It All Back Home)
46.I Want You (Blonde On Blonde)
45.The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest (John Wesley Harding)
44.Visions Of Johanna (Blonde On Blonde)
43.All I Really Want to Do (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
42.Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
41.Love Minus Zero/No Limit (Bringing It All Back Home)
40.Shelter From The Storm (Blood On The Tracks)
39.Ballad Of Hollis Brown (The Times They Are A-Changin')
38.Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 (Blonde On Blonde)
37.One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below) (Desire)
36.Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum (Love And Theft)
35.It's All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bringing It All Back Home)
34.It Ain't Me Babe (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
33.Tombstone Blues (Highway 61 Revisited)
32.Most Likely You Go Your Way And I'll Go Mine (Blonde On Blonde)
31.Bob Dylan's Dream (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
30.Black Diamond Bay (Desire)
29.Changing Of The Guards (Street Legal)
28.Jokerman (Infidels)
27.Idiot Wind (Blood On The Tracks)
26.Tryin’ To Get To Heaven (Time Out Of Mind)
25.Ballad in Plain D (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
24.I Don't Believe You (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
23.It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding) (Bringing It All Back Home)
22.Masters Of War (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
21.Brownsville Girl (Knocked Out Loaded)
20.Every Grain Of Sand (Shot Of Love)
19.Desolation Row (Highway 61 Revisited)
18.A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
17.Gates Of Eden (Bringing It All Back Home)
16.Talkin’ New York (Bob Dylan)
15.All Along The Watchtower (John Wesley Harding)
14.Ballad Of A Thin Man (Highway 61 Revisited)
13.Talking World War III Blues (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
12.Blowin' In The Wind (The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan)
11.Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts (Blood On The Tracks)
10.Hurricane (Desire)
9.Just Like A Woman (Blonde On Blonde)
8.Mississippi (Love And Theft)
7.Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again (Blonde On Blonde)
6.I Shall Be Free No. 10 (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
5.My Back Pages (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
4.Chimes of Freedom (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
3.Motorpsycho Nitemare (Another Side Of Bob Dylan)
2.Mr. Tambourine Man (Bringing It All Back Home)
1.Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bringing It All Back Home) |
Nice to see Jokerman relatively high up. After listening to Dylan for over 20 years I somehow only heard this track for the first time this week. I absolutely love it.
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| theblueboy wrote: | | Nice to see Jokerman relatively high up. After listening to Dylan for over 20 years I somehow only heard this track for the first time this week. I absolutely love it. |
Glad you like it, it’s amazing indeed.
You know, I’m not mad at Dylan for releasing a bunch of mediocre or below average albums.
However, I’m slightly upset that this has resulted in burying a few fantastic songs such as Jokerman, Brownsville Girl, Every Grain Of Sand, which undoubtedly deserve a place among his finest achievements.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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Eric Dolphy - Conversations
Not exactly what one might expect from Eric Dolphy, this -especially the first half- feels like sunshine pop compared to his usual stuff. I don’t mean that as a criticism, absolutely no shame in being a multifaceted artist, not to mention Music Matador is out of this world. Then we are back on track, as his more progressive side appears. Actually, I’d go as far as to say that at times it feels too progressive for its own good, but one can’t deny it offers us a few mind blowing moments.
7.5/10.
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Joe Harriott Quintet
Keeping the same theme as the album right above, this is a natural way to move forward, things get just as weird here. The fact that it’s not as emphatic only makes it less accessible. To be fair, there are tracks like Tonal, which are easy on the ear and give the listener the chance to catch his/her breath. The percussion heavy closer is also catchy enough and a nice way to finish things off. However, the incredibly majestic Shadows is the clear highlight for me. Still, the entire albums deserves at the very least one listen, especially if this particular type of jazz is of any interest to you. Great stuff.
7/10.
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Curtis Amy/Dupree Bolton - Katanga!
Straightforward, uncompromising hard bop in a way that would make Art Blakey proud. This type of jazz has never been my favourite and this was no exception, but there’s a lot to admire here nonetheless. I found the ballads the most enjoyable part of this record, though it has to be said that the more up-tempo tracks manage to deliver their excitement in a satisfying manner. You Don’t Know What Love Is stands out and makes for an easy choice as a standout moment. The opening track is also good, it draws you in and makes you ask for more, exactly what it was supposed to do.
7/10.
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John Lee Hooker - Don't Turn Me From Your Door
It’s very intense in a clear-headed way, persistent but not forcing, subtle enough so that it avoids anything too excessive. It’s very simple, he has something interesting to say and you better pay attention, as he takes no shortcuts, it’s a slow burning affair. If you are the kind of guy/gal that gets fascinated by what a man and a guitar can do, this is for you, waste no more time, check it out. Not my thing, but a highly respectable album by a legendary artist.
6.5/10.
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Lightnin' Hopkins - Goin' Away
Acoustic blues should in theory be just a tiny bit more appealing to me than their electric counterparts. Unfortunately, this one didn’t work at all. Maybe I was already too tired when I got onto it, so it made a worse impression than it should. Actually, that’s a reasonable explanation, as the first couple of tracks were ok and then I started losing the plot. Anyway, the point is I failed to get moved by it.
6/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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Stan Getz & Luiz Bonfá - jazz Samba Encore!
Generally speaking, I have a hard time vibing with Stan Getz and this was no exception. It started off nicely, it got me into its mood, but after a while I realised I had stopped paying attention. Sadly, it’s not my thing at all. I don't dislike it or anything, but I don't find it interesting either.
6.5/10.
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The Dillards - Back Porch Bluegrass
It’s not something I could listen every day, but bluegrass can be fun once in a blue moon. This album left me thiking that being a cowboy is the ideal part time job.
6.5/10.
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Jackie McLean - One Step Beyond
Everyone knows how much I like Eric Dolphy and Jackie McLean is one of the very few that belong to the same category. His style is unmistakable. Not only does he navigate in treacherous waters, he does so in the most effortless manner, as if it’s a walk in the park for him. Despite his avant-garde escapades, he remains melodically alert and knows how to keep his solos presentable, never biting off more than he can chew. At the same time, it has to be said that this is a great team effort. Every member of the lineup adds his own touch. Shout out to vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, whose work I’ve come to appreciate a lot lately, no small thanks to his 1965 album, which was assigned to me in the “You must listen to the album below you” game a few months ago. Hard to tell if that’s McLean’s best album, as there are a few worthy candidates, but it’s definitely up there.
7.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Buhaina's Delight
I keep searching, but I haven’t found the one Jazz Messengers record that will go the extra mile for me yet, all of them seem variations of the same theme. If anything, I’d say this is slightly below average taking into account their standards. On the other hand, if you are a fan of them in general, it's easy to imagine you'll love this one as well.
6/10.
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The Surfaris - Wipe Out
The self-titled track is of course a huge hit and the same could be said for Surfer Joe. The rest is typical surf rock of its time, nothing spectacular, but tons of fun nonetheless.
6.5/10.
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Ken McIntyre - 'Way, 'Way Out
The comparisons with Eric Dolphy might be a stretch, but they are totally understandable. Their approach is slightly different, as the creative anxiety of post-bop and avant-garde takes a step – it’s only a minor step, mind, things get pretty intense at some points - back, the elegance and nobility that are reminiscent of classical music dominate the scene instead. One thing’s for sure: you’ll be hard pressed to find another album like this, its beauty is something else. Great record – and slightly underappreciated I may add, I can’t believe it didn’t even exist in BEA’s database.
7.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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Paul Desmond - Take Ten
It might not capture your interest instantly and it might not make a great first impression, not to mention there are times you wish it would be bolder or more lively, but there’s a reason it plays out this way. One of the finest examples of how jazz and samba can work together. If you feel like taking it easy, it’s hard to top this album and of course you can’t deny some of the themes here are plain gorgeous.
7/10.
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Andy Williams - The Andy Williams Christmas Album
Christmas is round the corner, let’s start getting in the mood, I can't wait. Everything you could ask for is here, just push play and enjoy.
7.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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The Impressions - The Impressions
Two words should be enough: Curtis Mayfield. It should have been a forgettable, run-of-the-mill R & B album, but he is such a wild, glorious driving force that he single-handedly carries it to next level. No matter how many times one listens to it, it doesn't age at all.
7.5/10.
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Phineas Newborn Jr. - The Great Jazz Piano Of Phineas Newborn Jr.
Not only hadn’t I listened to this album until now, I don’t think I had ever heard of Phineas Newborn Jr. – I mean it’s one of the coolest names I can think of, so it’s hard to believe I could have forgotten him. And it seems I’m not the only one, he deserves way more credit, he has to be one of the most underrated jazz pianists ever. Probably not the most lyrical, but his energy is unparalleled. I imagine Thelonious Monk's fans would easily enjoy this.
7/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus
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