I'm going back to the start

[kokkinos]

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Odetta - It's A Mighty World
Music, civil rights, you know that Odetta is a legend for many reasons. That being said, I haven’t listened to her as much as I should, so let’s try to change that. This album epitomises the old cliché that is known as “the beauty of simplicity”. Guitar and voice is all you need. And what a voice, it can be powerful or vulnerable or playful or pious or anything in between and excels at pretty much all of them.
6.5/10.

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The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk
This is the second album I've listened by The Drifters - the first one being Save The Last Dance For Me that came out all the way back in 1962. That one was also rather forgettable, but Under The Boardwalk was sadly even worse, despite being considered their best effort. A few nice singles - I' ll Take You Home probably my favourite - but overall it comes off as way too light and easy when examined as a full album.
6/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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Anthony Williams - Life Time
I’ve listened to Tony Williams as a drummer before and have been thoroughly impressed, he is one of the few drummers in jazz or in general that I find so appealing and I think his name has already been brought up a couple of times in this diary, but this is his debut album and the first of his as a band leader that I got to check. And it’s a nice one, definitely worth the hype. I’d say it’s a “reasonable” so to speak take on avant-garde, as it is progressive and uncompromising, but not as explosive or wild as some typical examples of this style like Coleman/Coltrane/Mingus etc, it is more subtle, classy and minimal instead. A different and interesting approach for sure. Credit to the rest of the band as well – many familiar names, the most well-known being Bobby Hutcherson and Herbie Hancock, everyone being essential to the final outcome.
7/10.

And that was the last 1964 album I had on my list, I'll probably wrap things up with a year chart and then move on to 1965.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

And here's a quick 1964 chart before moving on to 1965.
And I know I have skipped The Kinks' debut, which did come out in 1964, I intend to talk about them in great detail at some point in the near future, as they are one of my absolute favourite bands, for now 1965 is the name of the game.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
Hard to believe I’m already halfway through the ‘60s, what a ride. And of course one would be hard-pressed to suggest a more appropriate album to begin the second half of this journey, quite simply one of the most convincing entries in any GOAT discussion. It should be known by now that I’m not a huge fan of Love Supreme or Coltrane in general, but the truth is there are few albums I’ve spent so much time with them without being among my favourites, not to mention I’ve also listened to many – probably 20 or so - other Coltrane albums. All of that has lead to some progress, I enjoy it much more than I used to – which is no small feat, if I insist on other artists I’m not particularly fond of, it tends to get worse, not better. That being said, I still have a long way to go, I’m not amazed. What I like the most is how it makes for a wild ride, exploring the darkest corners of the human condition, maybe even transcending it and reaching for something greater and in the end it’s all good, mission accomplished, it feels so balanced and peaceful. Also, it’s funny how I’ve always considered Part I the weakest of the bunch, yet this time it made the biggest impression on me.
7/10.

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Albert Ayler Trio - Spiritual Unity
The second 1965 record that is usually brought up when it comes to greatest/best/most influential albums of all time and that's for good reason, it really pushes the boundaries of jazz and music in general. This one is way more hardcore than the above. At least that’s what one might think when listening to it for the first time. Not to say that this statement isn’t true, but at this point, it feels so familiar to me that it’s almost pop music to my ears, I can play it on repeat for several hours, I can’t get enough. And I don’t mean to imply that I understand what’s going on here or that it’s too easy for me, it’s just that everything seems to make perfect sense in its own unique, addictive, enigmatic and above all majestic way. And of course it’s not only Albert Ayler’s eccentric to the point of being nightmarish saxophone , the other two band members (Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray) give the impression they were born for this recording session, as they follow him impressively closely in each and every step. In fact they might be even more weird and inaccessible, go figure. I'm a bit hesitant when it comes to rating it, maybe it deserves more.
8/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man
I don’t know, I appreciate what they are trying to do, but I can’t for the life of me find any kind of appeal to it. Dylan does his songs sooo much better it’s not even funny – and you know Mr. Tambourine Man is one of my favourite songs of all time, how they make me not care at all about their version is quite an achievement. The originals are decent and did pave the way for other acts that would follow their – let’s call it a pop-oriented with a touch of rock take on folk music - footsteps, though I’d have a hard time calling them memorable or spectacular.
6/10.

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Nina Simone - Pastel Blues
Probably the album that offers the most genuine Nina Simone experience. If you like her, this will make you love her and if you don’t know her that well or you are wondering what makes her so great, this will satisfy your curiosity, it’s almost impossible not to be affected by the sheer emotion this record carries. Not a favourite of mine, but there’s few albums from the ‘60s I would consider more essential or “must-listen” than this. Sinnerman is the clear highlight, a song for the ages and an epic way of closing the album.
6/10.

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Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You
Another fantastic effort, a bit lighter and as a result easier to like. It feels weird ranking this higher, hardcore fans would probably hate me for it, but Pastel Blues was too serious, uncompromising and emotionally invested for me, this one’s slightly more balanced and entertaining, better suited for mass consumption. And of course it contains some monumental tracks like I Put A Spell On You or Feeling Good.
7/10.

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Otis Redding - Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul
Man, whenever I listen to Otis Redding I can’t believe how lucky we are that a singer like him walked on earth. Many people can sing a song, Otis Redding is one of the very few who becomes the song – and his diversity means it doesn’t matter what kind of a song it is, which is even more impressive if we take into account that he’s tackling some super classics here, the man could do anything, a true inspiration. His voice is extremely expressive and so very touching but does so in a realistic and totally believable manner, no need for any melodramatic or over the top theatrics. The band is also top notch and accompanies him ideally, though it's hard to focus on anything other than Otis, he is a force of nature. If there’s one misstep you know it already, I’m not sure what to make of the album cover, so I try my best to ignore it.
8/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Who - My Generation
Just as it is the case with The Rolling Stones, The Who is another major British Invasion act I don’t particularly care about. I appreciate that they bring something different to the table, as they are probably the loudest (though none of their songs can match You Really Got Me) band of the bunch, their frustration being teenagers/young adults leads them to an outburst of creative activity, they are full of energy and dynamism, young and ready to take the world by storm. This album shows a lot of potential, the self-titled track is arguably their most iconic moment, but their artistic identity isn’t fully shaped yet, some of those songs are either too close to American R & B or sound like a poor attempt at imitating The Beatles.
6/10.

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The Rolling Stones - Out Of Our Heads
Speaking of the devil (no pun intended), let’s keep the same theme alive, that’s an album you can’t escape anyway. Their style is unmistakable, it’s loose and free-flowing, but it’s not random, there’ s a point to it, it goes on to show how their desire is getting out of control, these guys are dirty and wild, you won't resist them for too long and they know it. And yes, I am aware of the fact that it’s mostly covers but their take on said material is convincing enough, it’s clear they put their stamp on it. Of course I have to address the elephant in the room, namely that - depending on which version you own - this record might contain Satisfaction, one of the most legendary songs of all time.
6.5/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Byrds - Turn! Turn! Turn!
Not much love for this album, but I have to say that the opening track might be my favourite thing they ever did - at least when it comes to their early period - , so based on that alone I rate it slightly higher than their debut, though there isn’t much that separates them in terms of sound or songs (including both the ones they wrote and the ones they covered) or overall quality.
6.5/10.

Wynton Kelly Trio & Wes Montgomery ... Half Note
I can’t say I’m really familiar with Wynton Kelly’s work – especially as a band leader – but this album emphatically proves how much I’ve been missing, I'm making a note to myself that I should check out more of his stuff. First of all, that has to be the most enjoyable I’ve ever found Wes Montgomery’s guitar, which is subtle and detailed, yet vivid and highly expressive, so this should already count as a huge success, credit to them for making everything click together, a rather tricky task, as we've witnessed multiple times. The live setting also works wonders, the band appears slightly loose and frisky in a spontaneous way that reminds me of greats like Mingus or Monk.
6.5/10
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

Miles Davis - E.S.P.
One of the rare occasions where I like Miles as a performer even more than Miles as a band leader (to be fair, it’s a new lineup, so it takes some time to adapt and make sure everything is in its right place) and Miles as a composer (of course other members of the band such as Hancock, Shorter and Carter contribute with their own compositions, so it’s hard to judge him on that regard). Anyway, his second quintet is as great as people have already told you, everyone is a legend, but his trumpet is really something special, the softest and warmest pillow for your sweet dreams. And that’s a wonderful album cover, love it.
7/10.

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The Yardbirds - Having A Rave Up With The Yardbirds
You know, I’ve thought many times I might be underrating them and this listen didn’t change matters. What I said about their debut album more or less applies here as well (to quote myself “nothing more than solid, a bit generic rock/r & b music of its time”). On the other hand, it’s clear this is a superior album, as it features some really cool and heavily influential guitar work, though sadly not much else for me.
6/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Sonics - Here Are The Sonics!!!
Wow, this is super loud and super heavy. To think it’s only 1965 makes it even more impressive – though it has to be said Link Wray’s album that I’ve already brought up in this diary came out in 1960 (!!) and in the meantime there were some other efforts that did follow a similar approach, an obvious example would be The Kinks, who took a different direction later, but their early garage rock/ proto-punk period is also spectacular. Anyway, coming back to The Sonics, if you are a fan of punk rock, this is an essential album that you simply can’t miss.
6/10.

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John Fahey - The Transfiguration Of Blind Joe Death
John Fahey is a great guitar player, I think that’s already been established by his previous album - Death Chants, Break Downs & Military Waltzes - but it’s also clear that his style isn’t my cup of tea, it gets tiring rather fast. Still, it remains an extremely impressive achievement, how he can do so much having so little to work with.
5.5/10.

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Grant Green - Idle Moments
Speaking of guitar legends I can’t quite get into, here’s another one. They are both consistent in their approach, avoiding flashy gimmicks and going for a specific atmosphere throughout the entirety of each album, though I find John Fahey slightly more interesting, as he has the tendency to jump from one creative burst to another, while Grant Green is more dedicated, taking his time to fully develop his ideas. This is Green’s highest ranked album on BEA, yet I can’t say I spotted any element that would make me consider it significantly better compared to his other releases, I think it’s more or less just as good – apologies for the abysmal rating.
4.5/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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Jackson C. Frank - Jackson C. Frank
He’s a bit forgotten compared to other singer/songwriters of his time and it’s a shame he only released one album, but what an album it was - produced by none other than Paul Simon. He doesn’t bother that much with the political themes that dominate the work of most of his peers, though there are a few touches of those as well, Don’t Look Back being a prime example, his songs have a highly personal tone, he is a struggling individual and this album is a sad and touching documentation of it all, one of the greatest downers you could ask for.
7.5/10.

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Free For All
Oh my, what is this, you think you’ ve seen it all from Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers. Well, then comes this and all hell breaks loose, that’s hard bop at its finest. It seems they have found the cure against time, the more years go by the younger they sound. This is so wild, loud, confident and energetic, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to call it punk. I’ve always struggled getting into them, but this is one of the most entertaining records I’ve encountered lately.
7.5/10.

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Astrud Gilberto - The Astrud Gilberto Album
A lovely record that perfectly illustrates the typical traits of bossa nova, though it’s Astrud Gilberto’s (and yes, she was Joao’s wife in case you are wondering) sweet presence that is by far the best part of the album and the one thing that sets it apart from other similar efforts.
6.5/10.
_________________
Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus