I'm going back to the start

[kokkinos]

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Willie Nelson - Country Willie: His Own Songs
You know country music is not my thing – I mean, Bob Dylan is one of my favourite artists of all time and even his Nashville adventures weren’t enough to convince me, if you ‘ve been following this diary for some time you might recall I had rated it as one of his weakest efforts. Anyway, coming back to Willie Nelson, he keeps doing his thing, but there's a minor twist, this is not as hopeless or painful as his debut, ...And Then I Wrote. It’s not exactly cheerful either, but the aftertaste is clearly more positive. Even when he’s in a melancholic mood – and don’t get fooled, he is in such a mood more often than not - , his voice is somehow optimistic, uplifting even, assuring you everything’s gonna be alright.
6.5/10.

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Buck Owens & His Buckaroos - I've G...y The Tail
Speaking of country, here’s some more. Without being an expert on the subject – as far from it as it gets, actually – I think this would sound rather generic weren’t it for the electric guitar, which is really impressive and should appeal to a wider audience. That’s more evident than ever in the opening, self-titled track, which feels more like blues/rock than country and is quite a jam, the highlight of the album for sure. The record is decently varied, as there is a combination of softer, more romantic and touching songs (The Band Keeps Playin’ On being the brightest example, somewhat reminiscent of Merle Haggard) and more upbeat, energetic ones, yet nothing that would qualify as great or spectacular in my book. His voice is an acquired taste. On the one hand, it’s easily recognisable. On the other hand, I can totally get why someone would find it annoying, though I’d say he never passes the point of no return.
6.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings...r Songbook
Even though I’m not a fan of vocal jazz generally speaking, it’s hard to fault this album. Ella Fitzgerald delivers a stellar vocal performance – her voice is full of power and personality, as it was expected. The song selection is fine as well – I mean, they became standards for a reason - plus they are arranged in a rich and cinematic direction, taking you back to Hollywood’s golden days. This isn’t a record that will change your perception of her, there’s nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but it’s a solid and enjoyable addition to her illustrious catalogue.
6/10.

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Them - The "Angry" Young Them!
In case you missed it, here’s some more British Invasion. The opening track, Mystic Eyes, already sets the tone, a frenzied jam with a jazzy touch. There are a few moments throughout the album that feel too close to r&b of the time, I guess you ‘d have a solid case if you ‘d call it slightly generic, yet it’s far from boring, there are many aspects that more than make up for it. The most important of them all - after Van Morrison of course, I’ll get to that in a second - is that the band does have an exciting personality and it comes through pretty clearly. Even seemingly uninspired tracks like Just A Little Bit are more than mere “filler”, it really packs a punch, tons of energy. And of course Gloria is a no-questions-asked classic. Also, they are proud to be part of the British Invasion, for example I’m Gonna Dress In Black plays out like a sequel to The Animal’s version of The House Of The Rising Sun, while Bright Lights, Big City follows a similar direction -though this one is also reminiscent of The Who. On the other hand there’s (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66, immersed in the American tradition, a crossover between The Band and The Doors or something.
This version of Van Morrison – who is undeniably the star of the show and the main reason I may be overrating this album a bit- is really interesting, compare it to Astral Weeks and it’s hard to believe we are talking about the same artist. If you take into account the fact that they were released only three years apart, it’s even more impressive. Don’t Look Back is one of the rare instances where you can see glimpses of “prime” Van Morrison and it’s absolutely glorious.
7.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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John Fahey - The Dance Of Death & O... Favorites
By now I’ve listened to some John Fahey albums and I have to admit he’s been one of those artists that I massively respect, but at the same time have a hard time properly enjoying. Even though the main elements of this record are quite similar to his previous ones, The Dance Of Death & Other Plantation Favorites – what a title by the way –is somehow different, it was slightly closer to my liking. The excellent guitar work is here and so is his trademark “less is more” approach. The one thing that won me over is that, despite the overall dark atmosphere, there’s a calming, soothing quality to it that gets you in the mood from the get-go and never lets go, it has a hypnotising effect that is usually encountered in Arabic music. It's one of those cases where individual tracks don't matter that much, it all flows effortlessly, it makes for quite a listening experience. That being said, if you are looking for the highlights, I'd probably go with Wine And Roses or On The Banks Of Owchita or Dance Of Death. Cool stuff, try it out, I wish I liked it even more.
6.5/10
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things
Remember the other day how I was claiming that Them were occasionally drifting into generic r & b territory? Well, wait until you listen to The Pretty Things, another relatively overlooked member of the British Invasion. They aren’t fortunate enough to have a singer of Van Morrison’s stature and as a result do it way more evidently and more frequently, more or less throughout the record’s entirety, there are hardly any stand-out or memorable moments. At best, I’d call this a poor man’s Rolling Stones – and Stones of this era aren’t that great themselves if we are being honest. I ‘m sorry to say that, but I don’t think you’d be missing anything if you were to skip this album - unless of course you happen to be a fan of this particular type of music, but then I guess you wouldn't need my recommendation, you'd know it already.
5/10.

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Wes Montgomery - Movin' Wes
Ok, that’s a weird one, my first impression was that the big band does help, as it engages the listener more, since the focus isn’t entirely on the guitar – which has been a tough pill for me to swallow when it comes to jazz, as it’s been discussed here before. However, the more I listen, I can’t help the feeling they overdid it, it feels too cheap and artificial, tourist-friendly if you will. I didn’t like his previous albums that much, but I did appreciate them a lot. On the other hand, the album’s title should give you a hint, it’s supposed to get you moving your feet, so you should have a rough idea of what you are getting into. Still, I miss his more delicate and sophisticated efforts.
5.5/10.

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Odetta - Odetta Sings Dylan
Starting with the positives, I think they did a great job on the song selection department, a mix of many well-established classics and a few relatively unknown gems. She does achieve the main objective of any cover, which is to have its own identity and be instantly distinguishable from the original. However, that’s unfortunately not enough to make me like her take on Dylan. It’s interesting, sure, but it’s disappointingly far from being exciting or entertaining. Even though she’s a fantastic singer and I had no trouble enjoying her previous album, It's A Mighty World - after all, she was the voice of the civil rights movement, not to mention Bob Dylan himself has cited her as a source of inspiration and influence - this was all too flat, there was no spark.
5.5./10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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François Tusques - Free Jazz
So, this has the same title as one of the most famous and important albums in the history of jazz – and music in general now that I think about it – so the competition is rather tough, but I’d say they deliver for the most part. The album’s structure is one of the things that stand out. The opening track, Description Automatique D'un Paysage Désolé, starts off as a typical late ‘50s/early ‘60s cinematic, atmospheric and lyrical number – think of someone like Freddie Redd, though there are countless examples one could use. On the other hand, there’s also a sense of playfulness running through it– meaning that maybe Paul Desmond makes for a better point of comparison. However, there are some moments when it even gets suspenseful– so I guess Cecil Taylor it is. As it progresses, it does slowly get out of control and reach the Promised Land of free jazz – still, though, nowhere near being as challenging as, say, Albert Ayler. The other tracks continue this trend and get more adventurous, ready to explore some rough paths. If I’m being completely honest, I think I may be overrating it just a tiny bit, but the last run of albums hasn’t been that great, so I needed a change of pace and this was exactly what the doctor ordered, talk about some great timing, I am making a note to myself to revisit it and check if it actually holds up. Last – and maybe least, but I can’t ignore it – I am a big fan of the album cover, it represents more than adequately what you are about to listen.
7.5/10.

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New York Art Quartet - New York Art Quartet
Speaking of free jazz, here’s another relatively unknown record that definitely deserves more attention. it starts off as complex yet accessible – the kind of stuff Mingus or Dolphy would pull off with ease - and things keep getting weirder – not necessarily louder, noisier or more chaotic, just weirder. You know, there are many ways to approach this kind of jazz - actually this applies to art in general - and this quartet chose an uncommon, yet surprisingly effective one. Despite its seeming random nature, I found it impressive - among others - that it’s extremely emotional. This vulnerable side is especially obvious in Short, which is simply heartbreaking. The jazz poetry/rap of the closing track is interesting, I’m not quite sure what to make of it yet, but one thing's for certain, it does add a new dimension to the album, so I’m glad it was included – not an easy decision I guess.
7.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Andrzej Trzaskowski Quintet - The A...ki Quintet
And let’s keep going with some more obscure jazz. The second half of the ‘60s saw some interesting developments in the Polish Jazz scene and this is one of the earliest and finest examples. It’s definitely experimental and forward-thinking, but at no point does it feel aimless or forced. Synopsis is the central piece of the album – in fact, it’s not hard to imagine it could have been a great album by itself. During its running time of more than 18(!!) minutes, each member of the band gets to do his own thing – and they are all fantastic, no doubt about it – but the most impressive is the chemistry between them, how each of them picks up where someone else left off and in the end all the pieces of the puzzle – seemingly miraculously even though it’s precisely calculated - fall into place. I am a big fan of the shorter tracks as well, where Andrzej Trzaskowski gets the chance to show that he is also a great pianist – apart from a phenomenal composer – as he combines elegance and lyricism in an effective and engaging way. Although this record is classified as “avant-garde”, I think its charm is universal and it should be easy to like for pretty much anyone no matter how he/she feels towards jazz in general, highly recommended.
8/10.

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حمزة علاء الدين [Hamza El Din] - Al Oud
Now, time for something different. This album needs some time to reveal its beauty, it’s a slow-burning affair. I like Hamza el- Din’s approach. Apart from being a master at his instrument – the oud-he presents his music and his culture in a realistic way, he doesn’t romanticise anything to make it more appealing to the Western audience, he follows a minimal direction, keeping only the absolutely essential. Get ready to sit down next to him and enjoy the full experience, a captivating journey to the most fascinating corners of Arabic music, as he creates an entire three-dimensional world in front of us. Overall, I liked it more than his 1964 album Music Of Nubia and I’d like to think I start “getting” him.
7/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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Miles Davis - My Funny Valentine: Miles...In Concert
I hadn’t listened to anything by Miles Davis in quite some time and what better way to get back than this solid, back to basics live album. Atmospheric and lyrical, reminiscent of late ‘50s/early ‘60s jazz – there are a few artists that come to mind and I could bring up when it comes to this particular style, but Miles happens to be one of them so there’s no need comparing him to someone else – if anything, others should be compared to him. The running times of the tracks might appear intimidating at first – four of them are longer than 10 minutes - , but that’s how they are supposed to be, everything moves in a soft and slow way, leaving plenty of space for the emotions to flow. All Blues is the only track that goes for a change of pace and adds some variety. Another noteworthy aspect of it is that it is focused on Miles himself and his trumpet more than usual, a rare but welcome choice. If there’s a complaint to be made, it’s that it hardly benefits from the live setting, it could very well have been a studio album and no one could tell the difference.
6/10.

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Blind Willie McTell - Blind Willie McTe...ss Session
First of all, even though this came out in 1965, as you can tell based on its title, that’s an archival release, it was recorded all the way back in 1940 (!) but this didn’t stop me from including it here, neither should it stop anyone from giving it a try. It’s like an old book you find in the attic. It may be covered in dust, but take a look inside and it’s full of life, as if a single day hasn’t passed. It’s a world so distant and long gone, yet we take one little step and we are suddenly part of it. The more one thinks about it, the more magic it is. Anyway, there was a discussion here the other day about the various blues subgenres and that’s a prime example of Piedmont blues, Blind Willie McTell being one of the major figures of the “scene” - if you don’t believe me, let me quote none other than Bob Dylan: “Nobody can sing the blues Like Blind Willie McTell”, taken from his song Blind Willie McTell.
6/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Rolling Stones - No. 2

(and its US counterpart)

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The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones, Now!
The – admittedly confusing and annoying – tendency to differentiate between the UK and the US versions of their records keeps going strong. Another thing that’s repeated from their previous efforts is their focus on covers, three originals out of twelve in the UK versions and four out of twelve in the US version. If I’m being totally honest, I have to say I’m not a huge fan of this pair of albums. The material isn’t exactly spectacular or exciting and the way they treat doesn’t help their case either, typical R & B of its time. However, there’s another arguably even more serious problem. Their endless energy is one of their main traits and this one feels rather week In that department. They aren’t particularly nasty or wild or dirty either – compared to their standards at least. This uncharacteristic attitude of their leads to the impression that some of these songs drag unnecessarily and fail to justify their length. The one redeeming quality is the guitar work, there are some great moments which could compete with the best the genre has to offer. Overall, I find the success of this album – it was a hit back then – quite puzzling.
5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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The Rolling Stones - December's Childre...erybody's)
Speaking of the Rolling Stones, let’s wrap their 1965 releases up. with December's Children (And Everybody's). This counts as a compilation, as it contains material from Out of Our Heads, The Rolling Stones EP, Got Live If You Want It! and the two sides of a single. In other words, go figure. They keep including too many covers – and most of them are kinda meh at best, which becomes even more obvious when you realise their improvement in the songwriting department, they don’t need them covers anymore - the two exceptions would be the live tracks, Route 66 and I’m Moving On, both of them are great, tons of energy and that’s what really matters. Also, the opening track, She Said Yeah, is a blast, if you want to describe what rock music – and maybe even punk – is and you have less than two minutes, all you have to do is show them this song. When it comes to their own creations, they start differentiating themselves from the masses and the typical R & B sound of the British Invasion by adding a softer, ligher, poppier side. The two heavy hitters are Get Off of My Cloud with its “I’m a rockstar now, leave me alone” attitude, which, despite having a cool vibe, has never been a particular favourite of mine, and the devastatingly painful As Tears Go By, which was first recorded by Marianne Faithfull, but it was too good to pass it by and The Stones had to have their own version, the highlight of the album as far as I'm concerned. It isn’t exactly a “proper” record, but it is a good effort nonetheless, they are getting there.
5.5/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[kokkinos]

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Ted Curson - Tears For Dolphy
Man, this is stunning. Actually, I was rather lucky to come across this record. I listened to it because I thought it came out in 1965, it turned out to be a 1964 release, talk about a happy accident. This album has so much going for it. Infectious rhythms with the occasional Eastern music influence that get you in a blissful groove paired with super catchy melodies. Apart from being a great composer and band leader, Ted Curson is also a fine player. His tone is warm but not outright romantic, there’s always a sense of excitement, I’d say he stands comfortably next to trumpeters like Blue Mitchell, Freddie Hubbard and especially Booker Little, who is in my opinion the one he shares the most similarities with in terms of playing style. The entire band follows him without any missteps, they are solid and traditional, but at the same time manage to sound fresh and creative. However, the one thing that makes this really stand out is that It displays an impressive range. The adventurous opening track, Kassim, would make guys like Roland Kirk or Sun Ra proud. East 6th Street is as cheerful as a Thelonious Monk, Chico Hamilton or Dexter Gordon number. 7/4 Funny Time is quirky and forward-thinking enough to be appreciated by Ornette Coleman, Frank Zappa or Captain Beefheart. The mournful Tears For Dolphy is heavily emotional, reminiscent of early Miles Davis. Despite its title, it’s actually the next track, Quicksand that feels like a “proper” tribute to Eric Dolphy, this would be right up his alley. Finally, Reava's Waltz would feel right at home in Mingus Ah Um. All in all, some of these comparisons are a stretch, but the point is there’s something for everyone here. No signs of slowing down after three listens, this has the potential to become an all-time favourite.
9/10.
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus