You must listen to the album below you.

[baystateoftheart]

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Wahooti Fandango by Custard

I suppose better late than never... even though it's been nearly 2.5 years

This wasn't on American streaming at the time, and it ended up slipping through the cracks on my to-do list. It is now, and I just gave it a listen. Pretty straightforward 90s indie rock/pop with just enough country touches to make the cover fitting. Vocally and instrumentally it's solid, and the songs mostly range from pretty good to very good, with a slight majority in the latter category. While this didn't catch on outside Australia, it's not hard to picture an alternate universe in which it did. 3.5/5.

Chief, try this:

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Apocalypse, Girl by Jenny Hval
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[kokkinos]

Sorry for being a doofus, but what's the concept here?
Are there any rules regarding the albums that get nominated or is it a shot in the dark?
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[baystateoftheart]

[kokkinos]

Ok, got it, thanks.
As I've been in a 60's mood lately, I will probably be nominating some of the albums that stood out during this journey. So, here is the first one:

Ahmed Abdul-Malik - East Meets West
(Sorry if you've listened to it already, I guess that's always a risk in this game).
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[baystateoftheart]

[baystateoftheart]

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East Meets West by Ahmed Abdul-Malik

Thanks for the rec; this is a great record. The first arabic jazz album I've heard, and while some songs are indeed a balanced fusion of the two genres, many seem to skew heavily to one side or the other. That's not a big issue though, because the musicianship is uniformly first-rate, and there's never a dull moment. Abdul-Malik's oud playing is the highlight for me, so I tend to prefer the tracks where it is front and center. This goes right into my top five for 1960. 4/5.

I'll give you a jazz album from before the start of your diary:

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Study In Brown by Clifford Brown & Max Roach
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[kokkinos]

Clifford Brown & Max Roach - Study In Brown
Even though I’ve been listening to quite some jazz lately, this was different, as it has the ‘50s written all over it – which is neither a good nor a bad thing per se, it depends on one’s expectations and of course taste. In my case, it was a welcome change of pace. So, it has this specific appeal that characterises records of this era, I like to call it cinematic – which may be far from the most accurate way of describing it, but that’s how I’ve always perceived it and I'd like to believe it kinda makes sense. Anyway, the point is it’s all about that swing. Clifford Brown and his trumpet obviously bear the main responsibility for it, though Richie Powell is -almost- just as essential, adding a furiously dramatic touch. Overall, it feels much shorter than it actually is, I thought there were 2-3 tracks remaining and it was over, which speaks volumes about its entertainment value. Since I don’t have anything particularly constructive to add, I’ll grab the chance to talk a bit about Max Roach. Generally speaking, my mentality regarding the drummer’s role is rather conservative, I don’t want him to be the centre of attention, you can drive the band just fine by staying in the background, no need for anything fancy. This applies to both jazz and rock/pop. That being said, if there’s one drummer who makes me occasionally enjoy his shenanigans, it has to be Max Roach (with all due respect to legends such as Art Blakey, Buddy Rich, Gene Krupa, etc.). Hard to tell why this happens, probably there’s a sense of purpose to his performances that does the trick, whatever. Admittedly, this virute isn't that apparent here, but it's significantly more tangible in e.g. We Insist! Max Roach's Freedom Now Suite. Ok, that was a decent dose of absurdity for a single post, let's move on.

Not sure how you're feeling towards blues, but as someone who isn't into it all, I found this thoroughly enjoyable.

Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee - Down Home Blues
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[baystateoftheart]

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Down Home Blues by Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee

To respond to your comment, although it's not one of my favorite types of music, I do like the blues. This album seems to be a fairly obscure example; it's not on American streaming or YouTube, but I finally found it. Never heard anything by either of these musicians before, and this is only the third Piedmont blues record I've heard (two from Elizabeth Cotten). It's well worth the time. Down Home Blues features very good harmonica from Terry, guitar from McGhee, and vocals from both. While not especially unique, the songs are rock solid throughout, with Betty And Dupree's Blues being a standout track. 3.5/5.

I'll go with another 50s jazz album:

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Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
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[kokkinos]

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
The album title Is no exaggeration, he is a Saxophone Colossus indeed. The opening track, St. Thomas, is an absolute banger that sets the bar way too high. Then comes You Don't Know What Love Is, a ballad that in my opinion doesn't work that well neither in the context of the album nor when examined individually. The rest is rock solid hard bop that flows so effortlessly together you don't even realise the album is over. Not to forget Max Roach, any album with him can't be bad.
I also took the chance to listen to his 1962 album, The Bridge
Not many similarities between them, that one was more laid back, which should be closer to my style, but the guitar gets in the way and doesn't let him shine. Another reason for that might be that his playing style suits hard bop more than it does cool jazz. Also, not to sound like a broken record, but no Max Roach, no party.

I'll keep jumping around the Christmas tree the genres and go with something completely different.

Tod Dockstader - Eight Electronic Pieces
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Bob Dylan
Charles Mingus

[baystateoftheart]

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Eight Electronic Pieces by Tod Dockstader

This is a super interesting early example of electronic music, and quite a fun listen. I doubt I would have heard this otherwise, so thanks for recommending it! Never a dull moment, and though it didn't fully click with me on first listen, its entrancing and futuristic qualities make it a very good record. Surprising that it was released on Folkways. 3.5/5.

No trip back to the start is complete without something by the Godmother of rock and roll:

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Gospel Train by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
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