A Century of Music

[Zeeba Neighba]

Zeeba beat me to Bill Monroe. So I'll go for the only other artist who can legitimately be said to have created an entire genre.

Bob Wills - The Essential (rec. 1935-46, Columbia comp 1992)

Like Bill Monroe, Bob Wills started with American rural music. But where Monroe retained strictly acoustic instrumentation for his Bluegrass Boys, Wills took the fiddle-driven Western Swing idiom, plugged in and hitched a ride on the big band express. By 1942, The Texas Playboys had grown to the size of a full orchestra with clarinets, trumpets and saxes to go with as many as three fiddles. After WWII, Wills downsized along with the other swing bands but added jazz-oriented electric mandolin and guitar to the honky tonk beat.

My turn now to listen to The Essential Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1935-46)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
Haven't listened to this Bob Wills comp in ages
Getting a real Country Bear Jamboree vibe now

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

The Very Best of Perry Como

Last day of 1940s listening - Como's radio popularity bridged the late 1940s to early 1950s (of course he'd develop a TV presence with his TV show and annual Christmas specials). Half of this comp is in the 1940s, half is after. Following Crosby and Sinatra, seems like a nice fit here

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Charlie Parker - The Complete Savoy and Dial Masters

Much of today is going to focus on the great Charlie Parker - no 40s survery or survey of jazz would be complete without him. Though Parker would continue into the 1950s (we'll see his concert with "The Quintet" soon), Parker's work with Savoy and Dial recorded between 1944-48 is seminal stuff with Parker at his finest. Other folks appearing on this set: Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Errol Garner and a young Miles Davis.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Charlie Parker (and the "Stars of Modern Jazz") - Carnegie Hall X-Mas '49

Can't think of a better way to end my 1940s music overview with this great live album from the end of the 1940s, December 1949 in fact.
Got this many years ago on CD (not sure it's available streaming) and haven't broken this one out in awhile, but what a great reason to check it out again. What a concert and lineup - giants of jazz and especially bebop - Bird, Bud Powell, Sonny Stitt, Stan Gets, Sarah Vaughan, Lee Konitz, Kai Winding
From Allmusic.com

This Carnegie Hall concert can be considered the height of the bebop era....Charlie Parker and his quintet (which includes trumpeter Red Rodney, pianist Al Haig, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Roy Haynes) steals the show. Bird and Rodney rarely sounded more fiery than on their five songs, and Parker's incredible solo on this version of "Ko Ko" might very well be his best. This LP is highly recommended for all collections.

I'm happy with my immersion into 1940s artists - I certainly missed some but hit so many great songs, performers.
Next week I switch to individual years with 1950

 

[Ojai Sam]

I'm happy with my immersion into 1940s artists - I certainly missed some but hit so many great songs, performers.

This decade has been a lot of fun, Zeeb. Thanks a lot!

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Today starts 1950. My plan after the past 3 decades was to spend approximately a week on each year from 1950 onward
Annual surveys will typically focus on albums (or with the early 1950s, ten inch records) but the first day of the week will center on a playlists of the singles and big songs of the years (that way One Hit Wonders and pop singles won't be ignored)

So today's 1950 Playlist was split - 60 songs with half comprised of the top 30 charting singles of the years and the rest a mix of cool gems of the early days of R&B/doo wop with some country and blues thrown in
Won't list all 60 of the songs but here's some:

The Top Songs of 1950:
1) "Goodnight Irene" by The Weavers
2) "Mona Lisa" by Nat King Cole
3) "The Third Man Theme" by Anton Karas
4) "Sam's Song" by Bing and Gary Crosby
5) "Play A Simple Melody" by Bing and Gary Crosby
6) "Music! Music! Music!" by Teresa Brewer
7) "Third Man Theme" by Guy Lombardo
8) "Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy" by Red Foley
9) "Harbor Lights" by Sammy Kaye
10) "It Isn't Fair" by Sammy Kaye
11) "If I Knew You Were Coming" by Eileen Barton
12) "Bonaparte's Retreat" by Kay Starr
13) "Tzena, Tzena" by The Weavers
14) "There's No Tomorrow" by Tony Martin
15) "The Thing" by Phil Harris

Thoughts:
1) A prime example of why I'm doing this - even devotees of, say, the 50s station on Satellite Radio are bound to hear perhaps two of these songs. Nat's "Mona Lisa" is timeless.
2) I'm not sure I've heard the Weavers on oldies radio despite how big they were and how influential on the upcoming folk music they were.
3) You might catch Phil Harris (from Jack Benny's radio program then his own show with wife (Little) Alice Faye - later Balloo, Little John, and Thomas O'Malley Alley Cat in Disney animated features) and his joke hit "The Thing"
4) Early 50s still had a lot of covers - they would beat a dead horse if it was popular so Guy Lombardo had success with the theme from The Third Man, "Bewitched" (from Pal Joey) was a radio hit for Bill Snyder and for Gordon Jenkins, etc.
5) My dad loved Kay Starr's voice - what a beauty too. I too break out her compilations from time to time
6) Bing's hits with his son Gary (famous for his 1980s unflattering tell all bio of Bing) "Sam's Song" and "Play a Simple Melody" was the first record where both sides hit gold

After the top 30 hits, the rest is a hodgepodge including some of Hank Williams early material ("Why Don't You Love Me", "Moanin' the Blues", "Long Gone Lonesome Blues", early Muddy Waters ("Rollin' Sone", "Louisiana Blues"), Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs "Foggy Mountain Breakdown", early Fats Domino ("The Fat Man"), and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Also a ton of early R&B like Ivory Joe Hunter, Roy Brown, Johnny Otis, and Wynonie Harris. Some other goodies include New Orleans pianist Archibald with a post-war R&B hit of the old folk number "Stack-A-Lee" (aka "Stagger Lee"), the fun "Rag Mop" (done by both The Ames Brothers and by Doc Sausage) - hated by Major Winchester in a MASH episode, and The Dominoes, the R&B group influential to early doo wop (soon on the way) which launched the careers of both Clyde McPhatter and Jackie Wilson.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

My playlist has been most of the day but last moments of work/ride home will be occupied by a return to Charlie Parker

Charlie Parker with Strings - The Master Takes

Released as two 10" records in 1949 and 1950 both under the name Charlie Parker with Strings then later compiled as an LP

 

[Ojai Sam]

Zeeb, your balanced approach to the new decade holds a lot of appeal for me. I first came to appreciate the pre-rock singles thanks to Time-Life‘s “Your Hit Parade” series.

These comprehensive collections tracked the Billboard charts closely. Virtually all of the songs and most of the artists were terra incognita to a Boomer raised on rock.

Doubtless we’ll hear from Frankie Laine in the near future. His “Cry of the Wild Goose” is still a big favorite of mine. While we wait, I’d like to offer another fowl performance from 1950, “Cry of the Dying Duck In a Thunder-storm” by Cactus Pryor and his Pricklypears:

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

^
Indeed, Laine's "Cry of the Wild Goose" was on my 1950 playlist

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Les Paul - The New Sound (1950)

Although listeners may have been familiar with Les Paul through late 40s radio and with his work with Bing and the Andrew Sisters, I'm suspecting this album of well know standards performed with Paul multitracking himself and adding electonic sound effects intermittently to his rapid guitar runs must have seemed to some like it came from out of space. And all this after his 1948 car accident where his arm almost needed amputation! (instead his arm was set at an angle just under 90 degrees that allowed him to cradle and pick the guitar. It took him nearly a year and a half to recover)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Yma Sumac - Voice of the Xtabay (1950)

World music. Exotica. Sounds like something I stole from @Nickyboy 's turntable. My Last.fm tells me I only have 5 scrobbles for Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, all singles off various Exotica collection. First time I'm playing this album - setting the appropriate exotic atmosphere. My nurse heard the music and gave an interesting look

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Yma Sumac - Voice of the Xtabay (1950)

World music. Exotica. Sounds like something I stole from @Nickyboy 's turntable. My Last.fm tells me I only have 5 scrobbles for Peruvian singer Yma Sumac, all singles off various Exotica collection. First time I'm playing this album - setting the appropriate exotic atmosphere. My nurse heard the music and gave an interesting look

Did she say yma sumac you for playing weird music again?

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Sings Gershwin (1950)

Ella would revisit Gershwin throughout her career, but this was her first true "album" (moving on from the 78's) - here a 10" record

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Dexter Gordon - On Dial

Actually listening to the complete Dial sessions from 1947 sessions which include alternate takes of numbers from this 1950 release. Good stuff - I do love Dexter

 

[Ojai Sam]

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Sings Gershwin (1950)

Ella would revisit Gershwin throughout her career, but this was her first true "album" (moving on from the 78's) - here a 10" record

Good find, Zeeb. I had forgotten about this one.

This album was recorded over two consecutive days in September 1950 with the LP market specifically in mind. It would foreshadow the "Songbook" series she would undertake when she moved to Verve.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Guys and Dolls (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

As in the 1940s, don't want to forget the big musicals of each year especially one as big as Guys and Dolls (as well as one of my beloved musicals)

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Doris Day/Harry James - Young Man with a Horn (1950)

The film Young Man with a Horn was Doris Day's first big screen dramatic role so was big in her career. Those who know her more as a comic actress will be impressed by her handling of standards (which were songs from the film recorded after film's release)

I really feel Harry James gets a bit overlooked when it comes to jazz trumpeters, but he had such a wonderful tone and through his work with Benny Goodman and his own orchestra, certainly proved his jazz chops.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Jo Stafford - Autumn in New York (1950)

Jo Stafford's voice is wonderfully rich and well suited for the torch songs, slow ballads she sings. I've never gotten into her as much because most of her material doesn't vary to much from the slow ballad - like a little pep mixed in there

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Lee Wiley - Night in Manhattan (1950)

Trivia question: who was the artist that opened the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954. Answer: Lee Wiley
A great thing about this project is checking out artists who had prominence "back in the day" but now have drifted out of public consciousness. I don't think I've ever listened to Wiley, a jazz singer with a voice just as you'd imaging performing in a smoky 1940s/50s club. She worked with a number of artists, big bands in the 1930s and 40s then had a resurgence in her career at age 42 with this album. A nice listen.