Music Gourmets Presents 60 Years of Great Music - 1957

[Zeeba Neighba]

Eleven picks so far - pretty darn good for an early years...Really great picks too

Two more days to get your picks in. If you haven't posted yet, join in!

 

[axolotl]

Eleven picks so far - pretty darn good for an early years...Really great picks too

Two more days to get your picks in. If you haven't posted yet, join in!

Or, to paraphrase:

No pressure, Jazzy!

 

[Popperline]

Hi. I haven't posted here in a long, long time so please excuse my "newbieness" if I mess up. I'll choose Chuck Berry's debut album, "After School Session." For it's time, it was an exciting fusion of rock 'n' roll and R&B. And the man had some moves! RIP, Chuck.

 

[Ojai Sam]

^
An indispensable pick. And great to see you over here, Popperline!

 

[Markonomicon]

Does this one really need any explanation?

A classic album.

Stellar lineup.

 

[captwhiffle]

Clearly I my musical tastes haven't changed much, because I'm fairly certain that in at least one previous iteration of this list, I chose this musical theater gem:

Various Artists - Candide [Original Broadway Cast - 1956] (1957)



Barbara Cook's performance as Cunegonde is quintessentially glittery and gay, and her voice pairs well with Robert Rounseville, who sings the title role. The original libretto by Lillian Hellman (with contributions from Dorothy Parker, John Latouche, and Richard Wilbur) is wonderfully witty, and Bernstein offers up some of his most effective music to complement it.

 

[Ojai Sam]

Clearly I my musical tastes haven't changed much, because I'm fairly certain that in at least one previous iteration of this list, I chose this musical theater gem:

Various Artists - Candide [Original Broadway Cast - 1956] (1957)



Barbara Cook's performance as Cunegonde is quintessentially glittery and gay, and her voice pairs well with Robert Rounseville, who sings the title role. The original libretto by Lillian Hellman (with contributions from Dorothy Parker, John Latouche, and Richard Wilbur) is wonderfully witty, and Bernstein offers up some of his most effective music to complement it.

Whiff, this is why I'm so glad you're here.

I didn't realize this musical was so good until I played it recently. Barbara Cook has been a big fave in our house since Mrs. Ojai and I saw her at the Carlyle filling in for Bobby Short. A tremendous singer and entertainer.

 

[axolotl]

Whiff, this is why I'm so glad you're here.

Barbara Cook has been a big fave in our house since Mrs. Ojai and I saw her at the Carlyle filling in for Bobby Short. A tremendous singer and entertainer.

Does she have his range?

 

[Ojai Sam]

Does she have his range?

No, she uses a microwave.

 

[axolotl]

No, she uses a microwave.

You say that with such convection.

 

[JazzyRandy]

Lee Morgan - Indeed!


Tough decision for me. It was difficult to bypass the brilliance of any Coltrane album, the clarity of Brilliant Corners, and the historical significance of 'Round Bout Midnight. Many great Jazz options for the kickoff year for the Great Music series. In the end, I had no choice but to go with the one I (currently) enjoy the most. Young Lee, still a teenager when this was recorded, gets superb backing from Horace Silver, Philly Jones and others.

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Great First week:

Summarizing 1957 picks:
Way Out West by Sonny Rollins (selected by Zeeba Neighba)
Exotica by Martin Denny (selected by Nickyboy)
Lee Morgan, vol. 3 by Lee Morgan (selected by Axolotl)
Johnny Cash With His Hot and Blue Guitar by Johnny Cash (selected by Mattafet)
A Swingin' Affair by Frank Sinatra (selected by Patrikc)
After Midnight by Nat King Cole (selected by LeslieC)
Supersonic Jazz by Sun Ra And His Arkestra (selected by Unsomnambulist)
Here's Little Richard by Little Richard (selected by Worm)
Songs by Sam Cooke by Sam Cooke (selected by earcartoons)
West Side Story by Original Broadway Cast (selected by OjaiSam)
The "Chirping" Crickets by The Crickets (selected by LPFreak)
After School Session by Chuck Berry (selected by Popperline)
'Round About Midnight by Miles Davis (selected by Markonomicon)
Candide by Original Broadway Cast (selected by captwhiffle)
Indeed! by Lee Morgan (selected by Jazzy Randy)

Wow! 15 picks the first week with a great mix of jazz, early rock, standards and Broadway music.
1958 post to come soon. Let's keep it up!

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Sam reminds me that when we last did this series, after all our selections were in, we gave an opportunity to post our favorite "Honorable Mentions", i.e. albums that we're sad, now that all is said and done, didn't get picked.

Even with 5 more members picking, I know there would be some great ones still missing from this year. I'll mention just a couple leaving others to post the rest

Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section

My choice was Sonny Rollins Way Out West, but aside from that one, this is my second favorite jazz album from that year. Should be chosen if it was only this single "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" that opens the album (of course Cole Porter's melody helps). Great album...an even better recording story. Pepper, dealing with a drug issue at the time, learning about the recording session that day and hadn't met/played with any of the musicians with whom he'd be playing. He had not played for awhile and was on a new instrument in bad repair. How such a tremendous album was created astounds me

Dizzy Gillespie At Newport
Count Basie At Newport

What's the difference between live jazz albums and live rock albums? Live jazz albums don't suck
Always linked together in my mind, not just because of their release dates, these are two of my oldest jazz albums - obtained in college when I knew nothing about jazz (compared to the little I know now). The albums I picked up were randomly chosen at stores with no input from friends (as no one I knew listened to jazz). Yet, the albums I chose luckily were amazing choices that have remained favorites for years including these two live sets. Gillespie is probably the better set with Dizzy's humor and personality coming out, but who can deny a reunion on the Basie set of classic Basie players like Lester Young, Joe Jones and vocalist Jimmy Rushing.

If only there was a jazz thread to explore some of these types of albums further....stay tuned

 

[Worm]

Zeebs, you are nothing if not a completist.

 

[Markonomicon]

Love Lee Morgan. Wish I had more than just a few of his cds (Sidewinder, Rumproller, Lee Way, Search For The New Land). I do, however, have EVERYthing in mp3 form until I acquire them.

Once I'm done with finishing off my Miles collection (50 down, about 12 to go).

LOVE that Sun Ra album as well. A classic.

Love Sonny Rollins, too...but I've never heard "Way Out West". I'll have to check that one out on YouTube.

 

[JazzyRandy]

Love Lee Morgan. Wish I had more than just a few of his cds (Sidewinder, Rumproller, Lee Way, Search For The New Land). I do, however, have EVERYthing in mp3 form until I acquire them.

Once I'm done with finishing off my Miles collection (50 down, about 12 to go).

LOVE that Sun Ra album as well. A classic.

Love Sonny Rollins, too...but I've never heard "Way Out West". I'll have to check that one out on YouTube.

After my first or second step into Jazz, I went through a spree collecting every Morgan, Hubbard, and Blakey album I could get my mitts on. It's an addiction, but a cool and rewarding one.

 

[Markonomicon]

Yes, it is.

Have a handful from many. Spreading them out. About to order Sonny Rollins' "Worktime" and "Sound Of Sonny" and Clifford Brown's "Memorial Album" (all remasters).

 

[Markonomicon]

After my first or second step into Jazz, I went through a spree collecting every Morgan, Hubbard, and Blakey album I could get my mitts on. It's an addiction, but a cool and rewarding one.

I would LOVE to browse your record/cd collection!

 

[JazzyRandy]

I would LOVE to browse your record/cd collection!

Unless you plan on traveling to NC any time soon, this is probably the easiest way to check it out.
https://rateyourmusic.com/~JazzyRandy
I'm not a prolific reviewer, nor a successful list builder, but I love to rate the albums I own.

 

[lpfreak1170]

HR:

The Cadets - Rockin' n' Reelin'