Music Gourmets Presents 60 Years of Great Music - 1964

[Zeeba Neighba]

If it's Friday, it must be the MG's "60 Years of Great Music" series. Welcome to 1964!
Here's the rules:

Each Friday, I'll introduce a new year from 1957 through 2016. Each member selects an album released in that year with a few lines (or more) on why you picked it/enjoy it. Your selection does not have to be the most important release or the most admired release of that year (though it certainly can be), simply an album that grabs you and that you really love.

However, once an album is selected by a member, you must choose a different album.

Together we will compile quite the canon of "Great Music" and, who knows, maybe inspire each other to check out some new artists (or to revisit old forgotten classics).

This week - the albums of 1964

 

[Zeeba Neighba]

Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus

All right, not much of a surprise for my 1964 pick (yes Wiki lists as '63 but RYM has at '64) - since the moment I picked this up, I've always felt it was one of most exciting jazz albums I've heard ("II B.S." still thrills me from the opening notes - hey only kick ass jazz songs are chosen for car commercials ("The Sidewinder", "Take Five"). It helped introduce me to jazz that was both experimental but could swing. As I delved further into Mingus, I discovered most of these were reworkings of his past pieces, dramatic reworkings actually (some almost unrecognizable at first) which made me appreciate Mingus as a bandleader and arranger all the more. This was my first album I posted on the old MG and my first here. Certainly tough to pass up a few of the greats this year - Getz, Sidewinder, Beatles, Etta James, Dusty all get frequent play be me, but gotta go with Mingus one last time.

 

[Markonomicon]

UUaaarrrgghhhh.

What a year.

Some of my favorites and top jazz albums this year (and the first and best Kinks album!)..."Out To Lunch", "No Room For Squares", "Night Dreamer", "Birdland". My head hurts.

My pick goes to Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder". The title track is probably my favorite jazz song...the rest of the album is great, too. As I said in another thread..."The Sidewinder" is a song I want played at my funeral...and I want everyone to get up and dance. It just does something to me...every time I put it on...everything bad just goes away for 10 minutes...and I just groove along.

They could have used this on "Weekend At Bernie's"...and you'd think those into the occult would use it...because it has SUCH a groove, that one would think it would raise the dead.

Bless Lee Morgan. A musician whose body of work is absolutely incredible for only being active for 14 or so years. Just think of what he would have went on to do?

While I only own 4 of his albums physically (need to get on getting them all...because there are NO duds in his catalog!)...I do have them all in mp3 form.

Anyways...here's my pick:

 

[Worm]

Linky for the lazy : (like me)

http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/1964

 

[axolotl]

Linky for the lazy : (like me)

http://rateyourmusic.com/charts/top/album/1964

Thank you for doing this, Worm. I was enjoying my lazy.

 

[Worm]

The Supremes-Where Did our Love Go

I just love Diana Ross. I remember seeing them sing and shimmy in matching dresses on TV as a kid and wanting to be them.

 

[captwhiffle]

The Beatles - Beatles for Sale



A while ago, I took one of those silly Facebook quizzes called "Which Beatles Album Are You?" It turns out that I'm Beatles for Sale, and I'm cool with that, because this album is an easily overlooked gem in The Beatles catalog. I appreciate the way it begins to explore some darker topics and sounds in songs like "Baby's in Black," "I'm a Loser," and "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party." "No Reply," "I'll Follow the Sun," and "Every Little Thing" are moody ditties that push at the limits of pop song-craft that The Beatles had mastered on their previous albums. And the covers are terrific tributes to the early American rock & roll songbook.

 

[Unsomnambulist]

Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds



One of the first jazz albums that I liked.

 

[Markonomicon]

Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds



One of the first jazz albums that I liked.

I've only recently discovered him...and this is a good one!

 

[LeslieC]

Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto

Ok, here is why this album is so special to me. My parents again loved this album. Years later when my Dad was dying from cancer and in a coma, there was a singer that was volunteering at the time at the hospital. When she asked what song to play for him I said the Girl From Ipanema. As she started singing, the monitor started beeping. I know he was enjoying it even though he couldn't tell us. It truly was amazing!
It became one of the best-selling jazz albums of all time, and turned Astrud Gilberto, who sang on the tracks "The Girl From Ipanema" and "Corocvado", into an internationally celebrated musician.

 

[Ojai Sam]

^
Leslie, that's a beautiful story.

 

[patrikc325]

Jay and The Americans - Come a Little Bit Closer

The 60's group in Facebook made me appreciate Jay and the Americans more. Yes you can stream this with Amazon Prime.

 

[LeslieC]

^
Leslie, that's a beautiful story.

I have been trying to pick this album every time previous but always got beat out by this other poster. Felt good to finally pick it!

 

[Popperline]

Simon & Garfunkel - Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.

Because you never forget your first time

 

[Mattafett]

Introducing God.

 

[axolotl]

I have been trying to pick this album every time previous but always got beat out by this other poster. Felt good to finally pick it!

From now on, Leslie, you are the dedicated OWNER of this album.

 

[lpfreak1170]

Introducing God.

Only in group form.

 

[lpfreak1170]

The Beatles - Beatles for Sale



A while ago, I took one of those silly Facebook quizzes called "Which Beatles Album Are You?" It turns out that I'm Beatles for Sale, and I'm cool with that, because this album is an easily overlooked gem in The Beatles catalog. I appreciate the way it begins to explore some darker topics and sounds in songs like "Baby's in Black," "I'm a Loser," and "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party." "No Reply," "I'll Follow the Sun," and "Every Little Thing" are moody ditties that push at the limits of pop song-craft that The Beatles had mastered on their previous albums. And the covers are terrific tributes to the early American rock & roll songbook.

Beatles For Sale is awesome!!

 

[lpfreak1170]

Gonna wait a few days to see if some of my candidates get picked.

 

[axolotl]

Frank Sinatra, Count Basie and His Orchestra ~ It Might as Well Be Swing



Well, time to hang up my Jazz cred smoking jacket, slippers ,and pipe. But, this is just so dang fun!

Thank you, Frank and Splank and Quincy Jones.

If you need the first few moments of your Frank and Splank and "Fly Me to the Moon" 'splained, here you go...

http://jazzbackstory.blogspot.com/2014/07/frank-splank-q-fly-to-moon.html