This was Billie Holiday's final recording. She died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1959 at the age of 44. It was well known that she had a heroin addiction, and this album was to be her comeback. Instead it was received with mixed reviews. Some critics claimed that you could hear the vocal scars in each song and that her voice would never reach the upper range that fans were used to from her earlier recordings of the 1940s. Others argued that this was a brutally honest performance of heartbreaking jazz.
Instead of a normal jazz combo, Holiday sings over a full orchestral arrangement that reminded me of In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra. The album also had the same themes of brutally honest love. The opening track, "I'm A Fool To Want You," is a song about being in a dysfunctional relationship and sets the tone for the rest of the album.
It was very hard for me to listen to this without getting emotional. I've always loved the sound of her voice and to hear this, knowing that she was fighting a losing battle with addiction, was just heartbreaking. She died with $.70 in her bank account and $750 in her possession. I'm glad I listened to this, but I think I need to listen to Tito Puente again to cheer me up.
Favorite Tracks: "I'm A Fool To Want You," "I Get Along Without You Very Well" and "You've Changed"
I can't think of Tito Puente without thinking of the song "Señor Burns" fromThe Simpsons.
This was the third, and my favorite, Latin Jazz album I've listened to this weekend. I found myself wishing I was at Cha Cha Cha in the Mission having a pitcher of sangria and learning how to mambo or salsa or cha cha. I'll be in SF in a month, who's down?
Favorite Tracks: "El Cayuco," "Cuando Te Vea" and "Varsity Drag (Mambo)"
Did you know that Little Richard's original lyrics to "Tutti Frutti" were "tutti frutti loose booty?" I'm not kidding. They were changed to "aw, rooty" to be more commercially acceptable. I'll never be able to sing the official lyrics again.
This was a fun album to listen to, if for no other reason that he is such a character. With his signat ure "wooo" on just about every track, I found myself reminded of the In Living Color skit, "Little Richard's Playhouse." Anyone else remember that? Shut up!
Favorite Tracks: "Tutti Frutti," "Long Tall Sally" and "Jenny Jenny"
My second foray into Afro-Cuban jazz was the all-instrumental Kenya by Machito. Again, I had never heard of this album or this artist, but I was pleasantly surprised. I felt like I was in Cuba in the 1950s, but the fact that my apartment doesn't have air conditioning may have contributed to that.
Where the Sabu album focused primarily on percussion, this album has more of a big band feel, with a Latin twist. Each of these albums have very distinct sounds, and I think I liked this one just a little better. Put this on your iPod for that Latin-themed party.
Favorite Tracks: "Wild Jungle," Holiday" and "Tin Tin Deo"
I'll be honest, I've never really been exposed to much Afro-Cuban conga music in my life. But, one of the great things about my 1001-album experiment is that I'll listen to albums that I otherwise would never have heard.
This is one such album. I've never heard of Sabu Martinez, but he was one of the premiere conga drum players in the history of Afro-Cuban music. In addition to his own recordings, he performed with such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis, Jr.
I'm not sure if I would recommend this album to the casual listener, but if you're serious about broadening your musical horizons, you should definitely try this one out. If you're having a Latin-themed party, this would be the perfect soundtrack. Or even if you're just lounging by the pool drinking margaritas. And if you are doing that, why haven't you invited me?
Favorite Tracks: "El Cumbanchero," "Billumba-Palo Congo" and "Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso"
Picture it. United States, in the early '90s. A young Bill Clinton was campaigning for the presidency. He agreed to go on MTV to be interviewed by supposed intellectual Tabitha Soren. She asked him if there was anything he ever dreamt of doing. He replied that he had always wanted to play sax with Thelonious Monk. Soren, with her best "smart-girl" face questioned "And who was the loneliest monk?"
Now, I'm not saying that back in 1992 I knew everything about Thelonious Monk. But, she was working for MTV. I'm pretty sure the "M" stood for "Music" back then. And she was interviewing a presidential candidate. Anyway, enough about her.
This album was a very stark contrast to the less than 3 minute rock hits from The Crickets. There are only 5 tracks and the shortest one is 5 and a half minutes. The title track was the most complex recording of Monk's career, requiring about a dozen takes in the studio. It was also one of the 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry in 2003.
Aside from all of its historic significance, it's just an amazing piece of music. As I sat in my 1 bedroom apartment in West Hollywood trying my best to stay cool, I managed to escape for 45 minutes. It was definitely a cool album, but it couldn't cure the flop sweats.
Favorite Tracks: "Brilliant Corners," "Pannonica" and "I Surrender, Dear".
The longest song on this album is only 2 minutes and 36 seconds. The entire album of 12 songs clocks in around 26 minutes. Nonetheless, it is still considered a milestone in rock history for several reasons. It was Buddy Holly's debut LP, and only 3 of his albums were released in his lifetime. It also demonstrated that it was possible to write hit songs under 3 minutes (back in the 50s, 3 was the magic number and most record labels insisted that their artists record singles as close to that time as possible).
I've been a fan of Buddy Holly since some time in high school. The scene in Stand By Me when the 4 boys are walking along the railroad tracks to the tune of "Everyday" is etched in my memory and I've been a fan ever since. It was very clear to me listening to this album that he was a major influence on the rock & roll movement. I learned that the Beatles even named themselves as an homage to The Crickets. The irony being that not all the members of the Crickets (a "singing" insect) actually sang, but all the members of the Beatles did.
Favorite Tracks: "Not Fade Away," "Oh Boy," and "That'll Be The Day".
All I could think about was watching Happy Days as a kid and hearing Ron Howard sing "Blueberry Hill" whenever he was about to get lucky. Yes, it was an amusing running gag, but after awhile it got old. Unfortunately, I kind of felt the same way about this album. There were a few good tracks, but after awhile, they all started to sound the same.
Favorite Tracks: "Blueberry Hill," "Blue Monday," "Honey Chile," and "Trust In Me"
OK, if you've been following along at home with your own copy of the book, you may have noticed that I haven't exactly been going in order. Well, I actually just got the book today. I had been going off the list on the website, which wasn't in true chronological order. I'm going to get on track now.
Louis Prima was a well-known nightclub singer/trumpeter in the '30s and '40s, with moderate success in his hometown New Orleans and later in New York. In the mid-50s, he joined a band that landed a gig at the Sahara Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They quickly became the hottest act in town.
Capitol Records wanted to capture the same spirit and energy of their lounge act o n this record, so they had the band cut it live in the studio. The result is a half hour of irresistible swingin' jazz.
Most of you probably remember the Brian Setzer cover of "Jump, Jive An' Wail" that was featured in a GAP® commercial in the '90s. A few of you might remember the deliciously tacky David Lee Roth version of "I'm Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody" from the '80s. But did you know that Louis Prima was also King Louie from The Jungle Book? And one of my all-time favorite Disney songs just happens to be "I Wan'na Be Like You."
Needless to say, this was a very fun album and it made me want to take swing dance lessons. Who's in?
Favorite Tracks: "Medley: I'm Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody," "Jump, Jive, An' Wail" and "The Lip."
This album marked a new phase in the career of Count Basie. While not as daring as what Duke Ellington had done at Newport the previous year, it still proved to the world that big-band jazz orchestras could turn out fresh and inspiring performances. From the minimalist piano in "The Kid From Red Bank" to the muted trumpets in "Duet," I found this to be a brilliant piece of music.
Although, I'm not too fond of that album cover. It made me think of a post-apocalyptic Gilligan's Island.
Favorite Tracks: "Duet," "Whirly-Bird," and "Li'l Darlin'"
This is a very aptly titled album. The songs span the dark emotional spectrum from bittersweet nostalgia all the way to murder. It's no doubt that this album is a landmark in traditional country music, but at times it feels unintentionally comic. In the song "Knoxville Girl," the singer beats his girlfriend to death with a stick in the woods (!) and when his mother inquires about his bloody clothes, he tells her had a nosebleed. The singer ends up in jail, where his friends try to bust him out. But, he's still there at song's end.
There's a scene in Raising Arizona where Holly Hunter's character is singing a lullaby about murder to little Nathan, Jr. That's all I could think about while listening to these songs. Now I want to watch that movie again.
Oh, and please do a google image search for their album "Satan Is Real." They were being serious.
Favorite (?) Tracks: "Knoxville Girl," "Kentucky," and "Alabama."
This was Billie Holiday's final recording. She died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1959 at the age of 44. It was well known that she had a heroin addiction, and this album was to be her comeback. Instead it was received with mixed reviews. Some critics claimed that you could hear the vocal scars in each song and that her voice would never reach the upper range that fans were used to from her earlier recordings of the 1940s. Others argued that this was a brutally honest performance of heartbreaking jazz.
