Great thread I’m going to check some of these out. I need to hear more 50s albums and soul/funk albums in full so I’m looking forward to that

You should bless us with the list

Chuck Berry - Berry Is on Top (59)

This one took some time to warmed up to, but after a few listens when you take it for what it is, it's a solid record. I wouldn't put it up there with After School Session but there's some joints on here that pretty good. Its a nice, fun and short listen. Honestly don't think either this or the last chuck album I listened to manages to capture the energy his debut has. However, like I said earlier, when you take the albums as they are, they're enjoyable to a degree.

Favorite Tracks: Almost Grown, Maybellene
Least Favorite: Hey Pedro

I'll probably drop the list year by year, since it'll be too much to drop it all once and I'm also still making revisions. I'll also do like a recap after I'm done with the 50's

The Flamingos - Flamingo Serenade (59)

I had no idea what to expect from this one, but was pleasantly surprised after pressing play on that first track, I Only Have Eyes For You. I have heard this song being sampled and interpolated several times but had no idea where it came from, or even how the full track sounded like. The full track is amazing, and really holds up today, aged really nicely. This sentiment is shared for a couple songs off the project. The standout features from this album includes just how amazing vocally the lead singer was. I be forgetting sometimes that there was not really any tech back then that assisted with the singing, so these singers really had to put in work to get their voices to sound like this. Another standout were how gorgeous the harmonies were throughout this album, the backing vocals really enhance the songs alongside the very subdued instrumentation.

All this is a good record, there's some great songs on here, but at times it can be a little too samey, the album really lives up to it's name "Serenade". It was pretty much ballads after ballads with little to no switch ups at all, which can lead to somewhat of a boring and dull listen.

Favorite Tracks: I Only Have Eyes For You, I'm In The Mood For Love
Least Favorite: Begin The Beguine

This album kinda weird

Sun Ra - Jazz in Silhouette (59)

This was a pretty interesting listen. Similar to Ah Um, this album was pretty free flowing in the way the songs were structured. Quite a bit interesting moments, and this was most apparent with the last song Ancient Aiethopia. There's a lot of different and unique sounds in this project, that I can't say I heard elsewhere. But even then knowing Sun Ra's rep for being very out there and left with his pieces, this wasn't as wild as I expected it to be. Only a few moments really struck me out as completely unexpected. But overall a pretty solid listen, I will say it kinda did take me a while to wrap my head around some of these pieces, but once I did, they really starting hitting.

Favorite Tracks: Enlightenment, Blues At Midnight
Least Favorite: Hours After

technically Miles - Porgy and Bess is next on my list, but I'm thinking about skipping it doesn't seem like an essential listen

Touched this like 3 different times today while digging; interesting of you to post it

There's better Miles albums to cover like Kind of Blue, B****es Brew, In A Silent Way, Footprints or Nefertiti.

I have all these on my list except Footprints and Nefertiti, they essential?

Miles Davis - Porgy and Bess (59)

Decided to just go listen to it, and yeah I probably could of skip this one. This album just didn't do much for me, but to be fair, not really a big fan of big band. So this album was kinda bland and not really all that engaging to me as a listen, along with the fact that it's kinda a long listen, so yeah sitting through was somewhat difficult even when I warmed up to the album a bit. Although it didn't really move me, there were some standout songs that were pretty good.

Favorite Tracks: Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus), Buzzard Song
Least Favorite: There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon

Lee morgan going crazy with the trumpet on J.O.S

man i love everything about this thread

The organ playing on this one >>>

Jimmy Smith - The Sermon (59)

This project that kinda took me by surprise. This is probably the first jazz album that was Organ focused so just in that regard it was pretty different than what I'm used to. But with that being said this is a very solid project from top to bottom. The project is 40 minutes but with three lengthy tracks. Despite the length of the tracks, the music is very much enjoyable and entertaining. The star of these tracks is ofc Jimmy smith's organ playing which serves as the basis of the tracks. The organ playing was so dope to hear in this type of context, something that I'm not really used to it. But man he killed all the organ solos on here, it was almost hypnotic the way he was playing it. Besides the organs, the drums on here were done by Art Blakey who killed it ofc and the trumpet by Lee Morgan who had a crazy performance on J.O.S. If I were to have a crtique about this project, it would probably be the lack of switch ups and improvisation on the tracks, but other than a really good album.

Favorite Tracks: Flamingo, J.O.S
Least Favorite: The Sermon

love the piano playing on this one

Bill Evans Trio - Everybody Digs Bill Evans (59)

So, this album is more piano driven to most jazz albums I heard. The piano is centerstage for all the songs and the other instruments are pretty much playing backing. First and foremost, the piano playing on here is straight up gorgeous and almost plays like it's a part of some type of fairy tale or something with how glittering the keys are on here. Honestly, the piano was the best part of this album but also the biggest weakness. The piano playing is pretty good but can get a little boring after a little while because of the lack of presence from the other instruments to the point it's almost like ur listening to straight pianos for around 40 minutes. This would be fine if there was more unpredictable and switch ups with the piano, but there really isn't much of that here. But besides this, when the piano is good, it's great almost hypnotic at points like in the track Peace Piece, but the album would benefit a lot more from other elements being involved more.

Favorite Tracks: Peace Piece, Minority
Least Favorite: Oleo

The Moonglows - Look It's The Moonglows (59)

So, this album was pretty disappointing. I saw it being regarded as one of the better doowop albums when making my list, so I guess I was expecting something more in line with The Flamingos but I didn't really get that it. First I will say the vocals were pretty good all throughout the project, however, the instrumentation backing them were kinda ehh. One of the main things that brings down this album in terms of quality is that it's almost straight ballads one after another, too the point it becomes very one noted at times, a similar issue I been noticing in these 50's early rnb albums. This album felt really slow, which is surprising because it's only 30 minutes. There were some high points tho, like songs like Penny Arcade, sweeter than words, and ten commandments of love are pretty solid songs, but even then nothing to really write home about imo.

Favorite Tracks: Penny Arcade, Sweeter Than Words
Least Favorite: Kiss Me Baby

excited for this one

Saw she hated the comparison but this really reminding me of Billie Holiday if she was younger just off the emotion in her voice

The piano playing on here

Nina Simone - Little Girl Blue (59)

First Nina Simone album and it did not disappoint. Great album from top to bottom that featured great singing and instrumentation. I said it earlier itt, she kinda reminding me of Billie if she was younger. Her voice just has the ability to carry a lot of emotion and weight through them. When hearing Don't Smoke In Bed or title track, you just feel it. Despite her singing and the emotive nature of her voice, I actually think my favorite part of this album was the instrumentation, specifically the piano playing. Honestly before this album, I had no idea Nina Simone played any instruments, thought she was just a singer, so it was a surprised to find she did the piano on here, which turn out to be the best factor of the album. The piano playing throughout this album is straight up gorgeous and sounds like it's out some fairytale, this is seen with tracks like You'll Never Walk Alone, Little Girl Blue, Good Bait, and other tracks. Was also glad I got to hear this in 2021 stereo remaster, feel like it made the instrumentation all that much worth it.

Favorite Tracks: Little Girl Blue, Don't Smoke In Bed, You'll Never Walk Alone
Least Favorite: My Baby Just Cares For Me

Cannonball Adderley - Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago (59)

So, overall this was a pretty solid project, might have expected something a little more. Especially after Something Else, but I wasn't mad at this. The highlight of the album is probably the sax playing and solos throughout this, which are really great. Coltrane and Adderley complimented each other extremely well on here. Although this was solid, I don't think there were really anything aspect of the project that made it standout compare to Somethin' Else, like it was just cool all the way through, to the point, some songs became "background music" to me at points.

Favorite Tracks: Stars Fell On Alabama, You're A Weaver Of Dreams
Least Favorite: Wabash

Oh blue rondo is the song nas sampled in jarreau of rap well at least the sample of the sample