Her voice is amazing

Etta James - At Last! (60)

Just to start it off, vocally she is AMAZING on these tracks, there's just so much soul and power to her voice. The intro to this album let's you know right off the bat what you're in for. Easily the highlight of the album, she's definitely up there in top vocalists I have heard through this series. The album is very soulful and I can really see the roots of Rnb starting to take shape to the genre it is today with this album more so than the albums from the 50's. This album is somewhat lengthy that could of done without some tracks, but overall the tracks that hit, really hit. For the most part, this album is filled with lush and warm backing instrumentals, but going back to her vocals. There were a few songs on here, where the instrumentals doesn't do her vocals justice.

Favorite Tracks: Anything To Say You're Mine, At Last, Stormy Weathers
Least Favorite: It's A Crying Shame

Bo Diddley - Have Guitar, Will Travel (60)

Enjoyed this album more than his first, but not by a huge amount. There were a lot more enjoyable tracks on here. The intro, "She's" Alright" is a really nice fun and energetic track is definitely the highlight of the album for me. There's some pretty nice guitar instrumental tracks on here, but overall the album is nothing crazy and it's not overtly long so it's kinda an easy listen.

Favorite Tracks: She's Alright, I Love You So
Least Favorite: Say Man, Back Again

Not sure how I feel about the classical influence on this one

Sketches Of Spain (60)

So I'm pretty mixed on this record. It's one of the miles record I saw a lot of acclaim over before getting into it. But for the most part the record didn't really connect with me all that much. The opening track is by the far the saving grace of the project, and takes up most of the runtime. This piece is extremely cinematic and takes several twists and turns throughout it's runtime and it's pretty captivating despite being mostly soft playing.

I think this project didn't really provide any excitement and is borderline uneventful. I don't know much about spain music, but this more so reminded me of other big jazz band works to the point the album wasn't really making me picture spain, but I guess I was expecting for more flamenco based music.

Favorite Tracks: Sketches of Spain, Saeta
Least Favorite: Will O' The Wisps

Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger (60)

So this is might be my favorite Bo Diddley album in this series. There was a lot of enjoyable moments on here, more compare to the other ones I listen through. Moments like Ride On Josephine and No More Lovin were just overall more energetic and catchy. And Somewhere is another that was pretty endearing. This album was a pretty tight listen, rough around 30 minutes. But just like his other albums the album is lacking in some aspects. While there's enjoyable moments, a good portion of the album can be considered as dull or just not that engaging

Favorite Tracks: Somewhere, Ride On Josephine
Least Favorite: Whoa Mule

Yeah Mingus went crazy with this one

Charles Mingus - Blues & Roots (60)

Mingus does it again. While this album isn't as eclectic or out there as some of his other ones,it makes up for that in how high quality it is in the traditional sense. It's almost as if he took the direction of Haitian fight song or better get hit in your soul and ran with it on here. The overall atmosphere of this album is high energetic and engaging jazz music. The instruments are powerful and pack a punch on here, there's a lot of moving parts on here. I saw that mingus decided to use a 9-set band and having lines being played simulation in order to increase complexity of everything since the compositions were going to be more simple. And you can really get a sense of that on here, and it really works. The album is like organized chaos, a lot of hectic moments but it works. Also the little scats and chants throughout the songs really gives the album a very bluesy feel.

Favorite Tracks: Moanin', Wednesday Night Prayer
Least Favorite: My Jelly Roll Soul

Elvis Presley - Elvis Is Back (60)

Elvis is back is a fitting title, because this album really a return to form album. Probably the closest album to his debut alongisde Loving You. Filled with catchy and fun songs. Good example of such is The Girl Of My Best Friend
This song makes you feel like you were in some 60s rom com or coming of the age story. Very wholesome song and that chorus is golden. The harmonies throughout this album are the best he ever had on any of his album and absolutely amplifies the music. The ballads on here are also really good, Solider Boy for example is a really nice tune in that sense.

Favorite Tracks: The Girl Of My Best Friend, Solider Boy
Least Favorite: Such A Night

Bill Evans - Portrait In Jazz (60)

Despite being a piano centric jazz album, it's pretty decent. Wouldnt say im the big fan of this style of jazz, but at the very least I'll say it's a very relaxing and easy listen just because of the lack of activity in the songs. The piano playing is great from bill evans as always. There's a very elegant and classy feel to they way he plays piano that enhances the mood of the songs. Probably not for everybody who prefers more engagement in jazz tho, which is me most of the time. At times you can see the merit of the work, but at others its kind of a boring and bland listen. It was also interesting he choose to do a rendition of Blue in Green on here. However, the difference between this version and the Kind of Blue version is worlda away from each eachother.

Favorite Tracks: Come Rain Or Shine, Blue In Green
Least Favorite: Some Day My Prince Will Come

Ornette Coleman - Change Of The Century (60)

The second Ornette Coleman album I heard and he continues the trend of being out there. Just like the last one. There's a lack of any choral instrument on here, just sax, drums and bass for the most part. Despite this album having similar compositions to the Shape Of Jazz To Come, this album is actually easier to get into imo. I think the shape of jazz to come was far more jarring and abrasive compared to this. This album still has edge but it's more accessible. Example of this is in the song Free, where the song takes a lot of sharp turns and chabge of pace in terms of the leading instrument, the sax. But it's easier on the ears compare to something like Lonely Woman.

I think the strengths from the last album carry over to this one in a more digestible way. With that said tho, some of the weakness also carried over, which includes just the empty space not leading to the most engaging listen at all times.

Favorite Tracks: Free, Forerunner
Least Favorite: The Face Of The Bass

Max Roach - We Insist! (60)

So this album was unexpected, from some of max roach other work with Clifford brown, this took me off guard. The album is very eerie and ominous in terms of the mood and vibe it sets up. With the context of this being heavily inspired by the Civil rights movement, hence the cover, it makes sense. The intro Driva man really sets that up. Another thing that's makes this album unexpected beside the overall left field sound of the music was the inclusion of vocal jazz. Tye lyrics primarily focus on freedom which goes along with the theme. But at times t female vocalist isn't even singing or speaking in words, just scats or even just primal screams as seen in the 3rd track. Triptych Is a good example of what I think the album was trying to accomplish, in the theme. Just a feeling of uneasy and unrest that Echoes throughout the project but is really evident with the vocalist hysterical screams. There's quite a bit of powerful and emotive moments on here that work really well. The album has a lot change in directions that keeps you guessing for example the African instrumentation present on All Africa.

Favorite Tracks: Freedom Day, Triptych
Least Favorite: Tears For Johannesburg

Diane is special

Charles Mingus - Mingus Dynasty (60)

Mingus does it again. One of his albums I didn't really see much recognition when doing my research but was interested in the title and the cover. The album doesn't have much to do with Eastern music besides the cover and the title. But I guess Dynasty can refer to the 3peat he hit with Ah Um, Blues and Roots and now this . The album is more similar to Ah Um but there's still some of the powerful, earth and bluesy sound from Blues and Root as seen with the intro Slop. The albums has a lot moments where the music is chaotic and free flowing (although this one is a lil bit more organized) and then moments of calm cool jazz similar to Ah Um. Even some of these songs contain both seen with Diane.

Mingus over the last string of albums always has that one song that's just very endearing and beautiful. With Mingus Dynasty that song is Diane, the song starts off very uneasy on the edge but suddenly erupts into this beautiful and piano centric melody that radiates serenity. The track then returns to the more chaotic opening to close it out.

Another favorite of mine is Gunslinging Bird. Where the song progresss gets more and more chaotic as it goes. You can really feel the power and weight of the band the longer the track plays.While it's not as consistent as Blues and Roots, I think it's a pretty great album to follow it up.

Favorite Tracks: Diane, Gunslinging Bird
Least Favorite: Far Wells Mill Valley

Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery (60)

Probably the first guitar lead jazz album I listened to. And I'm f***ing with it. More of a standard cool jazz album but what's captivating about this one is just how well it's done. Might not be very left field in terms of compositions but in terms of just basics, it's very high in quality. Just simple and highly efficient jazz. The guitar playing is veryyy nice on here, from all the high tempos to slower ones, Wes did his thing, so the title of the album is very fitting. There's not much horns or brass on here if any at all, just a piano, guitar and bass I believe. But the energy and feeling is being carried by the guitar for the most part to the point there's not really a need for any horns or brass. My favorite song off here is definitely Polka dots and Moonbeams. Song is hella tranquil and peaceful. However, the album does suffers from some of my common grievances with cool jazz, but overall the album is pretty enjoyable still.

Favorite Tracks : Polka dots and Moonbeams, Airegin
Least Favorite: D-Natural Blues

Hank Mobley - Soul Station (60)

Similar to Wes Montgomery album. Soul Station is also a pretty traditional run of the mill cool jazz album. Not to say it's bad but it lack anything that really set itself as something unique. But that aside it's a pretty solid listen. The music is smooth with a certain warmth and soul. The opening track, Remember is a good example of such. However, at times the "coolness" is a lil too much and it walks the line of being uninteresting and sometimes too 'average". But overall while the album might not something extraordinary you can tell the fundamental aspects are done at a pretty great level.

Favorite Tracks: Soul Station, Remember
Least Favorite: Split Feeling's

Amazing thread @op

Need to remember to check it regularly as you progress through albums

John Coltrane - Giant Steps (60)

A common theme with this album was the just how intense and energetic it was all the way through. It's like organized chaos in some ways. The opening and title track Giant Steps sets the tone of this album. Countdown and Mr PC are more examples of such. Song just brusts into a coltrane solo as the rest of the band lets him shine as the song gets progressively more chaotic as it goes on. The highlight of this album is the improv skills display from the whole band tbh but mostly coltrane on sax, he was doing acrobatics with some of these solos.

I feel like there's a level of complexity involved with all the crazy switches and improv but I'm not well versed in music theory to say that. Despite the complex and fast paced songs, the album still has its more melodic and cool moments with songs like Syeeda's Song and Naima.

Overall I feel like this is was great album that I enjoy far more than blue trains. Feels like it lived up to the acclaim that is Coltrane

Favorite Tracks: Giant Steps, Countdown, Mr. PC
Least Favorite: Cousin Mary

Eric Dolphy - Out There (61)

First Eric Dolphy album, and it was a pretty interesting listen. I say interesting because of the variety of sounds that were utilized throughout this album that weren't common. The album has more or less the same traits you would expect from a free/avant-garde jazz album, a lot of dissosances with a very loose feel but not as loose as you would get from Ornette Colemans's album. There's also like an eerie vibe and atmosphere that I guess can be atttibuted from those traits and the way the band plays on here. A good example of such is the song Eclispe which instanlys transports you to that world.

There's a lot of nontraditional characteristics about this album that really makes it unique. For one the tone of dolphy's sax is uncanny and almost sinster at times, reminds me of Ornette Coleman sax on his two albums. There's a ton of tension in the songs, that can leave you feeling somewhat on edge, which is only amplified by how drawn out some of the melodies are and the empty space.

Another unique characteristic of the album is the usage of instruments, the flute and clarinet are all over this album along with the cello. Sketches of Melba, in particular utilized both extremely well. Despite all the tense points in the album, there's still some pretty pleasant melodic moments like Sketches of Melba which incorporates flute solos with backing from a cello. And Feathers

Favorite Tracks: Out There, Sketches of Melba
Least Favorite: serene

George Russell - Ezz-thetics (61)

This album strikes a nice balance between more traditional jazz and experimental. The album is a very tight and focused record overall that's pretty straightforward but also not too direct at the same time. It starts off with the title track Ezz-thetic which is like a Whirlwind of insturments that keeps you constantly engaged by all the changes in the piece. Most notable part of this song however is the ridiculous solos that takes place throughout the song courtesy of Eric Dolphy who killed his role.

From what I can tell there's also some influence of modal jazz on this record that helps crafts
melodic soundscape as seen in Nardis, which is actually a Miles' song.

While the first song was pretty intense, the album slows down for the middle of it. The middle section contains more standard pace jazz songs but with a slight twist in that the songs would suddenly lose intensity. Like in Honestly, where throughout the track it loses momentum till its damn near quiet and then abruptly gain back it's pacing.

My favorite song on here has to be Round Bout Midnight which starts out as like the score of a horror movie with very strange and eerie sounds throughout, very mingus esque. Then it transitions into a modal cool jazz ballad with once again an amazing solo from Eric dolphy.

Overall I think the opener and closer were very strong, but I think the album somewhat loses me in engagement in that middle section of it.

Favorite Tracks: Ezz-thetics, Round Bout Midnight
Least Favorite: Thoughts

Ornette Coleman - Free Jazz (61)

This "album" if it can even be called that lived up to its name. All the albums I heard from Ornette Coleman has him flirting or experimenting with the boundary of how far he can push jaz. But I think it really culminated with this album. The album is just one single track rouhhly around 40 minutes with 2 different movements. Both movements is just pure chaos.

Pretty much what he was doing with The Shape of Jazz To Come and Change Of The Century, but this time on steroids. Similar characteristics such as no chordal instruments and just the usage of horns, drums and bass. But this time there's practically no structure to the songs, literally sounds like the band were in a jam session doing their own thing without worrying about the dynamics of the band as a whole. Its comes off as pure improv despite still having common jazz tropes such as solos. Even thought the music sounds like it's unhinged and completely free, you can tell theres some cues that the band is following for certain sections. For example the different takes of the song started off with the same notes. But there's a ton of unpleasant and unorthodox sounds in this album. Honestly, at times it sounds like straight noise. But I guess that's why he called it Free Jazz. But even then there's still small instances where the band members are in sync, whether this is planned or accidentally, it doesn't happen often. The album is very uneasy at times. Like in the second movement, the sax was dropped for the bass and drums alone and would randomly jump scare you with the horns blasting.

Definitely not something for a causal listen, but overall I respect it, it's pretty dope to just be able to throw all conventions out the window and just do whatever. Ornette has shown to do that with all his projects thus far, this might be his most ambitious one to me, funnily enough because of its lack of Ambition to do anything grand.

Title track is amazing

Everytime We Say Goodbye

You're going off on these writeups whew @op