John Coltrane - My Favorite Things (61)

One of Coltrane more acclaimed and notable works from what I seen, and it forsure lived up to the hype. With about 40 minutes of runtime, it felt like there was not one wasted moment on here. The album starts off with the best track and honestly one of the best tracks I heard, My Favorite things.

Honestly feels weird hearing My Favorite Things when my only source of reference was the 3k rendition on TLB. But yeah this one blows that one out the park. Might be the best jazz piece I ever heard. You can hear the modal influence on this one that helps create a very exquisite and warm melody. Then on top of that add coltrane sax solos throughout here with the catch melodic motif and you got something amazing. . Similar to Giant Steps, Coltranes solos prove to be the highlight of this album as well.

Warm is actually a good descriptor for this album. Every song just has this sense of fuzziness to it, as if you're listening to an audible hug. Everytime We Say Goodbye is another example of such. Sounds like staying cozy on a rain day which is funny considering the song also has a level of sadness that it's trying to portray.

This album shares similar characteristics to Kind of Blue. A very accessible and easy to listen to record that still has this sense of expert musicality to it. This is what makes the album very repayable.

Favorite Tracks: My Favortite Things, Everytime We Say Goodbye
Least Favorite: Summertime

Serge Gainsbourg - L'Étonnant Serge Gainsbourg (61)

This the first album I listened to in French, so this was an interesting experience. Although not much different than listening to other albums in different languages, where I'm mostly paying attention to the melodies and instrumentals. However, this is music in the early 60s so those 2 aspects are kinda low for vocal albums I'll say. But I still found a lot of enjoyment with this album.

I did read translations of every song just to get an idea of what the lyrics are. As far as lyrics, they seem to be very poetic and full of eloquent imagery to describe love and I can see how this correlates to the music that accompanies them.

Although I can't understand any of the lyrics on a causal listen, the overall atmosphere created from the instrumentals and singing resonated. At times it felt like I was listening to a French Sinatra, just from the way he was crooning over these lush instrumentals. The album has a lot more jazz elements than I was intially expecting like in Les Oubliettes, which might is one of my favorite out of the album. But the album also has very playful and whimsical feel to it with songs like Le Rock de nerval, Les Sonnets d'arvers and others. Overall the album was pretty enjoyable from the first foreign artist on this list.

Favorite Tracks: Les Chanson de Prévert, Les Oubliettes
Least Favorite: Les femmes c'est du chinois

Seeing some of my favorite albums of all time on here.

Art Blakey - A Night In Tunisia (61)

Second album from Art Blakey after moanin. The album starts off with a pretty great rendition of night in tunisia, not quite as good as the Lee morgan version but great nevertheless. Something I'll say about this album is that it's more busy than moanin. While it does keep the same core of being melodic and cool with songs like Yama. Howevee, there's greater instances where the music is more active than what you'll get from moanin and the intro sets it off right. Kozo's Walt also does a pretty great job on keeping the music melodic and being able to switch into energetic moments. Overall the album is pretty solid and consistent with great song renditions but I wouldn't say there's any real standouts on here that wow me, I guess the closest would be Sincerely Diana.

Favorite Tracks: Night In Tunisia, Sincerely Diana
Least Favorite: When Your Lover Has Gone

Bobby Bland - Two Steps From The Blue (61)

With this album and the Sam Cooke albums and a few others, I'm starting to see the framework for soul music being built. There's a mix of soulful ballads like lead me on and some more faster songs like don't cry no more. I think the ballads and slower tempo tracks is where he shines the best on. But even then I still feel like some of the ballads miss the mark for me. As with the other early rnb albums I heard kinda blows my mind they're singing these songs straight up like that with limited technology. His voice is pretty amazing all over this. I do think this album runs slight too long even though it's only 30ish minutes but mostly due to some of tracks kinda blending into each other in terms of instrumentation. I think the front end has the better songs overall.

Favorite Tracks: Two Steps From The Blue, Lead Me On
Least Favorite Tracks: Little Boy Blue

John Coltrane - Africa/Brass (61)

This album is far more mellow than My Favorite Things. The opening track, Africa really exhibits this with this ominous buildup for the second half of the song. Even greensleves which I always think of this "fairy tale" esque song is more melancholic than you would think. Speaking of greensleves, coltrane rendition of it on here is straight up amazing and provides a pretty unique take to the song at least for me, to the point i barely recognize it. The track exchange its goofiness for something more smooth. Low point of the album is blues minor, when compared to the first. The song felt like a bonus track almost.

When comparing this album to his last 2, Giant Steps and My Favorite Things, I would probably put this last. It does feel like a step or more below those 2 but nevertheless another solid album from Coltrane.

Favorite Tracks: Greensleves
Least Favorite: When Your Lover Has Gone

Ray Charles - Genius Sings The Blues (61)

With this album the music primarily takes a more blues and soul direction compared to some of his more jazzy works. Although there's still quite a bit of jazz influenced on here. Personally not much on here really connected with me. It just felt kinda dull and unengaging for the most part. There are moments on here that really standout with songs like Hard Times and Ray's Blues. But for the most part I was more or less drifting off. I guess because some of the songs were just blending into each other, not much variation on here even as far as Blues albums go.

Favorite Tracks: Hard Times, Ray's Blues
Least Favorite Tracks: I'm Moving On

Bill Evans - Exploration (61)

Something I can always expect from a bill evans album is the amazing and elegant piano playing. Of course the instrumentation on this album is pretty limited with the piano at the forefront. At times I do wish there was more instruments to play alongside bill's piano in a similar fashion to how he was utilized on Kind Of Blue, this kinda been my grievance with his other albums. However, the formula works slightly better on this one. Songs like Israel and Haunted Heart really show how captivating just the piano can be on more or less its lonesome. But just like the other bill evans albums, imo it suffers from being one noted at times, most of the songs blend into each other at times.

Favorite Tracks: Israel, Haunted Heart
Least Favorite Tracks: Elsa

Art Blakey - Mosaic (62)

The album opens up with Mosiac, the title track. And man this track is amazing its like a storm of instruments that keeps you on toes for 8 minutes long. Which then switches to this crazy drum solo from Art Blakey. The melodies all over this album are very smooth and catchy maybe even to the level of Moanin. Like the melody on Down under . The horns on this album might be my favorite part about it, they just really steal the show for the most part. The album overall is pretty adventurous and never gets stale, it manages to keep you engaged for its full length. Just a very consistent album front to back. Idk if I would put it at Moanin level but it's the close. Cause while it's consistent idk if the the standouts are as high as that one

Favorite Tracks: Mosaic, Down Under
Least Favorite Tracks: Crisis

this isnt oh yeah but I came here to say that im finishing Beneath the Underdog and Charlie was a nasty motherfucker

Charles Mingus - Oh Yeah (62)

Surprisingly this album very much reminds me of Blues and root. I went in thinking it was going to be more along the line of Ah Um. Although it does still retain some of the characteristics from that album such as some of the quirkiness associated with most of the mingus works I heard. This album moreso reminds me of blues and root because of the obvious bluesy feel to them but also both of them have this sense of earthshattering controlled chaos to them. Like the intro Hog Callin Blues starts the album with a blast and never let's up for the rest of its runtime. Although the album does have its more relax and chill moments like Ecclusiastics and devil woman, there's still this underlying tension.

Also similar to Blues and Roots is the usage of vocals, which I fw, feel like it's a nice touch on the overall music. I feel he goes even deeper with it on this album, so that was dope. Another interesting note about this album was that apparently mingus switch to doing mostly piano instead of bass on here, which is dope hearing tracks like Ecclusiastics where the piano is amazing throughout.

Another highlight of the album was the last track, passions of a man. That's probably the craziest jazz song I heard so far with the random vocal dubbing and the ominous melody playing.

I don't think this album is as good as either Ah Um or Blues and Roots but it's still very well made and adds to Mingus consistent discography.

Favorite Tracks: Hog Callin Blues, Devil Woman
Least Favorite Tracks: Eat That Chicken

Howlin Wolf - Howlin Wolf (62)

Unfortunately I haven't heard too many blues vocal albums that have kept me entertained for the full duration of the project. Although there has been a few standouts here and there. Tbh I wouldn't say this album really changed that either, but it was a pretty solid album. Some of the best qualities of this album is the rawness of it at points. Like howlin wolf doesn't necessarily have great vocals in a traditional sense. His voice sounds more or less sounds very strained and weathered. But for the context of the album it works pretty well within the whole package. I also really enjoyed the instrumentation especially the way the guitar was played and how it complimented his voice. There were a couple of moments that caught me attention throughout the project. Like the melody and guitar licks on spoonful. There were some Tracks on here I could do without, but overall it was pretty solid

Favorite Tracks: Spoonful, Shake For Me
Least Favorite Tracks: Wang Dang Doodle

Ben E King - Don't Play That Song (62)

This is an album from one of the members of the drifters. Similar to a lot of other vocals albums this era, I'm amazed on how great some of these singers vocals are compared to today. Ben vocally was pretty good all throughout this album. But adding on to how great his vocals are is the harmonies that's backing him. There's a lot of great smooth and lush compositions on here as well. All the best qualities of this album can seen with the title track and the stand out Stand By You. Overall a feel good and lighthearted record with its moments of cheesiness but endearing at points. But like most Pop records in this era, most tracks are fillers to help sell the singles. Therefore there's still quite a bit of fluff on here that don't really add anything to the project as a whole.

Favorite Tracks: Stand By Me, Don't Play That Song
Least Favorite Tracks: Show Me The Way

Stan Getz - Jazz Samba (62)

The title of the album. Jazz Samba really explains it pretty well. A Bossa Nova and samba influenced jazz album that's is pretty soft and accessible. More of less a cool jazz album with a slight twist. It's lighthearted and catchy at points. My experiences with cool jazz albums are that they usually walk the lines of being too cool and forgettable or not being smooth enough. Unfortunately while this album is undeniably smooth as far composition goes it does fall in line of being too cool and not exciting enough. I do think there's some amazing standouts on here however, the opening track Desafinado. Which is a good example of engaging cool jazz. I wouldn't really say any song on here is even bad or boring just decent. But more or less it's still a solid album that is pretty relaxing and chill to listen to.

Favorite Tracks: Desafinado, Samba Triste
Least Favorite Tracks: Bahia

Waltz for Debby one of my fav live albums.

Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby (62)

So this is a live album of some of bill evans songs I have heard on other projects. I kinda have a mixed feelings on bill evans. On one hand his piano skills are amazing and really compliment a band in the right way in certain cases. We see that prominently with him being an integral part of Kind of Blue. However as far as his discography, I'm often left disappointed and finding myself not really connecting all that much with it. This project isn't that much different. The music overall is pretty classy and elegant in feeling, like something you would hear at a fancy restaurant or a ball party. I feel as a causal listening something's missing, it's far too mellow and relax for my taste tbh, but I can still recognize the craftsmanship in the project. My Foolish Heart and Some Time are the highlights for me. Bill has this thing where his music really have this sense of warmth and comfort to it, and that's definitely on display with this live album.

Favorite Tracks: My Foolish Heart, Some Other Time
Least Favorite Tracks: Waltz For Debby

whew a lot of heat on this page

Dexter Gordon is fire af too

Dexter Gordon - Go (62)

My first Gordon album and im pretty statisfied. While cool jazz albums can be pretty hit or miss for me at times, hard bop/bepop jazz usually hits the spot for me and this is no different. The album has the typical characteristics you would get from a hard bop album, it's nothing crazy left field or anything out of the ordinary. But that's perfectly fine when it's done as skilled as this.

My favorite part of the album might be just how melodic the album is even in it's more technical moments. There's always this sense of catchiness and earworms throughout it, which is what probably makes the album so accesible. Most notable seen with the last 3 songs especially Where are you which has an amazing solo in it. Which is another great aspect of this album, Dexter Gordon solos are all amazing and powerful on this album. There's also this sense of warmth and playfulness in the songs, even in the more mellow one (where are you) might be a song selection thing, or the skill of the bands or whatever, but either way it's great.

At around 40 minutes, the album feels a lot shorter than what it actually is, which is a great sign especially for these jazz albums imo.

Favorite Tracks: Where Are You, Cheese Cakes
Least Favorite Tracks: Second Balcony Jump

The answer, my friend
Is blowin' in the wind

He was going so crazy on masters of war

Freewheeling is a certified banger

And Issa haaaard
Issa haaard
Issa haaaaard rains a gonna fall

As a Bob Dylan stan I’m excited that you checked this one out

Was actual the first album I did for this series before I went back to the 50s so I can hear some of the jazz albums.

Album was amazing but haven't heard it since. Excited to get back into it and hear more dylan albums

GOAT discography he’s got classics on classics you’re in for good stuff

And successfully changed up his whole style and vocals multiple times