Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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54. Julie London | Julie Is Her Name
Recording: August 8+9, 1955
Release: December 1955
Producer: Bobby Troup
Label: Liberty
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Standards
Line-Up: Barney Kesssel (guitar), Ray Leatherwood (bass), Julie London (vocals)

Points: 538
Finished #4 in 1955 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #60
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #4614
AM rank: #2969
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#13)
Not a Fan: Listyguy (#96)

A1 | Say It Isn‘t So (Irving Berlin)
A2 | It Never Entered My Mind (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
A3 | Easy Street (Alan Rankin Jones)
A4 | S‘ Wonderful (George Gershwin)
A5 | No Moon at All (David Mann, Redd Evans)
A6 | Laura (Johnny Mercer, David Raksin)
A7 | Gone with the Wind (Herbert Magidson, Allie Wrubel)
B1 | Cry Me a River (Arthur Hamilton)
B2 | I Should Care (Axel Stordahl, Paul Weston, Sammy Cahn)
B3 | I‘m in the Mood for Love (Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields)
B4 | I‘m Glad There Is You (Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Madeira Mertz)
B5 | Can‘t Help Lovin‘ That Man (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)
B6 | I Love You (Cole Porter)

Julie London had been quite successful as a model and an actress in the 1940s but basically retired when she got married to Jack Webb. This happened to a lot of female artists at the time, since they were supposed to focus on their duties as a housewife since „a woman‘s place is right there now in her home“. But she divorced Webb and re-started her career as an actress.
She also sang in a jazz club where she was discovered by Simon Waronker, co-founder of Liberty Records who later said that „the lyrics poured out of her like a hurt bird“ which is a very well-versed way of describing London‘s vocal style. She did not have a lot of range and she was definitely aware of that; her songs are sung in a quiet, intimate manner which gives them a unique kind of atmosphere a lot of the ‚louder‘ jazz singers of the time did not possess.
London was signed to Liberty Records and in the span of 15 years recorded around thirty albums for them. The first (and most enduringly popular one) is Julie Is Her Name featuring her biggest hit, „Cry Me a River“. On this album she is only supported by Ray Leatherwood on bass and Barney Kessel on guitar, creating an atmosphere fitting to London‘s intimate, whispery vocal style.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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53. Odetta | Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues
Recording: September 1956
Release: November 1956
Producer: Dean Gitter
Label: Tradition
Genre: Country Blues, Contemporary Folk
Line-Up: Odetta Holmes (vocals, guitar, percussion)

Points: 538
Finished #11 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #46
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: Unranked
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#15)
Not a Fan: Brad (#82)

A1 | Santy Anno (Traditional)
A2 | If I Had a Ribbon Bow (Huey Prince, Lou Singer)
A3 | Mule Skinner Blues (Jimmie Rodgers)
A4 | Another Man Done Gone (Traditional)
A5 | Shame and Scandal (Traditional)
A6 | Jack O‘Diamonds (Traditional)
A7 | ‚Buked and Scorned (Traditional)
A8 | Easy Rider (Traditional)
B1 | Joshua (Traditional)
B2 | Hound Dog (Traditional)
B3 | Glory, Glory (Traditional)
B4 | Alabama Bound (Huddie Ledbetter)
B5 | Been in the Pen (Traditional)
B6 | Deep Blue Sea (Traditional)
B7 | God‘s Gonna Cut You Down (Traditional)
B8 | Spiritual Trilogy: Oh Freedom/Come and Go with Me/I‘m on My Way (Traditional)

Odetta Holmes‘ debut album features covers of traditional folk and blues songs and was fittingly issued by Tradition Records, a fairly new record company founded in 1955 focused on folk music. Holmes was a big part of the folk music renaissance of the late 1950s and early 1960s and influenced many of its other participants.
She had a formal music education but decided not to go into classical music because she thought she wouldn‘t stand a chance (obviously not because of her vocal abilities). Instead she was part of musical ensembles for a few years in the 1940s. Starting in 1950 she started focussing on folk music and performed in night clubs in New York City and San Francisco.
While being Holmes‘ solo debut she had already recorded the album The Tin Angel together with Larry Mohr. The title of the record comes from the night club in San Francisco where Holmes and Mohr sang (and where at least parts of the album were recorded live).
On this album she performs solo, with only her acoustic guitar accompanying her. The songs are taken from all sorts of sources: Some are well known spirituals like „Joshua“ but there‘s also a Mexican shanty song in the mix („Santy Anno“). I do not know how Holmes happened upon all of these songs and who decided which songs would be included on the record.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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52. The Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop | Pithecanthropus erectus
Recording: January 30, 1956
Release: July 1956
Producer: Nesuhi Ertegün
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Post-Bop
Line-Up: Willie Jones (drums), Jackie McLean (alto saxophone), Charles Mingus (bass), J.R. Monterose (tenor saxophone), Mal Waldron (piano)

Points: 540
Finished #10 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #67
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #4437
AM rank: #906
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#14)
Not a Fan: SL3 (#85)

A1 | Pithecanthropus erectus (Charles Mingus)
A2 | A Foggy Day (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
B1 | Profile of Jackie (Charles Mingus)
B2 | Love Chant (Charles Mingus)

Pithecanthropus erectus is typically considered Mingus‘ breakthrough album. He had worked as a backing musician for Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker and Lionel Hampton before getting his start as a bandleader. In the 1950s he worked with a group typically known as his „Jazz Workshop“ featuring a loose array of musicians. The music there was largely based on improvisation (stronger than usual in jazz music at the time) and already showed Mingus‘ willingness to explore new ways forward.
Pithecanthropus erectus shows this approach. The title track is a tone poem about the history of mankind from its inception to its ultimate demise which is a big concept for a jazz album at the time. Mingus and his band create a kind of „musical painting“ through sound, which can be seen on „A Foggy Day“. It‘s an instrumental version of a standard, something jazz musicians did and still do play all the time, but this version features sound effects like whistles and honking cars, but all created through the musical instruments. This may seem gimmicky, but it does show that Mingus was not interested in just playing the same catalog people had been playing for the past twenty years (don‘t tell him that the jazz catalog is largely still the same as in the 1950s).
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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51. Gene Krupa & Buddy Rich | Krupa and Rich
Recording: November 1, 1955
Release: 1955
Producer: Norman Granz
Label: Clef
Genre: Bebop, Cool Jazz
Line-Up: Ray Brown (bass), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Herb Ellis (guitar), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Illinois Jacquet (tenor saxophone), Gene Krupa (drums), Oscar Peterson (piano), Flip Phillips (tenor saxophone), Buddy Rich (drums)

Points: 543
Finished #7 in 1955 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: Unranked
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: Unranked
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: Schüttelbirne (#2)
Not a Fan: Brad (#97)

A1 | Buddy‘s Blues (Buddy Rich)
A2 | Bernie‘s Tune (Bernie Miller, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)
B1 | Gene‘s Blues (Gene Krupa)
B2 | Sweethearts on Parade (Carmen Lombardo, Charles Newman)
B3 | I Never Knew (Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn)

I remember there being some debate on 1955 thread whether this release actually happened in 1955, but based on the available information I don‘t see anything disputing it. Short timeframes between recording and release were not that unusual at the time. It‘s also important to note that Krupa and Rich was one of the final releases of Clef Records; when Norman Granz founded Verve Records all the albums he produced were issued there and Krupa and Rich got a reissue on that label very soon after the original release (or just another pressing? I‘m not sure about the terminology).
Anyways, about the album itself which is one of the most thrilling and interesting releases of the 1950s but is rarely mentioned alongside other great jazz albums. The duo of Krupa and Rich was first hired by Norman Granz for his Jazz at the Philharmonic (JATP) concerts (see more about that in the write-up for Ella and Louis) in 1952. The two drummers were pitted against each other and were sort of competing with each other; the album release of the 1952 concert is titled The Drum Battle. They kept playing together though and recorded this album; but they only play together on „Bernie‘s Tune“ - here they trade solos for multiple minutes.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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50. Ray Charles | Ray Charles
Recording: May 17, 1953 (A4, A5, A6, B2) – December 4, 1953 (B6) – November 18, 1954 (A3, B5, B7) – April 23, 1955 (A7, B3) – November 30, 1955 (A2, B1, B4) – November 27, 1956 (A1)
Release: 1957
Producers: Ahmet Ertegün & Jerry Wexler
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Rhythm & Blues, Soul
Line-Up:
May 17, 1953: Mickey Baker (guitar), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), Jesse Drake (trumpet), Connie Kaye (drums), Dave McRae (baritone saxophone), Sam Taylor (tenor saxophone), Lloyd Trotman (bass)
December 4, 1953: Warren Bell (baritone saxophone), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), Wallace Davenport (trumpet), O‘Neil Gerald (alto saxophone), Lloyd Lambert (bass), Frank Mitchell (trumpet), Oscar Moore (drums), Joe Tillman (tenor saxophone)
November 18, 1954: Jimmy Bell (bass), Joe Bridgewater (trumpet), Glenn Brooks (drums), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), Wesley Jackson (guitar), David Newman (baritone saxophone), Charles Whitley (trumpet), Don Wilkerson (tenor saxophone)
April 23, 1955: Joe Bridgewater (trumpet), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), David Newman (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone), William Peeples (drums), Roosevelt Sheffield (bass), Riley Webb (trumpet), Don Wilkerson (tenor saxophone)
November 30, 1955: Joe Bridgewater (tumpet), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), Panama Francis (drums), Cecil Payne (baritone saxophone), Paul West (bass), Don Wilkerson (tenor saxophone), Joshua Willis (trumpet)
November 27, 1956: Joe Bridgewater (trumpet), Ray Charles (vocals, piano), Emmett Dennis (baritone saxophone), John Hunt (trumpet), David Newman (tenor saxophone, alto saxophone), William Peeples (drums), Roosevelt Sheffield (bass)

Points: 545
Finished #16 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #89
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2945
AM rank: Bubbling Under
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#5)
Not a Fan: nicolas (#64)


A1 | Ain‘t That Love (Ray Charles)
A2 | Drown in My Own Tears (Henry Glover)
A3 | Come Back Baby (Ray Charles)
A4 | Sinner‘s Prayer (Lloyd Glenn, Lowell Fulson)
A5 | Funny (But I Still Love You) (Ray Charles)
A6 | Losing Hand (Charles E. Calhoun)
A7 | A Fool for You (Ray Charles)
B1 | Hallelujah I Love Her So (Ray Charles)
B2 | Mess Around (Ahmet Ertegün)
B3 | This Little Girl of Mine (Ray Charles)
B4 | Mary Ann (Ray Charles)
B5 | Greenbacks (Renald Richard)
B6 | Don‘t You Know (Ray Charles)
B7 | I Got a Woman (Ray Charles, Renald Richard)

You could say there are different types of ‚compilation‘ albums in the 1950s: A greatest hits compilation with added filler, a B-sides compilation and a straight-up collection of songs previously released as singles. There certainly was no concept behind Ray Charles, the 1957 album, and the songs on it were surely not produced with the album in mind. The producers draw from single releases dating back to June 1953 and going up to January 1957. The album was released later that year. In fact, not only does Ray Charles consist of single releases, they are mostly his biggest hits up to 1957, including his #1 hits „I Got a Woman“, „Drown in My Own Tears“, „A Fool for You“ and „Mary Ann“. Seven other songs were Top 10 hits on the R&B charts, and only three of the songs were B-sides („Funny (But I Still Love You)“, „Sinner‘s Prayer“ and „Losing Hand“.
Charles himself is the only person playing on every song of the album, the rest of the personnel consists of studio musicians for Atlantic Records in various combinations. The album was re-released in 1962 with the title Hallelujah I Love Her So.
Ray Charles‘ musical heritage is often claimed to be the fusion of different musical styles with each other, like blues, R&B, gospel and jazz. I‘ve talked about the secularization of gospel songs in the song write-ups for „Hallelujah I Love Her So“ and „I Got a Woman“; „This Little Girl Is Mine“ is another example of a song based on a gospel hymn, in this case „This Little Light of Mine“. While Charles‘ well of influences wasn‘t as deep as it would become later in his career, this early album already shows his promise as a boundary-pushing musician.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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49. Miles Davis | ‘Round About Midnight
Recording: October 26, 1955 (A2) – June 5, 1956 (B-side) – September 10, 1956 (A1, A3)
Release: March 4, 1957
Producer: George Avakian
Label: Columbia
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Paul Chambers (bass), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Miles Davis (trumpet), Red Garland (piano), Philly Joe Jones (drums)

Points: 546
Finished #10 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #116
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #5297
AM rank: #1462
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#10)
Not a Fan: DaveC (#84)

A1 | ‚Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk, Berne Hanighen, Cootie Williams)
A2 | Ah-Leu-Cha (Charlie Parker)
A3 | All of You (Cole Porter)
B1 | Bye Bye Blackbird (Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson)
B2 | Tadd‘s Delight (Tadd Dameron)
B3 | Dear Old Stockholm (Traditional, arranged by Stan Getz)

After George Avakian saw Miles Davis perform at the Newport Festival in 1955, where he also played „‘Round About Midnight“, he offered him a contract at Columbia Records, an offer Davis took. But since Davis had to fulfill obligations to Prestige, he recorded a few more albums for them with the Miles Davis Quintet, in which they‘re cookin‘, relaxin‘, workin‘ and steamin‘. ‘Round About Midnight was released earlier than those albums, but it wasn‘t the first album featuring the quintet to be released. That was Miles. It does feature the first recorded session, however, which was held in the Columbia Studio D in New York City on October 26, 1955. Only one of the tracks recorded at that point in time landed on the record: „Ah-Leu-Cha“. The other tracks are often found on Deluxe versions of the album.
There are no original compositions on this record. There‘s the title track, one of the most famous jazz standards ever, composed by Thelonious Monk. „Ah-Leu-Cha“ is a composition by Charles Parker, „All of You“ is by Cole Porter, „Bye Bye Blackbird“ by Ray Henderson and „Tadd‘s Delight“ by Tadd Dameron who was apparently delighted. There‘s also another version of „Dear Old Stockholm“, a traditional from Sweden which Davis had originally recorded with a different line-up for Young Man with a Horn, released in 1953.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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48. Dizzy Gillespie | Afro
Recording: May 24, 1954 (A1, A2, A3, A4) – June 3, 1954 (B1, B2, B3)
Release: 1954
Producer: Norman Granz
Label: Norgran
Genre: Afro-Cuban Jazz, Big Band
Line-Up:
May 24, 1954: Danny Bank (baritone saxophone), Candido Camero (congas), Leon Comegys (trombone), George Dorsey (alto saxophone), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Lou Hackney (bass), Hilton Jefferson (alto saxophone), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Quincy Jones (trumpet), Wade Legge (piano), Jose Mangual (bongos), George Mathews (trombone), Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone), Ubaldo Nieto (timbales), Jimmy Nottingham (trumpet), Chico O‘Farrill (conductor), Charlie Persip (drums), Roberto Rodriguez (bass), Ernie Royal (trumpet), Ramon Santamaria (congas), Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone)
June 3, 1954: Candido Camero (percussion), Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Rene Hernandez (piano), Jose Mangual (percussion), Ralph Miranda (percussion), Ubaldo Nieto (percussion), Robert Rodriguez (bass), Gilbert Valdez (flute)

Points: 550
Finished #15 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #52
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #4714
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: mileswide (#13)
Not a Fan: DaveC (#82)

A1 | Manteca Theme (Gil Fuller, Dizzy Gillespie, Chano Pozo)
A2 | Contraste (Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O‘Farrill, Chano Pozo)
A3 | Jungla (Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O‘Farrill, Chano Pozo)
A4 | Rhumba-Finale (Dizzy Gillespie, Chico O‘Farrill, Chano Pozo)
B1 | A Night in Tunisia (Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli)
B2 | Con Alma (Dizzy Gillespie)
B3 | Caravan (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol)

It is important to draw a difference between the two sides of the album because they work differently, despite both drawing from the well of Afro-Cuban Jazz. The A-side consists of four songs arranged by Chico O‘Farrill for a big band while the B-side features arrangements by Dizzy Gillespie for a smaller ensemble. Both line-ups feature an extensive percussion section with Cuban musicians including Jose Mangual, Ubaldo Nieto and Candido Camero. Mongo Santamaria was also present for the first recording session.
The contributions by two people for at least the A-side should be mentioned: Arturo O‘Farrill had worked for Benny Goodman before (where he got the nickname „Chico“) but he also arranged for other artists and started his own Afro-Cuban Jazz band. Chano Pozo co-wrote all four songs on the A-side. He came to New York in 1947 and was introduced to Gillespie by Mario Bauza. Pozo and Gillespie composed some of Gillespie‘s most well-known songs together (most notably „Manteca“) and he also played the congas in Gillespie‘s band for a year before his death.
While the A-side features compositions that were explicitly meant to be played in a Latin Jazz way, the B-side features two popular compositions not explicitly intended for such a treatment; but Gillespie showed that even such songs could benefit from Latin percussion.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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47. Thelonious Monk | Genius of Modern Music
Recording: October 15, 1947 (B1) – October 24, 1947 (A2, A3, B3) – November 21, 1947 (A1) – July 2, 1948 (A4, B2, B4)
Release: 1951
Producer: Alfred Lion
Label: Blue Note
Genre: Bebop
Line-Up:
October 15, 1947: Art Blakey (drums), Thelonious Monk (piano), Eugene Ramey (bass), Billy Smith (tenor saxophone), Idrees Suliman (trumpet), Danny Quebec West (alto saxophone)
October 24, 1947: Art Blakey (drums), Thelonious Monk (piano), Eugene Ramey (bass)
November 21, 1947: Art Blakey (drums), Edmund Gregory (alto saxophone), Thelonious Monk (piano), Robert Paige (bass), George Taitt (trumpet)
July 2, 1948: Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Thelonious Monk (piano), John Simmons (bass), Shadow Wilson (drums)

Points: 552
Finished #8 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #33
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2043
AM rank: #518
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#17)
Not a Fan: nicolas (#63)

A1 | ‚Round About Midnight
A2 | Off Minor
A3 | Ruby, My Dear
A4 | I Mean You
B1 | Thelonious
B2 | Epistrophy
B3 | Well, You Needn‘t
B4 | Mysterioso

All tracks composed by Thelonious Monk.

Thelonious Monk had played the piano in the Manhattan nightclub Minton‘s Playhouse for a few years in the 1940s when he was introduced to Alfred Lion, the co-founder of Blue Note Records (probably the most significant jazz label) and his wife Lorraine Gordon, who would later marry Max Gordon, the owner of the Village Vanguard (one of the most significant jazz clubs in the USA). Lion was absolutely thrilled by Monk‘s piano playing which was seen as idiosyncratic and unconvential at the time and decided to record him playing some of his own compositions. These recordings were released as singles in the years 1948 and 1949, but did not find an audience. Some claim this on his playing style seeming too bizarre for contemporary audiences, some on the sidemen who were basically no-names (with the exception of Blakey and Jackson).
Still, Lion believed in Monk‘s talent and kept advocating in his favor. Lorraine Gordon got him a gig at the Village Vanguard, but that wasn‘t a very successful endeavor either.
Some of the songs from the single releases in the late 1940s were collected in this compilation in 1951. The hyperbole of the title should obviously serve as bait for the audience, but it wasn‘t very fruitful. Nowadays this album is known as Vol. 1, since a second volume was issued the following year.
Time shows that Lion‘s instincts were right: Monk indeed became one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians in history. This album has been reissued countless times with additional recordings included and changed track lists.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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46. Marty Robbins | Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Recording: April 7, 1959
Release: September 1959
Producer: Don Law
Label: Columbia
Genre: Western
Line-Up: Louis Dunn (drums), Chuck Glaser (backing vocals), Jim Glaser (backing vocals), Tompall Glaser (backing vocals), Grady Martin (guitar), Bob Moore (bass), Jack Pruett (guitar), Marty Robbins (vocals, guitar), Bobby Sykes (backing vocals)

Points: 556
Finished #10 in 1959 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #247
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1383
AM rank: #1173
Biggest Fan: SL3 (#1), mileswide (#7)
Not a Fan: Henry (#89)

A1 | Big Iron (Marty Robbins)
A2 | Cool Water (Bob Nolan)
A3 | Billy the Kid (Traditional)
A4 | A Hundred and Sixty Acres (David Kapp)
A5 | They‘re Hanging Me Tonight (James Low, Art Wolpert)
A6 | The Strawberry Roan (Curley Fletcher)
B1 | El Paso (Marty Robbins)
B2 | In the Valley (Marty Robbins)
B3 | The Master‘s Call (Marty Robbins)
B4 | Running Gun (Tompall Glaser, Jim Glaser)
B5 | Down in the Little Green Valley (Carson Robison)
B6 | Utah Carol (Traditional)

Marty Robbins was quite a prolific singer in the 1950s and 1960s (though his career lasted until the 1980s). He recorded all sorts ofmaterial, ranging from Rock & Roll to Country to Exotica. Most of his output is generally forgotten, but his most famous album is still Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs,an album of Western songs, a musical tradition that was already in major decline when Robbins decided to record all of the songs on the album in a marathon session. Western music portrays the lifes of cowboys and ranchers on the American Frontier and was especially popular in the early 20th century; you can find many examples of „singing cowboys“ in movies of the 1930s. These musicals also included other influences from contemporary Pop or Jazz music. But the popularity of this kind of music declined and after WWII the only people who would still do Western music were Country musicians (since these two styles are fairly similar).
Robbins was also a country musician, and he possessed a real passion for the style. He wrote some of the songs here himself. The existence of this album might seem a bit anachronistic, but it once again proves that nostalgia has always been a thing.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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45. Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie | Bird and Diz
Recording: March 1949 (B4) – May 5, 1949 (A4) – June 6, 1950 (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3)
Release: July 1952
Producer: Norman Granz
Label: Mercury
Genre: Bebop
Line-Up:
March 1949: Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Al Haig (piano), Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Tommy Potter (bass), Max Roach (drums), Tommy Turk (trombone), Carlos Vidal (bongos)
May 5, 1949: Kenny Dorham (trumpet), Al Haig (piano), Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Tommy Potter (bass),Max Roach (drums)
June 6, 1950: Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Thelonious Monk (piano), Charlie Parker (alto saxophone), Buddy Rich (drums), Curly Russell (bass)

Points: 558
Finished #15 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #58
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #4520
AM rank: #1984
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#15)
Not a Fan: SL3 (#90)

A1 | Bloomdido (Charlie Parker)
A2 | My Melancholy Baby (Ernie M. Burnett, George A.Norton)
A3 | Relaxin‘ with Lee (Charlie Parker)
A4 | Passport (Charlie Parker)
B1 | Leap Frog (Benny Harris, Charlie Parker)
B2 | An Oscar for Treadwell (Charlie Parker)
B3 | Mohawk (Charlie Parker)
B4 | Visa (Charlie Parker)

This might be one of the most interesting cases of filler material we can find on this list: The title proclaims this record to be collaboration of Bird and Diz, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, two of the greatest, most famous jazz musicians of their time. They recorded six tracks together in a session on June 6, 1950 which were released as singles in the years 1950-1952. These were then collected on a 10‘‘ LP by Norman Granz. But there was still some space left, so he just included two tracks from sessions in 1949 with completely different line-ups which were released as singles around the same time as the aforementioned singles. Nowadays, you would just leave those tracks out because they clearly run counter to the intended concept of the album, but why not use the space if you have it? More can never be bad, can it?
Gillespie and Parker had worked together since the early 1940s and were both huge influences on the development of Bebop. In fact, Parker is sometimes credited as the most important contributor to that style of jazz that is now regarded as the dominating jazz style of the 1950s. From a modern perspective people sometimes include Thelonious Monk as another jazz giant playing on here, but he wasn‘t a really big name at the time.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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44. Count Basie Orchestra | Basie
Recording: October 21-22, 1957
Release: January 1958
Producer: Teddy Reig
Label: Roulette
Genre: Big Band, Swing
Line-Up: William Basie (piano), Henry Coker (trombone), Wendell Culley (trumpet), Eddie Davis (tenor saxophone), Frank Foster (tenor saxophone), Charles Fowlkes (baritone saxophone), Freddie Green (guitar), Al Grey (trombone), Eddie Jones (bass), Thad Jones (trumpet), Joe Newman (trumpet), Sonny Payne (drums), Benny Powell (trombone), Marshall Royal (alto saxophone), Frank Wess (saxophone), Snooky Young (trumpet)

Points: 560
Finished #11 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #29
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2996
AM rank: #731
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#7)
Not a Fan: DaveC (#75)

A1 | Kid from Red Bank (William Basie, Neal Hefti)
A2 | Duet (Neal Hefti)
A3 | After Supper (Neal Hefti)
A4 | Flight of the Foo Birds (Neal Hefti)
A5 | Double-O (Neal Hefti)
A6 | Teddy the Toad (Neal Hefti)
B1 | Whirlybird (Neal Hefti)
B2 | Midnite Blue (Neal Hefti)
B3 | Splanky (Neal Hefti)
B4 | Fantail (Neal Hefti)
B5 | Li‘l Darlin‘ (Neal Hefti)

This album is known under different titles. The original title is typically given as Basie, since it‘s the title shown by big blue letters in front of a red mushroom cloud. Down on the sleeve there‘s a scientific formula which has been proven to be completely correct in a bunch of peer-reviewed publications, saying: „E = MC² = Count Basie Orchestra + Neal Hefti Arrangements“.
This has led to some people calling the album E=MC² because the original title is a bit unspecific. Later reissues fixed that problem by referring back to the cover image and adding some words to the title. It is now also known as The Atomic Mr. Basie.
William James Basie, professionally known as Count Basie, is one of the most important big band leaders in jazz history. He went through a lot of different formations of the years, disbanding his bands and setting up new ones even before he ever started recording. To be clear: Albums (or singles) were not the primary focus of jazz artists in these days. They played at venues for a live audience and recordings were more of a side gig. Count Basie‘s Orchestra was also a prominent backing band for singers like Sarah Vaughan and they toured through the United States and Europe. So they were quite busy. Not busy enough however, that they couldn‘t squeeze in a little recording session of a number of Neal Hefti‘s compositions in October 1957. Hefti was a frequent collaborator of Basie‘s. His contributions to the album are immeasurable. He not only composed all of the tracks, he also arranged them which is an incredibly important part of Big Band music. You have to make sure that a song does not sound like an oversized backing band for one singular musician while also paying attention not to create a muddy wall of sound. Hefti‘s arrangements here are clear and precise, giving different members of the orchestra a chance to shine while also presenting their collaborative work in all its glory.
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Schüttelbirne
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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43. Frank Sinatra | In the Wee Small Hours
Recording: March 1, 1954 (B2) – February 8, 1955 (A3, A7, B3, B6) – February 16, 1955 (A2, A6, B1, B4) – February 17, 1955 (A1, A4, A8, B8) – March 4, 1955 (A5, B5, B7)
Release: April 25, 1955
Producers: Voyle Gilmore
Label: Capitol
Genre: Standards, Vocal Jazz
Line-Up:
March 1, 1954: Victor Bay (violin), Alexander Beller (violin), Cy Bernard (cello), Harry Bluestone (violin), Bart Caldarell (reeds), Frank Carlson (drums), John Cave (French horn), Mahlon Clark (reeds), Joe Comfort (bass), Walter Edelstein (violin), Morton Friedman (reeds), Bobby Gibbons (guitar), Edward Gilbert (bass), John Graas (French horn), Stan Harris (viola), Francis Howard (trombone), Maxine Johnson (viola), Kathryn Julye (harp), George Kast (violin), Harry Klee (reeds), Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Paul Nero (violin), Tommy Pederson (trombone), Paul Robyn (viola), Nathan Ross (violin), Mischa Russell (violin), Eudice Shapiro (violin), Paul Shure (violin), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Ann Mason Stockton (harp), Champ Webb (reeds), James Williamson (reeds)
February 8, 1955: Bill Miller (piano), Nelson Riddle (conductor), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Paul Smith (celeste), Phil Stephens (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums), George Van Eps (guitar)
February 16, 1955: Harry Bluestone (violin), Mahlon Clark (reeds), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Harry Edison (trumpet), Skeets Herfurt (reeds), Kathryn Julye (harp), Bill Miller (piano), Ted Nash (reeds), Nelson Riddle (conductor), Mischa Russell (violin), Babe Russin (reeds), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Paul Smith (celeste), Phil Stephens (bass), Alvin Stoller (drums), George Van Eps (guitar), Champ Webb (reeds)
February 17, 1955: Victor Bay (violin), Alexander Beller (violin), Harry Bluestone (violin), Morty Corb (bass), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Walter Edelstein (violin), David Frisina (violin), Stan Harris (viola), Henry Hill (violin), Kathryn Julye (harp), Raphael Kramer (cello), Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Bill Miller (piano), Erno Neufeld (violin), Kurt Reher (cello), Nelson Riddle (conductor), Paul Robyn (viola), Nathan Ross (violin), Mike Rubin (bass), Mischa Russell (violin), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Lou Singer (drums), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Marshall Sosson (violin), David Sterkin (viola), George Van Eps (guitar)
March 4, 1955: James Arkatov (cello), Victor Bay (violin), Alexander Beller (violin), Cy Bernard (cello), Harry Bluestone (violin), John Cave (French horn), Vincent DeRosa (French horn), Joseph Eger (French horn), Arthur Gleghorn (flute), Luella Howard (flute), Kathryn Julye (harp), Armand Kaproff (cello), Jules Kinsler (flute), Raphael Kramer (cello), Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Richard Perissi (French horn), George Poole (flute), Kurt Reher (cello), Nathan Ross (violin), Mischa Russell (violin), Joseph Saxon (cello), Paul Shure (violin), Lou Singer (drums), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Marshall Sosson (violin), Phil Stephens (bass), George Van Eps (guitar)

Points: 565
Finished #3 in 1955 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #20
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #264
AM rank: #293
Biggest Fan: Honorio (#3), Henry (#4)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#91), Listyguy (#98), DaveC (#100)

A1 | In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning (Bob Hilliard, David Mann)
A2 | Mood Indigo (Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills)
A3 | Glad to Be Unhappy (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
A4 | I Get Along Without You Very Well (Hoagy Carmichael)
A5 | Deep in a Dream (Eddie DeLange, Jimmy Van Heusen)
A6 | I See Your Face Before Me (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz)
A7 | Can‘t We Be Friends (Paul James, Kay Swift)
A8 | When Your Lover Has Gone (Einar Aaron Swan)
B1 | What Is This Thing Called Love (Cole Porter)
B2 | Last Night When We Were Young (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg)
B3 | I‘ll Be Around (Alec Wilder)
B4 | Ill Wind (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)
B5 | It Never Entered My Mind (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
B6 | Dancing on the Ceiling (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
B7 | I‘ll Never Be the Same (Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli)
B8 | This Love of Mine (Sol Parker, Henry W. Sanicola Jr., Frank Sinatra)

Sinatra‘s career was in a bit of a rough phase in the early 1950s, but he still got signed with Capitol Records. Shortly after he won an Oscar for his role in From Here to Eternity, so his popularity hit an unexpected new peak which impacted his music releases too. For the record, there‘s multiple tales about Sinatra‘s casting in that movie involving either the mafia or his wife Ava Gardner‘s influence, but I didn‘t research this any further.
He and Gardner were not happy however and decided to separate. Nelson Riddle, the arranger and conductor of the songs contained on this album, said Sinatra channeled the resultings feelings into the emotional performances of the songs.
In the Wee Small Hours is often credited as one of the first concept albums. That is correct, in a sense, but it is stretching the term „concept album“ very wide. „Concept: Sad Songs“ does not really work, and it‘s not like other artists hadn‘t recorded albums of torch music earlier. Sinatra would go on to do other albums with coherent themes which is certainly important for the development of the album as an art form containing a consistent thematic vision.
The album was also clearly planned as an album with recording sessions producing content for it. It‘s interesting to look at these, because they teach us some interesting things. The first recording session was on March 1, 1954 and cannot be considered part of the original concept. It‘s a leftover from a different session with a different orchestra that got pasted onto the final album because it sound similar.
The first actual album session was held on February 8, 1955 with a very small crew, fitted for creating sparsely orchestrated, intimate songs. The following sessions all had different line-ups for the orchestra with a focus on different sections:
February 16 features many woodwinds, February 17 an extended string section and the final session incorporates a couple of French horns and flutes.
In the Wee Small Hours is less the start of the concept album and more the start of the album as an artistic form.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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42. Cannonball Adderley | Somethin‘ Else
Recording: March 9, 1958
Release: August 1958
Producer: Alfred Lion
Label: Blue Note
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Julian Adderley (alto saxophone), Art Blakey (drums), Miles Davis (trumpet), Hank Jones (piano), Sam Jones (bass)

Points: 569
Finished #4 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #62
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll:
AM rank: #698
Biggest Fan: Henry (#13)
Not a Fan: bonnielaurel (#84)

A1 | Autumn Leaves (Jacques Prévert, Joseph Kosma)
A2 | Love for Sale (Cole Porter)
B1 | Somethin‘ Else (Miles Davis)
B2 | One for Daddy-O (Nat Adderley)
B3 | Dancing in the Dark (Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

Saxophonist Julian Adderley formed a quintet with his brother, trumpet player Nat Adderley, in the mid-1950s, but struggled to find success. Miles Davis, already a very big name in the world jazz, was impressed by his blues-tinged saxophone playing and asked him to join his own quintet in October 1957, effectively ending Adderley‘s own quintet. But after the disbandment of the First Great Quintet Adderley formed another quintet with his brother again, this time much more successful.
Somethin‘ Else was recorded in one session in March 1958. Adderley was the bandleader here, but since Davis is the much bigger name, some have speculated that it was a session led by Davis that was released under Adderley‘s name for contractual reasons. Davis himself said however, that Adderley asked him to play in this recording session.
The material on the album consists of three standards, all of which are ballads. Added to this are a composition by Cannonballs‘s brother Nat and an original composition by Davis. As far as I‘m aware he never recorded another version of it again.
Davis and Adderley converse throughout the album, maybe best seen in the final minute of the title track where they keep passing the lead role onto each other, never missing a beat. They‘re supported by a more than capable rhythm section. The romantic flourishes by Hank Jones on the ballads are especially worth mentioning (just listen to the opening to „Love for Sale“) as is the sheer swinging soul of the bass work Sam Jones delivers.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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41. Billie Holiday | Billie Holiday
Recording: April 20, 1939 (G, H) – March 25, 1944 (A, D, F) – April 1, 1944 (C) – April 8, 1944 (B, E)
Release: June 1947
Producers:
Label: Commodore
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Traditional Pop, Standards
Line-Up:
April 20, 1939: Eddie Dougherty (drums), Billie Holiday (vocals), Kenneth Hollon (tenor saxophone), Jimmy McLin (guitar), Frankie Newton (trumpet), Stanley Payne (tenor saxophone), Tab Smith (alto saxophone, soprano saxophone), Sonny White (piano), John Williams (bass)
March 25, 1944: Sid Catlett (drums), Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Lem Davis (alto saxophone), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Eddie Heywood (piano), Billie Holiday (vocals), John Simmons (bass), Teddy Walters (guitar)
April 1, 1944: Sid Catlett (drums), Doc Cheatham (trumpet), Lem Davis (alto saxophone), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Eddie Heywood (piano), Billie Holiday (vocals), John Simmons (bass)
April 8, 1944: Sid Catlett (drums), Lem Davis (alto saxophone), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Eddie Heywood (piano), Billie Holiday (vocals), John Simmons (bass), Teddy Walters (guitar), Freddie Webster (trumpet)

Points: 570
Finished #14 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: Unranked
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: Unranked
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: SL3 (#3)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#78)

A | I Cover the Waterfront (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman)
B | Lover, Come Back to Me (Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg)
C | I‘ll Be Seeing You (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal)
D | I‘ll Get By (Fred E. Alhert, Roy Turk)
E | She‘s Funny That Way (Neil Moret, Richard A. Whiting)
F | How Am I to Know (Jack King, Dorothy Parker)
G | I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues (Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler)
H | Yesterdays (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern)

Another early album which was issued in the form of four singles in a box. The first three singles stem from a rather short time period in spring 1944 and were all recorded with Eddie Heywood‘s band (though the exact line-up is not the same, most players play on all of the songs). And then there‘s the fourth single which features a completely different single release from 1939.
I think that the record labels Holiday did the recordings for owned those recordings. So on this Commodore album only singles that were originally issued by the same label would appear. Holiday also worked for other labels including Okeh, Vocalion and Decca. As far as I can tell this album collects all the single releases done by Holiday for Commodore at this point in time with one very notable exception: The single release of „Strange Fruit“ with the B-side „Fine and Mellow“ was excluded despite being recorded in the same session as the final single and having been released in 1939, probably due to the former being controversial. Many reissues fix that by including the other songs from the sessions ( some of which were released as singles in the same year as this album was).
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

Post by bonnielaurel »

Impressive presentation with a huge amount of background information!
De gustibus et coloribus non est disputandum.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

Post by Henry »

Wondering if I will be in the not a fan category for some of the following albums that have yet to drop:

Most likely:
83. Howlin' Wolf: Moanin' in the Moonlight (no lower than 10 in the poll)
_________________________________________________
Results so far:
100. Boris Vian: Chansons possibles et impossibles (Unfortunately, my low ranking of French artists seems a bit consistent throughout this rollout.) - placed at 63 in the poll - Listyguy joined me as not a fan. Nicolas may need to help the two of us better appreciate these great French works.

93. Georges Brassens: No. 4 (placed at 60 in the poll) - SL3 joined me as not a fan. Again Nicolas may need to help me understand why this work is so beloved.

92. Josh White: Southern Exposure (placed at 36 in the poll) - Dan and bonnilaurel joined me as not fans. Not a surprise to see that DaveC and Schuttelbirne are fans because their tastes seem a bit different than mine. They may have something to teach me so that I can better appreciate Josh White's album.

89. Marty Robbins: Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (placed at 46 in the poll). No one joined me in the not a fan group for this album. SL3 and mileswide may want to clue me in on this album.

87. Hank Williams: Moanin' the Blues (placed at 28 in the poll). Schuttelbirne joined me as not a fan. Because Honorio likes this album and has such a wonderful way of articulating what he finds appealing, I expect that my enjoyment of the album could increase with a few insightful words from our man Honorio.

86. Jacques Brel: No. 4 (another French album that doesn't yet work for me) (placed at 12 in the poll). No one joined me as not a fan for this album. My taste often aligns with bonnielaurel, so perhaps she can provide me with some tips so that I can increase my enjoyment for some of the songs on this album.

81. Woody Guthrie: Dust Bowl Ballads (placed at 17 in the poll) - once again no one joined me as not a fan for this album. I have hope that my enjoyment of the album could improve with some helpful words from Honorio.
Last edited by Henry on Tue Mar 21, 2023 6:55 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Schüttelbirne
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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40. Louis Armstrong | Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy
Recording: July 12-14, 1954
Release: November 1954
Producer: George Avakian
Label: Columbia
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Dixieland
Line-Up: Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet), Barney Bigard (clarinet), Barrett Deems (drums), Billy Kyle (piano), Velma Middleton (vocals (A1, A3, A5, B5)), Arvell Shaw (bass), Trummy Young (trombone)

Points: 573
Finished #5 in 1900-1954 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #50
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #8231
AM rank: #1533
Biggest Fan: nicolas (#13)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#83)

A1 | St. Louis Blues (William Christopher Handy)
A2 | Yellow Dog Blues (William Christopher Handy)
A3 | Loveless Love (William Christopher Handy)
A4 | Aunt Hagar‘s Blues (William Christopher Handy, Tim Brymn)
A5 | Long Gone (From Bowling Green) (William Christopher Handy, Chris Smith)
B1 | Memphis Blues (William Christopher Handy, George A. Norton)
B2 | Beale Street Blues (William Christopher Handy)
B3 | Ole Miss Blues (William Christopher Handy)
B4 | Chantez Les Bas (Sing ‚Em Low) (William Christopher Handy)
B5 | Hesitating Blues (William Christopher Handy)
B6 | Atlanta Blues (Make One Pallet on Your Floor) (William Christopher Handy, Dave Elman)

Trumpeter W.C. Handy was one of the most important blues composers in the history of American popular music. He was one of the first to even publish this music. At a time when a lot of revenue was still being generated by sheet music, that meant a lot for Blues, which was not that popular in the early 1910s. Handy titled his biography Father of the Blues.
Some of the compositions by Handy were adapted from other sources: „Loveless Love“ is an adaptation of the traditional „Careless Love“, „Hesitating Blues“ is also based on a traditional song and „Yellow Dog Blues“ was an answer song to Shelton Brooks‘ „I Wonder Where My Easy Rider‘s Gone?“. „Memphis Blues“ is based on „Mr. Crump“, a campaign song Handy wrote for Edward Crump.
His most famous composition is probably „St. Louis Blues“ which has become a standard in both Blues and Jazz music. Louis Armstrong had recorded it back in 1929, but back then he was confined to the small size of 78 rpm records, so that version is only three minutes long. Now he kicks off the album with an extended, almost nine-minute long version of that composition. It‘s the beginning to an album of Armstrong paying homage to Handy by playing jazz versions of eleven of his most famous blues songs. The cover features a photograph of Armstrong and Handy together. Handy was not very fond of jazz when it started, but he came around to it. The continuing admiration of jazz musicians was helpful for sure. Jelly Roll Morton once described him as the inventor of jazz.
This was Armstrong‘s first album specifically designed as an album. Earlier there were compilations of different recording sessions, but this is clearly designed as a cohesive whole, a tribute to one of the most important composers in American music history.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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39. Billie Holiday | Lady Sings the Blues
Recording: June 6, 1956 (A1, A2, A3, A4) – June 7, 1956 (A5, A6, B1, B2) – September 3, 1954 (B3, B4, B5, B6)
Release: December 1956
Producer: Norman Granz
Label: Clef
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Standards
Line-Up:
September 3, 1954: Red Callender (bass), Harry Edison (trumpet), Chico Hamilton (drums), Billie Holiday (vocals), Barney Kessel (guitar), Willie Smith (alto saxophone), Bobby Tucker (piano)
June 6 & 7, 1956: Aaron Bell (bass), Kenny Burrell (guitar), Billie Holiday (vocals), Wynton Kelly (piano), Lenny McBrowne (drums), Paul Quinchette (tenor saxophone), Tony Scott (clarinet), Charlie Shavers (turmpet)

Points: 580
Finished #6 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #51
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2115
AM rank: #1617
Biggest Fan: SL3 (#10)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#85)

A1 | Lady Sings the Blues (Billie Holiday, Herbie Nichols)
A2 | Trav‘lin‘ Light (Trummy Young, Jimmy Mundy, Johnny Mercer)
A3 | I Must Have That Man (Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh)
A4 | Some Other Spring (Irene Higginbotham, Arthur Herzog Jr.)
A5 | Strange Fruit (Lewis Allan)
A6 | No Good Man (Irene Higginbotham, Sammy Gallop, Dan Fisher)
B1 | God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.)
B2 | Good Morning Heartache (Irene Higginbotham, Ervin Drake, Dan Fisher)
B3 | Love Me or Leave Me (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn)
B4 | Too Marvelous for Words (Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting)
B5 | Willow Weep for Me (Ann Ronell)
B6 | I Thought About You (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer)

This was released and marketed along Billie Holiday‘s autobiography of the same name, so it is just fitting that some of the songs here are re-recordings of her most well-known tracks including „God Bless the Child“ and the legendary „Strange Fruit“ (our favorite song of the first half of the century and the 1950s). I would argue that the sessions in 1956 were held with the clear intent to put the songs on an album that could be marketed along with the book. I don‘t know if they did not have time to record more material or if they always planned to include the recordings from 1954.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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38. Sarah Vaughan | Sarah Vaughan
Recording: December 16, 1954 (A1, B1, B3, B4) – December 18, 1954 (A2, A3, A4, B2, B5)
Release: April 1955
Producer: Bob Shad
Label: EmArcy
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Standards
Line-Up: Joe Benjamin (bass), Clifford Brown (trumpet), Roy Haynes (drums), Jimmy Jones (piano), Herbie Mann (flute), Paul Quinichette (tenor saxophone), Sarah Vaughan (vocals)

Points: 584
Finished #2 in 1955 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #25
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2212
AM rank: #1137
Biggest Fan: nicolas (#12)
Not a Fan: DaveC (#87)

A1 | Lullaby of Birdland (B.Y. Forster, George Shearing)
A2 | April in Paris (Vernon Duke, E.Y. Harburg)
A3 | He‘s My Guy (Gene De Paul, Don Raye)
A4 | Jim (Caesar Petrillo, Edward Ross, Nelson Shawn)
B1 | You‘re Not the Kind (Will Hudson, Irving Mills)
B2 | Embraceable You (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
B3 | I‘m Glad There Is You (Jimmy Dorsey, Paul Madeira Mertz)
B4 | September Song (Maxwell Anderson, Kurt Weill)
B5 | It‘s Crazy (Dorothy Fields, Richard Rodgers)

Vocal jazz music and pop music are very close properties in the 1950s. A lot of the modern song catalogue originated from composers writing for musicals and revues in the 1930s. Both pop and jazz musicians covered these songs extensively (this is still happening, but to a lesser degree), so the borders between Vocal Jazz and Traditional Pop music are not very rigid. If you want to find an album of standards from the period that has the most jazz-like sound, you wouldn‘t go wrong with Sarah Vaughan‘s self-titled album from 1955. It features a small but incredibly talented backing band of jazz musicians who have done quite some notable work in instrumental jazz. Most famously Clifford Brown, of course, but Herbie Mann would also go on to be quite successful (and even crossover into popular markets).
The jazz-oriented style of the album is not a coincidence: Her record contract specified that Vaughan would record both commercial, pop-oriented music (to be released through Mercury Records) and jazz-oriented music which would be released through Mercury‘s subsidiary EmArcy.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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37. Various Artists | West Side Story (Original Broadway Cast)
Recording: September 29, 1957
Release: 1957
Producers: Goddard Lieberson & Sylvia Drulie
Label: Columbia
Genre: Show Tunes
Line-Up:
Cast:
Hank Brunjes (Diesel)
Michael Callan (Riff)
Marilyn Cooper (Rosalia)
Grover Dale (Snowboy)
Reri Grist (Consuelo)
Carmen Gutierrez (Teresita)
Larry Kert (Tony)
Carol Lawrence (Maria)
Tony Mordente (A-Rab)
Chita Rivera (Anita)
Eddie Roll (Action)
Elizabeth Taylor (Francisca)
David Winters (Baby John)

Points: 589
Finished #7 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #35
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1384
AM rank: #685
Biggest Fan: SL3 (#8), Honorio (#9)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#92), Listyguy (#100)

A1 | Prologue / Jet Song
A2 | Something‘s Coming
A3 | The Dance at the Gym
A4 | Maria
A5 | Tonight
A6 | America
A7 | Cool
A8 | One Hand, One Heart
B1 | Tonight (Quintet and Chorus)
B2 | The Rumble
B3 | I Feel Pretty
B4 | Somewhere
B5 | Gee, Officer Krupke
B6 | A Boy Like That / I Have a Love
B7 | Finale

All songs written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim.

Presenting a modern take on the story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story opened on September 26, 1957 on Broadway and was an immediate success. It is now considered one of, if not the most successful musical in recent history. The music came from Leonard Bernstein, a classical composer and conductor who also composed his operetta Candide at the same time. The music takes much influence from jazz and Latin music. The lyrics were written by the young Stephen Sondheim, who had never had a show on Broadway before – that would change, as we all know.
The musical would serve as the foundation of multiple motion pictures and is still frequently performed in theaters all over the world.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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Image

36. Josh White | Southern Exposure
Recording:
Release: September 1941
Producers:
Label: Keynote
Genre: Acoustic Blues, Piedmont Blues
Line-Up: Josh White (vocals, guitar)

Points: 589
Finished #10 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: Unranked
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #4881
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#2), Schüttelbirne (#8)
Not a Fan: Henry (#92), Dan (#96), bonnielaurel (#98)

A | Southern Exposure
B | Uncle Sam Says
C | Jim Crow Train
D | Bad Housing Blues
E | Hard Time Blues
F | Defense Factory Blues

All songs written by Josh White and William Waring Cuney

Josh White had quite a life. Two months after his father was almost beaten to death by bill collectors, he started working with Blind Man Arnold and proved that he was quite a talented musician and performer. Starting in the 1930s he made a name for himself with Blues and Gospel recordings, often singing about segregation. His album Southern Exposure (which also features a truly iconic cover) is just one example. I was actually quite surprised when it qualified directly for the final round because Josh White is not nearly as popular as he was during that time (at least, that‘s how it seems to me). Apparently he was the first African-American artists to have a million selling record („One Meatball“) and had close relations to the Roosevelts (at least this document by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum claims as much; can anyone confirm or deny?).
He may have sold millions of records in the 1940s, but his popularity took a hit when his name appeared in on Red Channels, a pamphlet where FBI agents listed 151 artists believed to have been part of subversive organisations.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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35. Georges Brassens | 1ère série: Georges Brassens chante les chansons poétiques (...et souvent gaillardes) de… Georges Brassens
Recording: March 19, 1952 (A1, B1), May 14, 1952 (A2, A3, A4, B4), October 21, 1952 (B2, B3)
Release: November 1953
Producer: Jacques Canetti
Label: Polydor
Genre: Chanson à texte
Line-Up: Georges Brassens (vocals, guitar), Pierre Nicolas (bass)

Points: 590
Finished #4 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #26
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #977
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: nicolas (#3), DaveC (#8)
Not a Fan: bonnielaurel (#94), SL3 (#97)

A1 | La mauvaise réputation
A2 | Le parapluie
A3 | Le petit cheval
A4 | Le fossoyeur
B1 | Le gorille
B2 | Corne d‘auroch
B3 | La chasse aux papillons
B4 | Hécatombe

All songs written by Georges Brassens.

Brassens only started recording music when he was in his 30s. By then he had already published a novel, La lune écoute aux portes (1947) and written articles for the anarchist newspaper Le Libertaire. He had perfected his style of poetry over years; some of the songs on this album are based on poems he had written during the 1940s. He was not born to be a performer, however. At first he had problems taking the stage in front of an audience, but that got better over time. One of his biggest supporter, frequently credited as having discovered Brassens, was Henriette Ragon, better known as Patachou who was a well-known singer and actress at the time. Based on her connections he gets to record with Jacques Canetti.
All the songs on his first album were written by Brassens himself, „Le petit cheval“ is based on Paul Fort‘s poem Complainte du petit cheval blanc. In these eight songs he doesn‘t hold back on criticizing society. We saw that already in the songs poll with „La mauvaise réputation“ which I won‘t repeat here. The most controversial song on here is obviously „Le gorille“ which tells the story of a virgin gorilla escaping the zoo and having his way with a judge, but simultaneously also criticizes the death penalty.
But Brassens does not only sing satiric songs about bourgeois society, the album also features bittersweet lovesongs like „La chasse aux papillons“ and „Le petit cheval“ and a gloomy song about the hardships of a gravedigger, „Le fossoyeur“. On „Hécatombe“ he shows his anarchist roots by telling the story of a bunch of women fighting about onions but turning their rage against the police when it shows up, beating them up in quite a comedic fashion.
This first collection of Brassens‘ songs which is also known under the title of the first song, La mauvaise réputation is not even twenty minutes long, but heralded the arrival of one of the most important voices of French chanson.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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34. Chuck Berry | After School Session
Recording: May 21, 1955 (A4) – September 1955 (B3) – December 20, 1955 (A5, A6, B2, B5) – April 16, 1956 (A3, B1, B6) – October 29, 1956 (B4) – January 21, 1957 (A1, A2)
Release: May 1957
Producers: Leonard Chess & Phil Chess
Label: Chess
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues
Line-Up:
May 21, 1955 & September 1955: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Jerome Green (maracas), Johnnie Johnson (piano), Jasper Thomas (drums)
December 20, 1955: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Eddie Hardy (drums), Otis Spann (piano)
April 16, 1956: Fred Below (drums), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), L.C. Davis (tenor saxophone), Willie Dixon (bass), Johnnie Johnson (piano)
October 29, 1956: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Jimmy Rogers (guitar)
January 21, 1957: Fred Below (drums), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Johnnie Johnson (piano)

Points: 592
Finished #5 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #44
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1826
AM rank: #1568
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#4)
Not a Fan: bonnielaurel (#90)

A1 | School Days
A2 | Deep Feeling
A3 | Too Much Monkey Business
A4 | Wee Wee Hours
A5 | Roly Poly
A6 | No Money Down
B1 | Brown Eyed Handsome Man
B2 | Berry Pickin‘
B3 | Together (We Will Always Be)
B4 | Havana Moon
B5 | Downbound Train
B6 | Drifting Heart

All these tracks were written by Chuck Berry.

Chess Records was one of the most important labels of Rock & Roll history. They mainly issued Blues music and early Rock music (which had clear ties to Blues and R&B styles of the time). Artists who released stuff on that label include Howlin‘ Wolf, Bo Diddley, Jackie Brenston and Muddy Waters. They started issuing their first singles in 1950 and already built quite a reputation for themselves. Their first LP was released in 1956, a compilation album for the jukebox musical Rock, Rock, Rock featuring four songs each by The Moonglows, The Flamingos and Chuck Berry. The Berry songs on the soundtrack were „Maybellene“, „Thirty Days“, „You Can‘t Catch Me“ and „Roll Over Beethoven“. Only „You Can‘t Catch Me“ actually appears in the movie. Still, with this album you had an early compilation of R&B songs with Berry‘s two biggest hits to date appearing.
The second album Chess Records issued was Berry‘s first LP, entitled After School Session. Albums did not usually have a concept at this point in time and neither did this album. It‘s mainly a collection of B-sides from Berry‘s various single releases. Only „Roly Poly“ and „Berry Pickin‘“ had not been part of a single release earlier.
It is notable that all twelve tracks here were written by Berry himself which was not the usual thing for musicians to do. It‘s also a relatively varied album including instrumentals, fast-paced dance songs and slower ballads. Some might criticize this as a lack of cohesion, others like it because it mixes things up. It certainly shows off an artist who shaped an entire musical genre; and his own biggest success was still to come.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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33. Chet Baker | Chet Baker Sings
Recording: February 15, 1954
Release: April 1954
Producer: Richard Bock
Label: Pacific Jazz
Genre: Vocal Jazz, Cool Jazz, Standards
Line-Up: Chet Baker (vocals, trumpet), Russ Freeman (piano), Bob Neel (drums), Carson Smith (bass)

Points: 593
Finished #6 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #10
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #736
AM rank: #2448
Biggest Fan: Dan (#4), Honorio (#4), nicolas (#4)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#97)

A1 | But Not for Me (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
A2 | Time After Time (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
A3 | My Funny Valentine (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
A4 | I Fall in Love Too Easily (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)
B1 | There Will Never Be Another You (Mack Gordon, Harry Warren)
B2 | I Get Along Without You Very Well (Hoagy Carmichael)
B3 | The Thrill Is Gone (Lew Brown, Ray Henderson)
B4 | Look for the Silver Lining (Buddy DeSylva, Jerome Kern)

Chet Baker had been playing with Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan before deciding to venture out on his own and do a vocal Jazz album – with him doing the vocals! There are very few jazz instrumentalists who also regularly sang; the most famous is almost certainly Louis Armstrong and he had a voice unlike any other. It‘s a project that seems designed to fail. Just think of the narrative: Young, up-and-coming jazz trumpeter who‘s received attention for his playing in a quartet decides he can now grace the world with his singing and fails completely. But that‘s not how it went, because Baker didn‘t fail. Sure, he did receive scorn for his unrefined vocals, different from the jazz singers popular at the time. There‘s no smooth crooning here, no vocal gymnastics or anything like that. His vocals are much different from Sinatra‘s or Astaire‘s, focusing less on technical perfection and more on emotional expression. His low voice turns these eight standards, all of them love songs, into his own little moments of heartbreak. Rarely before has there been a male jazz singer who seemed to lay his soul as bare as Baker does on this album.
It‘s a short album with just eight songs; it was reissued two years later with the eight songs from the original album now comprising the B-side, while the A-side featured six new songs.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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32. Billie Holiday | Lady in Satin
Recording: February 19, 1958 (A2, A3, B3, B5) – February 20, 1958 (A1, A5, B2, B6) – February 21, 1958 (A4, A6, B1, B4)
Release: June 1958
Producer: Irving Townsend
Label: Columbia
Genre: Vocal Jazz
Line-Up: Danny Bank (flute), Phil Bodner (flute), Sid Brecher (viola), Elise Bretton (backing vocals), Maurice Brown (cello), Billy Butterfield (trumpet), Mel Davis (trumpet), Richard Dichler (viola), Ray Ellis (conductor), Barry Galbraith (guitar), Bernie Glow (trumpet), Emmanual Green (violin), Jack Green (trombone), Urbie Green (trombone), Milt Hinton (double bass), Harry Hoffman (violin), Billie Holiday (vocals), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Osie Johnson (drums), Harry Katzmann (violin), Leo Kruczek (violin), Milton Lomask (violin), Harry Meinikoff (violin), Tommy Mitchell (bass trombone), David Newman (violin), Jimmy Ochner (trumpet), George Ockner (violin), Tom Parshley (flute), Romeo Penque (flute), Janet Putnam (harp), Samuel Rand (violin), David Sarcer (violin), David Soyer (cello), Mal Waldron (piano), Miriam Workman (backing vocals)

Points: 593
Finished #6 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #31
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #818
AM rank: #615
Biggest Fan: Schüttelbirne (#7), Honorio (#8)
Not a Fan: Dan (#99)

A1 | I‘m a Fool to Want You (Frank Sinatra, Joel Herron, Jack Wolf)
A2 | For Heaven‘s Sake (Elise Bretton, Sherman Edwards, Donald Meyer)
A3 | You Don‘t Know What Love Is (Gene DePaul, Don Raye)
A4 | I Get Along Without You Very Well (Hoagy Carmichael)
A5 | For All We Know (J. Fred Coots, Sam M. Lewis)
A6 | Violets for Your Furs (Tom Adair, Matt Dennis)
B1 | You‘ve Changed (Bill Carey, Carl T. Fischer)
B2 | It‘s Easy to Remember (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)
B3 | But Beautiful (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen)
B4 | Glad to Be Unhappy (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)
B5 | I‘ll Be Around (Alec Wilder)
B6 | The End of a Love Affair (Edward Redding)

For some time Billie Holiday had been signed with Clef Records with producer Norman Granz. Originally the idea of recording entire songbooks was drawn up with Holiday in mind, but Granz went with Fitzgerald. Holiday would only record with small jazz combos. She was not too happy about that and changed labels. She specifically wanted to record with Ray Ellis after having heard his album Ellis in Wonderland. Irving Townsend from Columbia Records got both of them together and they recorded the entire album in three days in February 1958. Holiday is supported by a big orchestra with string section and brass instruments doing solos in some songs.
As far as I know, all the songs on the album were standards Holiday had not recorded before. Each day they recorded four songs which does not sound like much, but they took multiple takes.
Some people at the time (and even today) were not too happy with Holiday‘s vocal performance since her voice sounds different from her early period.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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31. Johnny Cash | Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar!
Recording: May 1955 (A5) – July 30, 1955 (B1, B5) – April 2, 1956 (B3) – Summer 1957 (A1, B4) – August 4, 1957 (A2, A3, A4, A6, B2, B6)
Release: October 11, 1957
Producer: Sam Phillips
Label: Sun
Genre: Country, Rockabilly
Line-Up: Johnny Cash (vocals, guitar), Marshall Grant (bass), Luther Perkins (guitar)

Points: 596
Finished #6 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #24
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2553
AM rank: #2300
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#9)
Not a Fan: Brad (#80)

A1 | The Rock Island Line (Traditional)
A2 | I Heard That Lonesome Whistle (Jimmie Davis, Hank Williams)
A3 | Country Boy (Johnny Cash)
A4 | If the Good Lord‘s Willing (Jerry Reed)
A5 | Cry, Cry, Cry (Johnny Cash)
A6 | Remember Me (Stuart Hamblen)
B1 | So Doggone Lonesome (Johnny Cash)
B2 | I Was There When It Happened (Jimmie Davis, Fern Jones)
B3 | I Walk the Line (Johnny Cash)
B4 | The Wreck of the Old ‚97 (Traditional)
B5 | Folsom Prison Blues (Johnny Cash)
B6 | Doin‘ My Time (Jimmie Skinner)

Let‘s imagine the thought process behind this album: To be deemed worthy of an album you would basically need to be a successful single artist. If people don‘t want to spend two minutes with you why should they want to spend more than half an hour with you? Johnny Cash certainly was a successful singles artist, and four of his most successful songs would certainly make the cut for the album.
His debut single „Cry! Cry! Cry!“ was in as was „Folsom Prison Blues“, its flipside „So Doggone Lonesome“ and „I Walk the Line“. These had already been recorded in the two previous years. But to make an album you need more than four songs. A jazz artist could get away with four songs since their songs are longer, but Cash rarely scratches the three-minute mark (and his songs are not complex enough to warrant that). The remaining eight tracks were recorded in two sessions in the summer of 1957 with the two traditional songs recorded in one session (also including „Belshazah“ which was only released in 1969) and the six other songs recorded in a mammoth recording session. Most of the songs were recorded multiple times before the ultimate version was chosen. We can assume these songs were already recorded together with the intention of using them as „filler“ for the album release (which would happen just two months later). I don‘t like the word filler, since it seems to imply a lack of artistic merit for the songs that were not immediate hits, but that‘s not what I mean here. It really seems to me like they needed more songs for the album so they recorded some. It‘s not like with some other albums on this list where the songs were compiled from an already existing collection of songs. It‘s also notable that only one of the songs recorded in that session was a Cash original and all the other songs are cover versions of already existing songs, mostly country songs made in the 1950s.
Now to the music itself: Cash is backed up by The Tennessee Two in all the songs. The instrumentation is rather sparse with just two guitars and a bass, but without percussion. Still, Cash managed to give the country songs featured on the album a certain Rock-n-Roll vibe. Lyrically, the songs deal with classic themes like painful love. „Country Boy“ is about making an honest living, while „The Rock Island Line“ is about the exact opposite. „Folsom Prison Blues“ and „I Heard That Lonesome Whistle“ (likely the inspiration for the former) even sees the narrator in prison.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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30. Bo Diddley | Bo Diddley
Recording: March 2, 1955 (A1, A2) – May 10, 1955 (B3) – July 14, 1955 (A3, B6) – November 10, 1955 (B4) – May 24, 1956 (B5) – February 8, 1957 (A5) – August 15, 1957 (A4, B2) – January 29, 1958 (A6, B1)
Release: 1958
Producers: Leonard Chess, Phil Chess & Ellas McDaniel
Label: Chess
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues
Line-Up:
March 2, 1955: Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica), James Bradford (bass), Jerome Green (maracas), Clifton James (drums), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Otis Spann (piano)
May 10, 1955: Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica), Prentiss Barnes (backing vocals), Willie Dixon (bass), Harvey Fuqua (backing vocals), Jerome Green (maracas), Clifton James (drums), Billy Johnson (backing vocals), Bobby Lester (backing vocals), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Alexander Walton (backing vocals)
July 14, 1955: Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica), Willie Dixon (bass), Jerome Green (maracas, vocals (A3)), Frank Kirkland (drums), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar)
November 10, 1955: Prentiss Barnes (backing vocals), Willie Dixon (bass), Harvey Fuqua (backing vocals), Jerome Green (maracas), Clifton James (drums), Billy Johnson (backing vocals), Bobby Lester (backing vocals), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Willie Smith (harmonica), Alexander Walton (backing vocals), Jody Williams (guitar)
May 24, 1956: Willie Dixon (bass), Jerome Green (maracas), Clifton James (drums), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Willie Smith (harmonica), Jody Williams (guitar)
February 8, 1957: Jake Carey (backing vocals), Jerome Green (maracas), Tommy Hunt (backing vocals), Clifton James OR Frank Kirkland (drums), Peggy Jones (backing vocals), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Nate Nelson (backing vocals), Paul Wilson (backing vocals)
August 15, 1957: Willie Dixon (bass), Jerome Green (maracas), Frank Kirkland (drums), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar), Otis Spann (piano), Jody Williams (guitar)
January 29, 1958: Peggy Jones (guitar), Frank Kirkland (drums), Lafayette Leake (piano), Ellas McDaniel (vocals, guitar)

Points: 600
Finished #5 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #16
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1100
AM rank: #704
Biggest Fan: Dan (#5)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#93)

A1 | Bo Diddley
A2 | I‘m a Man
A3 | Bring It to Jerome
A4 | Before You Accuse Me
A5 | Hey! Bo Diddley
A6 | Dearest Darling
B1 | Hush Your Mouth
B2 | Say, Boss Man
B3 | Diddley Daddy
B4 | Diddy Wah Diddy
B5 | Who Do You Love?
B6 | Pretty Thing

All songs written by Ellas McDaniel.

This is Bo Diddley‘s first album, but it‘s often considered a compilation because all twelve songs were previously released as singles. Up to the release of the album Diddley had released nine singles equalling eighteen songs from which the best were chosen. Some singles got both sides in, some only one side. The single featuring „Cops and Robbers“ and „Down Home Special“ was completely left out.
The tracks on the album were recorded in a total of eight recording sessions each of which featured a different line-up of backing musicians. Sometimes there were backing bands including The Moonglows and The Flamingos.
The songs showcase Diddley‘s innovations in rock music, especially in terms of rhythmic qualities and guitar playing. The Bo Diddley beat is found in many of the songs here (for more on that, look at the „Bo Diddley“ comments in the songs poll). Diddley played many custom-made guitars including one in a rectangular shape.
Diddley was an incredibly successful artist. In the years following the release of this compilation album he released multiple albums each year. His star grew weaker in the 1960s however, when a bunch of more innovative rock artists pushed him out.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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29. Frank Sinatra | Songs for Swingin‘ Lovers
Recording: October 17, 1955 (A8) – January 9, 1956 (A1, A4, B2) – January 10, 1956 (A3, A7, B7) – January 12, 1956 (A2, B1, B5) – January 16, 1956 (A5, A6, B3, B4, B6)
Release: March 5, 1956
Producer: Voyle Gilmore
Label: Capitol
Genre: Standards, Vocal Jazz
Line-Up:
October 17, 1955: Victor Bay (violin), Alex Beller (violin), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Ennio Bolognini (cello), Joe Comfort (bass), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Harry Edison (trumpet), Mort Friedman (baritone saxophone), Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Kathryn Julye (harp), Harry Klee (alto saxophone, clarinet), Mickey Mangano (trumpet), Bill Miller (piano), Paul Nero (violin), Nelson Riddle (conductor), George Roberts (bass trombone), Mischa Russell (violin), Wilbur Schwartz (alto saxophone, clarinet), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Milton Thomas (viola), Juan Tizol (valve trombone), George Van Eps (guitar)
January 9, 1956: Victor Bay (violin), Alex Beller (violin), Cy Bernard (cello), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Harry Bluestone (violin), Ennio Bolognini (cello), Joe Comfort (bass), Harold Dicterow (violin), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Harry Edison (trumpet), Frank Flynn (percussion), Mort Friedman (baritone saxophone), David Frisina (violin), Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Joe Howard (trombone), Maxine Johnson (viola), Kathryn Julye (harp), Harry Klee (alto saxophone, clarinet), Manny Klein (trumpet), Mickey Mangano (trumpet), Bill Miller (piano), Ted Nash (tenor saxophone), Paul Nero (violin), Nelson Riddle (conductor), George Roberts (bass trombone), Mischa Russell (violin), Babe Russin (tenor saxophone), Wilbur Schwartz (alto saxophone, clarinet), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Marshall Sosson (violin), Alvin Stoller (drums), Milton Thomas (viola), Juan Tizol (valve trombone), George Van Eps (guitar)
January 10, 1956: Victor Bay (violin), Alex Beller (violin), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Ennio Bolognini (cello), Joe Comfort (bass), Harold Dicterow (violin), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Harry Edison (trumpet), Mort Friedman (baritone saxophone), David Frisina (violin), Justin Gordon (tenor saxophone), Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Kathryn Julye (harp), Harry Klee (alto saxophone, clarinet), Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Mickey Mangano (trumpet), Bill Miller (piano), Alex Murray (violin), Paul Nero (violin), Jimmy Priddy (trombone), Nelson Riddle (conductor), George Roberts (bass trombone), Nathan Ross (violin), Mischa Russell (violin), Wilbur Schwartz (alto saxophone, clarinet), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), David Sterkin (viola), Alvin Stoller (drums), Milton Thomas (viola), Juan Tizol (valve trombone), George Van Eps (guitar), James Williamson (tenor saxophone), Zeke Zarchy (trumpet)
January 12, 1956: Victor Bay (violin), Alex Beller (violin), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Ennio Bolognini (cello), Joe Comfort (bass), Irv Cottler (drums), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Walter Edelstein (violin), Harry Edison (trumpet), Mort Friedman (baritone saxophone), Justin Gordon (tenor saxophone), Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Henry Hill (violin), Maxine Johnson (viola), Kathryn Julye (harp), Harry Klee (alto saxophone, clarinet), Manny Klein (trumpet), Edgar Lustgarten (cello), Mickey Mangano (trumpet), Bill Miller (piano), Alex Murray (violin), Paul Nero (violin), Jimmy Priddy (trombone), Nelson Riddle (conductor), George Roberts (bass trombone), Nathan Ross (violin), Mischa Russell (violin), Wilbur Schwartz (alto saxophone, clarinet), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Milton Thomas (viola), Juan Tizol (valve trombone), George Van Eps (guitar), Jess Williamson (tenor saxophone)
January 16, 1956: Victor Bay (violin), Alex Beller (violin), Cy Bernard (cello), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Ennio Bolognini (cello), Joe Comfort (bass), Irv Cottler (drums), Harold Dicterow (violin), Alvin Dinkin (viola), Harry Edison (trumpet), Frank Flynn (percussion), Mort Friedman (baritone saxophone), David Frisina (violin),Justin Gordon (tenor saxophone), Conrad Gozzo (trumpet), Henry Hill (violin), Maxine Johnson (viola), Kathryn Julye (harp), Harry Klee (alto saxophone, clarinet), Manny Klein (trumpet),Mickey Mangano (trumpet), Bill Miller (piano), Paul Nero (violin), Jimmy Priddy (trombone), Nelson Riddle (conductor), George Roberts (bass trombone), Mischa Russell (violin), Wilbur Schwartz (alto saxophone, clarinet), Paul Shure (violin), Frank Sinatra (vocals), Eleanor Slatkin (cello), Felix Slatkin (violin), Marshall Sosson (violin), Milton Thomas (viola), Juan Tizol (valve trombone), George Van Eps (guitar), James Williamson (tenor saxophone)

Points: 608
Finished #3 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #12
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #890
AM rank: #291
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#4)
Not a Fan: Listyguy (#95)

A1 | You Make Me Feel So Young (Josef Myrow, Mack Gordon)
A2 | It Happened in Monterey (Mabel Wayne, Billy Rose)
A3 | You‘re Getting to Be a Habit with Me (Harry Warren, Al Dubin)
A4 | You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me (Sammy Fain, Irving Kahal, Pierre Norman)
A5 | Too Marvelous for Words (Richard A.Whiting, Johnny Mercer)
A6 | Old Devil Moon (Burton Lane, E.Y. Harburg)
A7 | Pennies from Heaven (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke)
A8 | Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)
B1 | I‘ve Got You Under My Skin (Cole Porter)
B2 | I Thought About You (Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Mercer)
B3 | We‘ll Be Together Again (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine)
B4 | Makin‘ Whoopee (Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn)
B5 | Swingin‘ Down the Lane (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn)
B6 | Anything Goes (Cole Porter)
B7 | How About You? (Burton Lane, Ralph Freed)

In the Wee Small Hours had been Sinatra‘s third album for Capitol Records, but the first 12‘‘ LP on that label. His previous two albums Songs for Young Lovers and Swing Easy! contained uptempo, swinging versions of traditional pop standards, a template Sinatra returned to with Songs for Swingin‘ Lovers!, with the difference that the 12‘‘ format allowed almost twice the amount of songs.
The album was clearly planned ahead of time with recording sessions scheduled for January 1956. The line-up for each distinct recording session is different, but not in a significant way, like we saw on In the Wee Small Hours. The only exception is the song „Love Is Here to Stay“ which was recorded three months earlier. It was included because the ballad „Memories of You“ which was recorded in the January sessions was deemed too slow and sad to fit on an album of uptempo happy songs. So instead they took a song from a previous recording session and put it on the end of the A-side.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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28. Hank Williams | Moanin‘ the Blues
Recording: November 6, 1947 (B3) – November 7, 1947 (A3, B2) – December 22, 1948 (B1) – August 30, 1949 (A2) – Janaury 9, 1950 (B4) – August 31, 1950 (A1) – December 11, 1951 (A4)
Release: September 8, 1952
Producer: Fred Rose
Label: MGM
Genre: Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
Line-Up:
November 6+7, 1947: Jerry Byrd (guitar), Louis Innis (bass), Zeke Turner (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar), Robert Wise (fiddle) + EITHER Owen Bradley OR Fred Rose (piano)
December 22, 1948: Claude Baum (mandolin), Jerry Byrd (guitar), Louis Innis (guitar), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Willie Thawl (bass), Zeke Turner (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar)
August 30, 1949: Jerry Byrd (guitar), Louis Innis (guitar), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Ernie Newton (bass), Zeke Turner (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar)
January 9, 1950: Don Helms (guitar), Bob McNett (guitar), Ernie Newton (bass), Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Jack Shook (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar)
August 31, 1950: Farris Coursey (drums), Don Helms (guitar), Sammy Pruett (guitar), Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Jack Shook (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar) + EITHER Ernie Newton OR Howard Watts (bass) + EITHER Fred Rose OR Owen Bradley (organ)
December 11, 1951: Don Helms (guitar), Sammy Pruett (guitar), Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Jack Shook (guitar), Hank Williams (vocals, guitar) + EITHER Ernie Newton OR Howard Watts (bass)

Points: 613
Finished #9 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #13
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1641
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: Dan (#3), Listyguy (#7), Honorio (#10)
Not a Fan: Henry (#87), Schüttelbirne (#87)

A1 | Moanin‘ the Blues
A2 | I‘m So Lonesome I Could Cry
A3 | My Sweet Love Ain‘t Around
A4 | Honky Tonk Blues
B1 | Lovesick Blues (Cliff Friend, Irving Mills)
B2 | The Blues Come Around
B3 | I‘m a Long Gone Daddy
B4 | Long Gone Lonesome Blues

All tracks written by Hank Williams except B1.

A collection of songs that had all previously been released as singles in the years before. The producers did not just put any successful Hank Williams single on here, though. The album has sort of a consistent theme: Only sad songs are allowed on here, so no „Move It On Over“.
While the first of these collections, Hank Williams Sings mostly collected material that had not sold well, Moanin‘ the Blues features some of Williams‘ most successful and famous songs including „I‘m So Lonesome I Could Cry“.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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27. Miles Davis | Classics in Jazz
Recording: January 21, 1949 – April 22, 1949 – March 9, 1950
Release: 1954
Producer: Pete Rugolo
Label: Capitol
Genre: Cool Jazz, Bebop
Line-Up:
1. January 21, 1949 (A1, B1): John Barber (tuba), Junior Collins (French horn), Miles Davis (trumpet), Al Haig (piano), Lee Konitz (alto saxophone), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Max Roach (drums), Joe Shulman (bass), Kai Winding (trombone)
2. April 22, 1949 (A3, B3, B4): John Barber (tuba), Nelson Boyd (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums), Miles Davis (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Lee Konitz (alto saxophone), John Lewis (piano), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Sandy Siegelstein (French horn)
3. March 9, 1950 (A2, A4, B2): John Barber (tuba), Miles Davis (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Lee Konitz (alto saxophone), John Lewis (piano), Al McKibbon (bass), Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone), Max Roach (drums), Gunter Schuller (French horn)

Points: 615
Finished #1 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #53
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1181
AM rank: #365
Biggest Fan: Henry (#1), Brad (#7)
Not a Fan: mileswide (#88)

A1 | Jeru (Gerry Mulligan)
A2 | Moon Dreams (Chummy MacGregor & Johnny Mercer)
A3 | Venus de Milo (Gerry Mulligan)
A4 | Deception (Miles Davis)
B1 | Godchild (George Wallington)
B2 | Rocker (Gerry Mulligan)
B3 | Israel (John Carisi)
B4 | Rouge (John Lewis)

After Miles Davis left Charlie Parker‘s group and participated in a loose group of musicians who would record twelve songs in three sessions over a period of fourteen months. The instruments are the same in all three sessions, the musicians aren‘t. Interesting is the use of French horn and tuba, which are rather unconventional jazz instruments. Here the influence of Claude Thornhill‘s band can be seen, which Miles once characterized as the second-greatest jazz band (the first is Billy Eckstine, where Charlie Parker and he himself played in). Despite not playing any instrument, Gil Evans‘s contributions in arranging on „Moon Dreams“ and „Boplicity“ are also worth noting. Evans would later work together with Miles on Miles Ahead, Sketches of Spain, Porgy and Bess and a few other projects.
The recording sessions for this are very early in Miles‘s career, a fact that‘s easy to forget because it sounds more refined than his early Prestige stuff. Only one of the songs was written by Miles himself, „Budo“.
The longest song on this album is „Moon Dreams“, and it‘s just 3:20 long. The eleven songs are short, but tightly arranged. There‘s enough time for different soloist to take the stage, but there are no long improvisations.
The release history of the music recorded in these sessions is a bit complicated: The songs from the first session were released in the form of two singles soon after recording. These were „Move“, „Jeru“, „Budo“ and „Godchild“. „Israel“ and „Boplicity“ were also released as singles. If you compare with the above list of songs you may notice that „Move“, „Budo“ and „Boplicity“ do not appear on Classics in Jazz. Indeed, of the twelve tracks that were recorded only eight were included on that album which was released in 1954. Three years later, in 1957, Birth of the Cool was released which collected eleven of the songs. It‘s typically regarded as a compilation of Classics in Jazz and the previous single releases, but its fame far exceeds that of the original album. The title self-consciously proclaims that the tracks featured on the album showcase early examples of a musical style that had become quite popular at this point in the 1950s.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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26. Miles Davis | Milestones
Recording: February 4, 1958 (A3, B1, B2, B3) – March 4, 1958 (A1, A2)
Release: September 2, 1958
Producer: George Avakian
Label: Columbia
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Julian Adderley (alto saxophone), Paul Chambers (bass), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Miles Davis (trumpet, piano (A2)), Philly Joe Jones (drums), Red Garland (piano (A1, A3, B1, B2, B3))

Points: 619
Finished #7 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #91
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #3613
AM rank: #1165
Biggest Fan: Henry (#5), Schüttelbirne (#6)
Not a Fan: Brad (#85)

A1 | Dr. Jekyll (Jackie McLean)
A2 | Sid‘s Ahead (Miles Davis)
A3 | Two Bass Hit (John Lewis, Dizzy Gillespie)
B1 | Miles (Miles Davis)
B2 | Billy Boy (Traditional, arranged by Ahmad Jamal)
B3 | Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk)

Miles Davis was an innovator of jazz music in many different ways. He helped in the creation of Cool Jazz (there‘s a reason his first sessions are titled Birth of the Cool), and with „Milestones“ created one of the first examples of modal jazz.
What is „modal jazz“ you ask? Well, I can‘t explain it really well, because it‘s based on musical theory above my paygrade, but I can tell you the basics. One of Davis‘s contemporaries, George Russell, wrote a book on music theory entitled Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization, where he described a concept of jazz where the improvisation that is inherent in the genre is not based on chord progressions but on modal scales. Up until this point, the backing musicians would repeat the same chords over and over again, while the soloists improvised.
In modal jazz, there‘s a difference. The basis for improvisation is laid in different modal scales. There are a few of them and they provide more diversity than just major or minor keys do. Every modal scale has one or two „special notes“, to put it bluntly (the Lydian scale for example has a sharp fourth note, so a #F if you start with C). These „special notes“ influence the way the music sounds greatly.
The First Great Quintet became a sextet with the addition of second saxophonist Cannonball Adderley and they experimented with these new concepts on this album (primarily on the title track) and the subsequent Kind of Blue.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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25. Sonny Rollins | Saxophone Colossus
Recording: June 22, 1956
Release: April 1957
Producer: Bob Weinstock
Label: Prestige
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Tommy Flanagan (piano), Max Roach (drums), Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), Doug Watkins (bass)

Points: 626
Finished #3 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #34
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1127
AM rank: #383
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#11)
Not a Fan: SL3 (#76)

A1 | St. Thomas (Sonny Rollins)
A2 | You Don‘t Know What Love Is (Don Raye, Gene De Paul)
A3 | Strode Rode (Sonny Rollins)
B1 | Moritat (Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill)
B2 | Blue Seven (Sonny Rollins)

Sonny Rollins had started recording in a professional way in 1949 and in just a few years he had recorded with some of the biggest names in jazz (including Miles Davis and Clifford Brown). He started recording as a bandleader in 1952 and had released quite a few albums since then including Tenor Madness and Way Out West. Saxophone Colossus remains his most famous work however. Most of its reputation rests upon the first and the last track. „St. Thomas“ features clear influence from Calypso music, a style Rollins has gone back to several times. „Blue Seven“ on the other hand is incredibly well-regarded because of the flawless solos by done by Roach and Rollins.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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24. Patsy Cline | Patsy Cline
Recording: November 8, 1956 (B4) – April 24, 1957 (A5, B5) – April 25, 1957 (A4, B3, B6) – May 22, 1957 (A1, A2) – May 23, 1957 (A3, A6, B1, B2)
Release: August 5, 1957
Producer: Owen Bradley
Label: Decca
Genre: Nashville Sound
Line-Up:
November 8, 1956: Harold Bradley (guitar), Owen Bradley (piano), Patsy Cline (vocals), Farris Coursey (drums), Don Helms (guitar), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Grady Martin (guitar), Bob Moore (bass)
April 24, 1957: George Barnes (guitar), Patsy Cline (vocals), Jack Pleis (piano) et al.
April 25, 1957: George Barnes (guitar), Patsy Cline (vocals), Dottie Dillard (backing vocals), Anita Kerr (backing vocals), Louis Nunley (backing vocals), Jack Pleis (piano), Guilford Wright (backing vocals) et al.
May 22+23, 1957: Harold Bradley (bass), Owen Bradley (piano), Patsy Cline (vocals), Farris Coursey (drums (A6, B2)), Dottie Dillard (backing vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Anita Kerr (backing vocals), Grady Martin (guitar), Bob Moore (bass), Louis Nunley (backing vocals), Jack Shook (guitar (A1, A2, A3, B1)), Guilford Wright (backing vocals)

Points: 627
Finished #9 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #39
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #6539
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#5), SL3 (#9)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#99)

A1 | That Wonderful Someone (Gertrude Berg)
A2 | In Care of the Blues (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
A3 | Hungry for Love (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
A4 | Too Many Secrets (Bobby Lile)
A5 | Don‘t Ever Leave Me Again (Lillian Claiborne, James Crawford)
A6 | Ain‘t No Wheels on This Ship (Wayland Chandler, W.S. Stevenson)
B1 | I Can‘t Forget (Carl Belew, W.S. Stevenson)
B2 | I Don‘t Wanta (Durwood Haddock, Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
B3 | Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray (Eddie Miller, W.S. Stevenson)
B4 | Walkin‘ After Midnight (Donn Hecht, Alan Block)
B5 | Fingerprints (Woodie O. Fleener, Donn Hecht, W.S. Stevenson)
B6 | Then You‘ll Know (Bobby Lile)

Patsy Cline‘s debut album was not an immediate success outside of the single „Walkin‘ After Midnight“. In general, Cline‘s career floundered a bit until success found her in 1961. In the 1950s she was still signed to Four Star Records who gave her all sorts of different material to perform including Gospel, Rockabilly and traditional Country songs. Her early singles were not very successful, but that changed once she performed „Walkin‘ After Midnight“ on Arthur Godfrey‘s Talent Scouts. The single was rushed for release and was quite popular (for more look in the songs poll).
This did however not lead to much success for her following singles and her debut album. Some people blame Four Star Records for not realizing Cline‘s talents and capitalizing on them. Once Cline signed with Decca Records in 1960, her career took off starting with the single „I Fall to Pieces“.
Now, her album had already been released through Decca, but she was officially under contract for Four Star Records who leased her recordings to the bigger label. Not every song recorded in the five sessions listed above landed on the album. „Today,Tomorrow and Forever“ was chosen for a single release with the B-side „Try Again“ while „A Stranger in My Arms“ was chosen as the B-side for the single release of „Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray“. The sessions in November 1956 and May 1957 were done in Nashville while the sessions in April 1957 took place in New York.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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23. Ornette Coleman | The Shape of Jazz to Come
Recording: May 22, 1959
Release: November 1959
Producer: Nesuhi Ertegün
Label: Atlantic
Genre: Avant-Garde Jazz
Line-Up: Don Cherry (trumpet), Ornette Coleman (alto saxophone), Charlie Haden (bass), Billy Higgins (drums)

Points: 631
Finished #7 in 1959 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #21
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #546
AM rank: #303
Biggest Fan: Schüttelbirne (#1), mileswide (#2)
Not a Fan: Honorio (#83)

A1 | Lonely Woman
A2 | Eventually
A3 | Peace
B1 | Focus on Sanity
B2 | Congeniality
B3 | Chronology

All songs written by Ornette Coleman.

Improvisation and experimentation was in Ornette Coleman‘s blood. He was dismissed from the band of his high school because he started improvising while playing Sousa. He already showed on his first album Something Else!!!! that he would not follow in other people‘s footsteps. His improvisation is different from other musicians at the time. There is an incredibly interesting interview with Jacques Derrida (how fitting, indeed) from much later in his life that already shows some of Coleman‘s opinions on music.

In improvised music I think the musicians are trying to reassemble an emotional or intellectual puzzle, in any case a puzzle in which the instruments give the tone.
Coleman does not really improvise based on the framework of the given theme or its musical qualities (like people used to do), he improvises based on the emotional properties the theme possesses (though later there would be no themes at all). The song „Lonely Woman“ for example was inspired by a painting of a rich woman Coleman had seen:
I came across a gallery where someone had painted a very rich white woman who had absolutely everything that you could desire in life, and she had the most solitary expression in the world. I had never been confronted with such solitude, and when I got back home, I wrote a piece that I called "Lonely Woman“.
People did not react euphorically to Coleman‘s music; his approach to music seemed unusual and weird to them. It did not help that Coleman played a saxophone made out of plastic which sounded different from the typical sound of a metal saxophone.
But there were enough people who were vexed by what Coleman was doing, by this different approach that played the main theme of a song, then leapt into space, performed spontaneous leaps and dances there before coming back down to earth to play that same theme again. It‘s not a revolution, since it‘s clearly based on the way Bebop dealt with theme statement and solo parts, but on the other hand it‘s distinct from Bop since it loses all foundation to the materialness of things. It floats freely in space, recognizing the instability of all things and embracing it, making it part of a musical conversation that happens exactly once, in this one moment, and can never be replicated again.
The quartet does not just play whatever goes through its head (which is an accusation Free Jazz has had to take since its inception which is often credited to Ornette Coleman‘s album Free Jazz). But music is communication and when you‘re communicating you‘re always working within a framework. According to Coleman, the musician should be free to choose what means of this framework he wants to use to convey his message. It‘s what Harmolodics is all about. He would only form this philosophy in the 1970s, but I do feel like the main points are there in his early work.
Released in November 1959, a year that saw a lot of impactful jazz releases, The Shape of Jazz to Come seems like a beacon, pointing the way forward into the 1960s and beyond, showing people everywhere what freedom can sound like.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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22. Lotte Lenya | Lotte Lenya singt Kurt Weill
Recording:
Release: 1955
Producer: H.Gerhard Lichthorn
Label: Philips
Genre: Cabaret, Show Tunes, Zeitoper
Line-Up: Roger Bean (conductor), Lotte Lenya (vocals) et al.

Points: 632
Finished #1 in 1955 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #43
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2742
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: Honorio (#5)
Not a Fan: Listyguy (#99)

A1 | Moritat (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
A2 | Barbara-Song (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
A3 | Seeräuber-Jenny (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
A4 | Havanna-Lied (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
A5 | Alabama-Song (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
A6 | Wie man sich bettet, so liegt man (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
B1 | Bilbao-Song (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
B2 | Sorabaya-Johnny (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
B3 | Was die Herren Matrosen sagen (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
B4 | Ballade vom ertrunkenen Mädchen (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht)
B5 | Ich bin eine arme Verwandte (Kurt Weill, Georg Kaiser)
B6 | Cäsar-Ballade (Kurt Weill, Georg Kaiser)

It wasn‘t unusual for artists to record a string of songs by one composer and then title the album „Artist Sings Composer“. This concept found its apex in Ella Fitzgerald‘s song books, but it was present for quite a while before that. Lotte Lenya singt Kurt Weill fits that frame in a way since it features a string of songs by one composer sung by one artist, but it‘s also different since Weill and Lenya had been married, so the entire album is infused with their history. Lenya is keeping the spirit of Weill‘s songs alive (he had died in 1950).
The album features songs from five different projects Weill did in the 1920s.The first three songs are from Die Dreigroschenoper [The Threepenny Opera], easily his most famous work. The next three songs are from Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny, an opera that was also rewritten into a smaller operetta for theaters or drama groups with less resources. The first three songs from the B-side are from the operetta Happy End. The text for these three dramatic works had been written by Bertolt Brecht, still thought of as one of the most important dramatic authors of the 20th century.
Weill also put multiple poems by Brecht to music, for example „Ballade vom ertrunkenen Mädchen“ which is part of the larger work Das Berliner Requiem. The final two songs on the album are from Der Silbersee – Ein Wintermärchen an operetta with text from expressionist author Georg Kaiser.
Lenya imbues these songs with a lot of personality through her unique singing style.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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21. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers | Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers [Moanin‘]
Recording: October 30, 1958
Release: January 1959
Producer: Alfred Lion
Label: Blue Note
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Art Blakey (drums), Benny Golson (tenor saxophone), Jymie Merritt (bass), Lee Morgan (trumpet), Bobby Timmons (piano)

Points: 639
Finished #6 in 1959 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #28
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1132
AM rank: #737
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#9)
Not a Fan: DaveC (#68)

A1 | Moanin‘ (Bobby Timmons)
A2 | Are You Real (Benny Golson)
A3 | Along Came Betty (Benny Golson)
B1 | The Drum Thunder (Miniature) Suite (Benny Golson)
B2 | Blues March (Benny Golson)
B3 | Come Rain or Come Shine (Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer)


The albums actual title is Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers but in the years since its release it has become known under the title of its first (and most famous) track, „Moanin‘“. Since Blakey and the Jazz Messengers have released multiple self-titled albums this practice seems quite wise.
The songs featured on the album were written mostly by Benny Golson who did not stay with the Jazz Messengers for very long but did provide them with some great material. Timmons wrote the opener „Moanin‘“ (more on that in the Song Poll). A reinterpretation of the jazz standard „Come Rain or Come Shine“ serves as the final track of the album.
The quintet line-up with trumpet and saxophone is a very frequent one because it allows two solo players to converse with each other while the rhythm section plays in the background. That‘s not exactly what the group is doing here, since the rhythm section plays a much more prominent role than it would do in other jazz groups. „Are You Real“ gives every player except Blakey his own solo while „The Drum Thunder Suite“ is basically written to showcase Blakey‘s drum abilities. Its three sections provide enough opportunity for different percussive styles. „Blues March“ has the stylings of a marching band song as much as „Moanin‘“ has gospel influence.
The album is often regarded as one of the best Jazz albums of the 1950s, presenting a rather short-lived quintet that nonetheless sounds like they‘ve been together for quite some time.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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20. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | Masterpieces by Ellington
Recording: December 19, 1950
Release: September 1951
Producer: George Avakian
Label: Columbia
Genre: Big Band
Line-Up: William Anderson (trumpet), Shorty Baker (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet (A2)), Eve Duke (vocals (A1, A2)), Duke Ellington (piano), Mercer Ellington (horn), Andrew Ford (trumpet), Tyree Glenn (trombone), Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone), Sonny Greer (drums), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Wendell Marshall (bass), Ray Nance (trumpet), Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet), Billy Strayhorn (piano), Nelson Williams (trumpet)

Points: 639
Finished #2 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #30
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2319
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: Brad (#4), Honorio (#7)
Not a Fan: Listyguy (#88)

A1 | Mood Indigo (Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills)
A2 | Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish)
B1 | The Tattooed Bride (Duke Ellington)
B2 | Solitude (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Eddie DeLange)

The extended runtime of 12-inch LPs meant that artists could either include a lot of songs or make the included song very long. Up until this point jazz musicians especially were constrained by the short runtime of the singles. Masterpieces by Ellington takes three of Ellington‘s most celebrated compositions which were previously released in tightly arranged three-minute versions on singles and elaborates on them. The album cover claims to showcase these compositions „in uncut concert arrangements“ and that‘s what Ellington is doing.
Each of the songs on here is considerably longer than its previous single version and features a different, more sophisticated arrangement. There‘s also a rather new composition with „The Tattooed Bride“ included on the album. It features an impressive performance on clarinet for Jimmy Hamilton, who gets a real spotlight here. „Mood Indigo“ and „Sophisticated Lady“ see Eve Duke singing, but she was originally credited as Yvonne Lanauze. The slow „Solitude“ gives several musicians the chance to perform moody solos including a saxophone solo, a trumpet solo and finally a trombone solo (which is rather unusual).
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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19. Thelonious Monk | Brilliant Corners
Recording: October 9, 1956 (A2, B1) – October 15, 1956 (A1) – December 7, 1956 (B2, B3)
Release: April 1957
Producers: Orrin Keepnews & Bill Grauer
Label: Riverside
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up:
October 9+15, 1956: Ernie Henry (alto saxophone), Thelonious Monk (piano, celeste), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Max Roach (drums), Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone)
December 7, 1956: Paul Chambers (bass), Thelonious Monk (piano), Max Roach (drums), Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone), Clark Terry (trumpet)

Points: 641
Finished #4 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #11
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #766
AM rank: #531
Biggest Fan: Schüttelbirne (#5)
Not a Fan: Dan (#79)

A1 | Brilliant Corners (Thelonious Monk)
A2 | Ba-LueBolivar Ba-Lues-Are (Thelonious Monk)
B1 | Pannonica (Thelonious Monk)
B2 | I Surrender, Dear (Gordon Clifford, Harry Barris)
B3 | Bemsha Swing (Thelonious Monk, Denzil Best)

After Monk‘s departure from Blue Note he was briefly signed with Prestige Records, but that contract was bought out by Riverside Records for whom Monk released two albums filled with standards (which was not the stuff he would usually play). His third album on that label however, became one of his most famous.
Brilliant Corners consists of recordings done in late 1956. The first recording session on October 9, 1956, resulted in two songs inspired by his friend and jazz patron Pannonica de Koenigswarter, a member of the Rothschild family. Her relationships to Monk and Charlie Parker were particularly close. The song „Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are“ refers to the Bolivar Hotel where she lived when she was in New York.
The following week, another session with the same group of well-known jazz musicians was held. It was a rather long session but it only produced the title track „Brilliant Corners“ because they struggled with the complexity of it. Apparently the atmosphere wasn‘t the friendliest after twenty-five takes of the same song.
A third session with a slightly different line-up was held in December and produced a short solo piano cover of a standard and a new version of his classic composition „Bemsha Swing“. Brilliant Corners is often regarded as Monk‘s opus magnus and his prime artistic statement.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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18. Ravi Shankar | Music of India: Three Classical Rāgas
Recording: 1956
Release: 1956
Producers:
Label: HMV
Genre: Hindustani Classical Music
Line-Up: Chatur Lal (tabla), Pradjot Sen (tambura), Ravi Shankar (sitar)

Points: 645
Finished #4 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #22
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1662
AM rank: Bubbling Under
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#12)
Not a Fan: SL3 (#82)

A | Rāga Jog
B1 | Rāga „Ahir-Bhairav“
B2 | Rāga Simhendra-Madhyamam

A raga is not a composition but more of a framework for musicians to work in, similar to a mode in Western music (though translating musical concepts interculturally does seldom work). There are three songs on this album, each based on a different raga. But I don‘t know enough about Indian music and its traditions to make a real statement about the music contained herein.
Much rather I would like to talk about the presence of the album in this poll. It is the only Asian album here. This is most likely due to this album being published by His Master‘s Voice, one of the most legendary record labels ever. You might know its logo (a dog listening to a gramophone player and tilting its head). It was later part of EMI which existed until 2012. As a British record label, they marketed Music of India: Three Classical Rāgas to a Western audience, catering to the trend on non-Western music. Other examples of this trend would be the „mambo-mania“ and the prominence of the Exotica genre. Ravi Shankar has something most Exotica artists didn‘t though – authenticity. He was an actual sitarist who played North Indian classical music.
Since he had toured through Europe and the United States at a very young age he was familiar with Western music and was able to incorporate some parts of it in his compositions for the Indian National Orchestra for which he worked. I would also guess that he had some experience which sort of music would appeal to Western audiences which might have influenced the choice of what music actually landed on his albums.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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17. Woody Guthrie | Dust Bowl Ballads
Recording: April 26, 1940 (all tracks except 1D, 2D) – May 3, 1940 (Vol. 1: D, Vol. 2: D)
Release: July 1940
Producer: Robert P. Weatherald
Label: Victor Records
Genre: Talking Blues, Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriter, American Folk Music
Line-Up: Woody Guthrie (vocals, guitar, harmonica)

Points: 650
Finished #3 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #57
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1171
AM rank: #755
Biggest Fan: Honorio (#6)
Not a Fan: Henry (#81)

Dust Bowl Ballads, Vol. 1
A | Talkin‘ Dust Bowl Blues
B | Blowin‘ Down This Road (Woody Guthrie, Lee Hays)
C | Do Re Mi
D | Dust Cain‘t Kill Me
E | Tom Joad – Part 1
F | Tom Joad – Part 2

Dust Bowl Ballads, Vol. 2
A | The Great Dust Storm
B | Dusty Old Dust
C | Dust Bowl Refugee
D | Dust Pneumonia Blues
E | I Ain‘t Got No Home In This World Anymore
F | Vigilante Man

Woody Guthrie moved to Pampa, Texas when he was eighteen and spent some formative years there. During the 1930s huge regions were impacted by severe dust storms based on droughts but aided by the methods of farmers. These dust storms had huge ecologial and agricultural effects and made a lot of the people living in these regions migrate towards other regions, especially California. This period in American history is typically referred to as the „Dust Bowl“. Guthrie was also among the people affected by the events and moved to California. He wrote songs about these experiences and recorded some of them in April and May 1940.
Guthrie reports events people faced and sometimes embodies characters who experience these events. He shows a social consciousness by documenting and empathizing with the fates of the displaced people.
The songs were released in to volumes of three-disc sets. Until larger formats were developed this was the way the first albums were sold. While originally released by Victor Records, Guthrie authorized Folkways Records to reissue the recordings in an album format ten years after the original release. This 1950 release only featured eight of the ten tracks. Another reissue in 1964 contained all of the songs (there were actually two reissues in 1964, one by Folkways and one by Victor).
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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16. Duke Ellington | Ellington at Newport
Recording: July 7, 1956
Release: September 1956
Producer: George Avakian
Label: Columbia
Genre: Big Band
Line-Up: Cat Anderson (trumpet), Lawrence Brown (trombone), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone), Willie Cook (trumpet), Duke Ellington (piano), Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Grissom (vocals), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Al Lucas (bass), Ray Nance (trumpet, vocals), Norman J. O‘Connor (announcer), Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet), John Sanders (trombone), Clark Terry (trumpet), Jimmy Woode (bass), Britt Woodman (trombone), Sam Woodyard (drums)

Points: 651
Finished #5 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #27
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1427
AM rank: #560
Biggest Fan: Brad (#8), mileswide (#8)
Not a Fan: nicolas (#59)

A | Newport Jazz Festival Suite (Festival Junction / Blues to Be There / Newport Up) (Billy Strayhorn)
B1 | Jeep‘s Blues (Johnny Hodges)
B2 | Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue (Duke Ellington)

This is a slightly weird case. There are two albums titled Ellington at Newport and they are typically considered a version of the same, but they are not. The original LP released in 1956 featured the long extended „Newport Jazz Festival Suite“ on the A-side, „Jeep‘s Blues“ and an extended version of Ellington‘s 1937 composition „Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue“ on the B-side. Indeed, these were all played at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival, but not in the form they appear on the album. Indeed, for forty years people thought they were getting the actual thing, when indeed they were presented with a fabrication.
The reason is simple: Only about 40% of the original album actually features live music; the rest was recorded in the studio and spliced together with parts of the live recording and applause. This was done to correct some parts that were deemed sub-par by Ellington and producer George Avakian.
In 1999, the two performances played by Ellington‘s orchestra were released in their complete form on a two-disc CD. It‘s much longer and obviously captures the actual concert experience better than the original album did. It features about 90 minutes of extra material including introductions of orchestra members, interludes and conversations with the audience. It also features performances of classic compositions like „Take the ‚A‘ Train“, „Sophisticated Lady“ or „Mood Indigo“. The „Newport Jazz Festival Suite“ is featured in two different versions since it was played in both sets.
Both concert and album were huge successes and practically restarted Ellington‘s career. Paul Gonsalves‘ extended saxophone solo in „Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue“ can still be considered one of the most impactful jazz solos ever done.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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15. Little Richard | Little Richard
Recording: May 9, 1956 (B3) – July 30, 1956 (A5, B6) – July 31, 1956 (A6) – October 15, 1956 (B1) – October 16, 1956 (A2, A3, B2, B5) – January 16, 1957 (A1, B4) – October 18, 1957 (A4)
Release: July 21, 1958
Producer: Robert Blackwell
Label: Specialty
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues
Line-Up:
May 9, 1956: Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Edgar Blanchard (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), Earl Palmer (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone)
July 30+31/October 15+16, 1956: Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Frank Fields (bass), Raymond Montrell (guitar), Earl Palmer (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone)
January 16, 1957: Clifford Burks (tenor saxophone), Charles Connor (drums), Nathaniel Douglas (guitar), Grady Gaines (tenor saxophone), Samuel Parker Jr. (baritone saxophone), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Olsie Robinson (bass), Wilbert Smith (tenor saxophone)
October 18, 1957: Clifford Burks (tenor saxophone), Charles Connor (drums), Nathaniel Douglas 8guitar), Grady Gaines (tenor saxophone), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Olsie Robinson (bass), Wilbert Smith (tenor saxophone)

Points: 656
Finished #8 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #41
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1674
AM rank: Bubbling Under
Biggest Fan: Brad (#3), Dan (#8)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#88)

A1 | Keep a Knockin‘ (Richard Penniman)
A2 | By the Light of the Silvery Moon (Gus Edwards, Edward Madden)
A3 | Send Me Some Lovin‘ (John Marascalco, Leo Price)
A4 | I‘ll Never Let You Go (Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo) (Richard Penniman)
A5 | Heeby-Jeebies (Maybelle Jackson, John Marascalco)
A6 | All Around the World (Robert Blackwell, McKinley Miller)
B1 | Good Golly, Miss Molly (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)
B2 | Baby Face (Harry Akst, Benny Davis)
B3 | Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey (Richard Penniman)
B4 | Ooh! My Soul (Richard Penniman)
B5 | The Girl Can‘t Help It (Bobby Troup)
B6 | Lucille (Al Collins, Richard Penniman)

It‘s quite interesting to acknowledge that eleven of the twelve tracks contained on Little Richard‘s sophomore album had already been recorded when his first album Here‘s Little Richard was released in March 1957. There‘s not really a distinctive stylistic change between the albums – both albums feature the classic sound Little Richard became famous for.
Little Richard is also notable for being an album featuring only songs that were released in a single format. It is not a compilation since not all of the songs appeared in the single format first. Nine of the songs did though (A1, A3, A5, A6, B1, B3, B4, B5, B6). „Baby Face“ and „I‘ll Never Let You Go“ were released as a single two months after the album‘s release. The only remaining song, „By the Light of the Silvery Moon“ was released as an A-side in February 1959. It‘s weird to think that by that point his popularity as a Rock & Roll singer was already on the decline.
Despite containing a number of successful singles, the album was not nearly as successful as its predecessor. Some events led Penniman onto the path of a gospel singer.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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14. Chuck Berry | Chuck Berry Is on Top
Recording: May 21, 1955 (A3) – April 19, 1956 (B3) – December 29, 1957 (A6) – February 28, 1958 (B4, B5, B6) – May 2, 1958 (A2) – September 1958 (B2) – September 28, 1958 (A1, A4, A5, B1)
Release: July 1959
Producers: Leonard Chess & Phil Chess
Label: Chess
Genre: Rock & Roll
Line-Up:
May 21, 1955: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Jerome Green (maracas), Jasper Thomas (drums), Johnnie Johnson (piano)
April 19, 1956: Fred Below (bass), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Johnnie Johnson (piano)
December 29, 1957: Fred Below (drums), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Lafayette Leake (piano)
February 28, 1958: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar, piano, drums)
May 2, 1958: Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Ebby Hardy (drums), Johnnie Johnson (piano), George Smith (bass)
September 1958: Fred Below (drums), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar)
September 28, 1958: Fred Below (drums), Chuck Berry (vocals, guitar), Willie Dixon (bass), Johnnie Johnson (piano)

Points: 670
Finished #5 in 1959 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #8
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #936
AM rank: #984
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#2)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#95)

A1 | Almost Grown
A2 | Carol
A3 | Maybellene
A4 | Sweet Little Rock & Roller
A5 | Anthony Boy
A6 | Johnny B. Goode
B1 | Little Queenie
B2 | Jo Jo Gunne
B3 | Roll Over Beethoven
B4 | Around and Around
B5 | Hey Pedro
B6 | Blues for Hawaiians

All these tracks were written by Chuck Berry.

The recording dates are taken from the vinyl reissue. You can find all sorts of dates flying around, reaching into early 1959 but I think I‘m pretty safe with the dates above. As you can see above this album contains twelve tracks which were recorded in seven sessions over a period of multiple years. It‘s safe to say that these tracks were never supposed to be turned into an LP. The title Chuck Berry Is on Top or Berry Is on Top as some people like to call it seems to hint at the sort of „greatest hits“ compilation that were not unusual in the 1950s where singles were dominating the main musical narrative. Put a number of successful songs on an LP, add some filler and you have an album worth selling. Chuck Berry Is on Top works in exactly that way. It includes „Maybellene“, „Roll Over Beethoven“ and „Johnny B. Goode“. The former two could have already been included in Berry‘s first album After School Session, but instead they got saved for this album here. Every single one of these songs, with the only exception of „Blues for Hawaiians“, had previously been released as a single. So that song saves the album from being regarded as a compilation by many online resources.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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13. John Coltrane | Blue Train
Recording: September 15, 1957
Release: January 1958
Producer: Alfred Lion
Label: Blue Note
Genre: Hard Bop
Line-Up: Paul Chambers (bass), John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Kenny Drew (piano), Curtis Fuller (trombone), Philly Joe Jones (drums), Lee Morgan (trumpet)

Points: 677
Finished #1 in 1958 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #19
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #923
AM rank: #714
Biggest Fan: Listyguy (#6), Henry (#10)
Not a Fan: SL3 (#74)

A1 | Blue Train (John Coltrane)
A2 | Moment‘s Notice (John Coltrane)
B1 | Locomotion (John Coltrane)
B2 | I‘m Old Fashioned (Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern)
B3 | Lazy Bird (John Coltrane)

John Coltrane got his real breakthrough as a musician in Miles Davis‘ First Great Quintet which played from late 1955 to early 1957. After the demise of that group he started playing with Thelonious Monk, but there‘s barely any recordings of their performances. In 1957 he also started releasing solo albums. His first solo LP was released by Prestige and was just called Coltrane. Much more successful and more famous today is his second solo album which was released by Blue Note and is entitled Blue Train.
It features a sextet of very talented musicians who have all done great work in different groups. Coltrane had played with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones in the Miles Davis Quintet. Both Lee Morgan and Curtis Fuller would later play in Art Blakey‘s Jazz Messengers, but would also have great solo careers. Kenny Drew was already an established musician who had formed a trio with Chambers and Jones and even released an album with them, Kenny Drew Trio.
These people got together for a few days to practice the music Coltrane as the bandleader wanted them to play on the record. It‘s five songs, four of which are original compositions by Coltrane, and one standard.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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12. Jacques Brel | N° 4
Recording: September 11, 1959 (A3, A5, B4) – September 14, 1959 (A1, B1, B3) – September 15, 1959 (A2, B2, B5) – September 17, 1959 (A4)
Release: November 1959
Producers:
Label: Philips
Genre: Chanson à texte
Line-Up: Jacques Brel (vocals), Janine De Waleyne (ondes Martenot (A5)), François Rauber (conductor) et al.

Points: 686
Finished #8 in 1959 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #15
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #1639
AM rank: Unranked
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#10), DaveC (#10), mileswide (#10)
Not a Fan: Henry (#86)

A1 | La valse à mille temps (Jacques Brel)
A2 | Seul (Jacques Brel)
A3 | La dame patronnesse (Jacques Brel)
A4 | Je t‘aime (Jacques Brel, François Rauber)
A5 | Ne me quitte pas (Jacques Brel)
B1 | Les Flamandes (Jacques Brel)
B2 | Isabelle (Jacques Brel, François Rauber)
B3 | La mort (Jacques Brel)
B4 | La tendresse (Jacques Brel)
B5 | La colombe (Jacques Brel)

Jacques Brel‘s fourth album is also known as La valse à mille temps based on its first song. It was recorded in a week in September with an uncredited orchestra conducted by François Rauber who also co-wrote two of the songs.
A lot of the songs on here can be classified as love songs though some of them do have melancholic or sad undertones. „Je t‘aime“ finds different poetic images to relate the feeling of love while „Seul“ acts like a modern version of the Memento Mori theme by acknowledging that all human relations won‘t save anyone from ending up alone in the end (in death). „La mort“ is quite similar in that regard, but with a different spin: We don‘t know what will come behind the door (meaning what happens after death), but in front of the door there‘s a poetic you, meaning love does matter even if it does not transcend the material sphere.
Other love songs seem more like desperate appeals, like „Ne me quitte pas“ (more on that in the songs poll) or „La tendresse“ which finds the narrator begging for someone to show him tenderness for which he would give basically everything.
Two songs are about dancing. „Les Flamandes“ shows dance as a form escape and a sort of ritual to prove to everyone that everything is fine. „La valse à mille temps“ describes a waltz growing ever faster while the song itself grows faster and more forceful.
All of the songs feature orchestral arrangements and the energetic, theatrical vocals Brel is known for.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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11. Duke Ellington and His Orchestra | Ellington Uptown
Recording: December 7, 1951 (B1) – June 30, 1952 (A3) – July 1, 1952 (A2, B2) – February 29, 1952 (A1)
Release: February 1953
Producer: George Avakian [?, I assume]
Label: Columbia
Genre: Big Band
Line-Up: William Anderson (trumpet (A1, A2, A3, B2)), Shorty Baker (trumpet), Louie Bellson (drums), Harry Carney (baritone saxophone), Willie Cook (trumpet), Duke Ellington (piano), Paul Gonsalves (tenor saxophone), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet, tenor saxophone), Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone (A3)), Quentin Jackson (trombone), Hilton Jefferson (alto saxophone (A1, A2, A3, B2)), Wendell Marshall (bass), Ray Nance (trumpet, violin), Russell Procope (alto saxophone, clarinet), Betty Roché (vocals (A3)), Willie Smith (alto saxophone (A1, B1)), Billy Strayhorn (piano), Clark Terry (trumpet), Juan Tizol (trombone), Francis Williams (trumpet (B1)), Britt Woodman (trombone)

Points: 689
Finished #7 in 1900-54 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #56
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #2266
AM rank: Bubbling Under
Biggest Fan: bonnielaurel (#3), Brad (#6), Schüttelbirne (#10)
Not a Fan: Dan (#50)

A1 | Skin Deep (Louis Bellson)
A2 | The Mooche (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills)
A3 | Take the „A“ Train (Billy Strayhorn)
B1 | A Tone Parallel to Harlem (The Harlem Suite) (Duke Ellington)
B2 | Perdido (Juan Tizol)

Ellington started exploring the album format with suites, multiple songs connected to form a cohesive whole. Liberian Suite was commissioned for the centennial of the Republic of Liberia and features the sung opening song „I Like the Sunrise“ and five subsequent rhythmic dances. In 1945 he also released his first attempt at Black, Brown and Beige, a work written for his first concert at Carnegie Hall. Its reception wasn‘t very good initially but that changed over time and Ellington recorded a revised version in 1958 with Mahalia Jackson.
With Masterpieces by Ellington, he moved away from suites and towards exploring his compositions in length because an album gives the artist more space.
Ellington Uptown combines these two approaches. There‘s longer versions of famous Ellington classics like „The Mooche“, „Take the ‚A‘ Train“ or „Perdido“, but also the symphonic jazz composition „A Tone Parallel to Harlem“ which had originally been commissioned by Arturo Toscanini. Other recordings of the piece feature a string orchestra, but here the personnel is that of a big band which still fits the suite quite well.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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Super excited for the top ten! Great roll out!
"The better a singer's voice, the harder it is to believe what they're saying."
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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10. Elvis Presley | Elvis Presley
Recording: July 5, 1954 (A5) – August 19, 1954 (B5) – September 10, 1954 (A6, B4) – July 11, 1955 (B2) – January 10, 1956 (A3, B6) – January 11, 1956 (A2) – January 30, 1956 (A1, A4) – January 31,1956 (B1, B3)
Release: March 13, 1956
Producers: Sam Phillips & Steve Sholes
Label: RCA Victor
Genre: Rock & Roll
Line-Up:
July 5, 1954: Bill Black (bass), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar)
August 19, 1954: Bill Black (bass), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar)
September 10, 1954: Bill Black (bass), Scotty Moore (guitar), Doug Poindexter (percussion, guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar)
July 11, 1955: Johnny Bernero (drums), Bill Black (bass), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar, piano)
January 10, 1956: Bill Black (bass), Floyd Cramer (piano), D.J. Fontana (drums), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar), Ben Speer (backing vocals), Brock Speer (backing vocals), Gordon Stoker (backing vocals)
January 11, 1956: Chet Atkins (guitar), Bill Black (bass), Floyd Cramer (piano), D.J. Fontana (drums), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar), Ben Speer (backing vocals), Brock Speer (backing vocals), Gordon Stoker (backing vocals)
January 30+31, 1956: Bill Black (bass), D.J. Fontana (drums), Shorty Long (piano), Scotty Moore (guitar), Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar)

Points: 690
Finished #2 in 1956 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #7
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #451
AM rank: #133
Biggest Fan: Honorio (#1), Dan (#7), Henry (#7)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#84)

A1 | Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins)
A2 | I‘m Counting on You (Don Robertson)
A3 | I Got a Woman (Ray Charles, Renald Richard)
A4 | One Sided Love Affair (Bill Campbell)
A5 | I Love You Because (Leon Payne)
A6 | Just Because (Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton, Sydney Robin)
B1 | Tutti Frutti (Dorothy LaBostrie, Richard Penniman)
B2 | Tryin‘ to Get to You (Rose Marie McCoy, Charles Singleton)
B3 | I‘m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) (Howard Biggs, Joe Thomas)
B4 | I‘ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin‘) (Jimmy Wakely)
B5 | Blue Moon (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
B6 | Money Honey (Jesse Stone)

Presley‘s first singles were released by Sun Records. His new manager Tom Parker got RCA Victor, a major record label, to buy Presley out of his contract and record music for them. They even got the rights to the music he recorded for Sun Records, so some of his early recordings appear on this album.
The first single on the new label was „Heartbreak Hotel“ and it was a major success. RCA Victor wanted to capitalize on that and get an album out as soon as possible. There‘s some interesting decisions about what material was included on the album:
There‘s two philosophies about what an album could look like in the 1950s: You either do a greatest hits album (with maybe some filler) or you try to get out a lot of additional material which had not yet been released in a single format. Presley did two recording sessions (each spread out over two days) for RCA Victor, on 10+11 January and on 30+31 January. The songs recorded in these sessions would have been enough to fill up an album, but „Heartbreak Hotel“ had already been released and some tracks with a higher commercial potential were slated to be released as singles and not on the album. So they filled the rest up with unreleased songs from Presley‘s time at Sun Records. Notice how most of those choices are bundled up at the end of the LP sides – maybe because they were deemed as lesser material. People did not have to finish listening to an entire side if they did not like these songs. It‘s better for the listener to put the highlights first which is how you get two covers of major Rock & Roll bangers as the first track on either side.
Of course, the entire philosophy of making an album of non-single material falls apart when you release the entire album as singles, which RCA Victor did later in 1956. In any case, Elvis Presley is the debut album by one of the (if not the) most commercially successful star in music history. It is to be regarded as a landmark recording, if you like it or not.
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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9. The Crickets | The „Chirping“ Crickets
Recording: February 25, 1957 (B1, B2) – March 12, 1957 (A4, B5), May 1957 (A2) – June 29, 1957 (A1) – May/July, 1957 (A6) – July 19, 1957 (A5, B4) – September 28, 1957 (A3, A4, B3, B6)
Release: November 27, 1957
Producer: Norman Petty
Label: Brunswick
Genre: Rockabilly, Rock & Roll
Line-Up:
February 25, 1957: Jerry Allison (drums), Buddy Holly (vocals, guitar), Niki Sullivan (backing vocals), Gary Tollett (backing vocals), Ramona Tollett (backing vocals), Larry Welborn (bass)
Rest: Jerry Allison (drums), Buddy Holly (vocals, guitar), Bob Lapham (backingvocals), Joe B. Mauldin (bass), Bill Pickering (backing vocals), John Pickering (backing vocals), Niki Sullivan (guitar)

Points: 694
Finished #1 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #4
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #642
AM rank: #408
Biggest Fan: DaveC (#4), Listyguy (#5), Dan (#10)
Not a Fan: Brad (#70)

A1 | Oh, Boy! (Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty)
A2 | Not Fade Away (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty)
A3 | You‘ve Got Love (Roy Orbison, Johnny Wilson, Norman Petty)
A4 | Maybe Baby (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty)
A5 | It‘s Too Late (Chuck Willis)
A6 | Tell Me How (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison)
B1 | That‘ll Be the Day (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty, Jerry Allison)
B2 | I‘m Looking for Someone to Love (Buddy Holly, Norman Petty)
B3 | An Empty Cup (And a Broken Date) (Roy Orbison, Norman Petty)
B4 | Send Me Some Lovin‘ (John Marascalco, Leo Price)
B5 | Last Night (Joe B. Mauldin, Norman Petty)
B6 | Rock Me My Baby (Shorty Long, Susan Heather)

In the write-ups for the song poll I‘ve gone into the fabrication of The Crickets as a band for commercial reasons because Holly needed a different name to release his recordings under. There‘s the legend that they tried to think of a name and came up with The Beetles, but then preferred The Crickets; I‘m not sure if this is accurate.
Anyway, if you look at the list of recording sessions above you can see some interesting things which tell you a lot about the band. The first two recording sessions done in early 1957 did not include the line-up we typically think of when we think of The Crickets. The four guys on the album sleeve make up the band: Niki Sullivan, Jerry Allison, Buddy Holly and Joe B. Mauldin.
But Mauldin did not even play on „That‘ll Be the Day“ and Sullivan only provided backing vocals. As you can see, the formation of The Crickets as a group is a bit weird. But that might be due to the one reason why they are seen as so impactful: The Crickets is often called the first rock band or at least one of the first bands with a line-up that would become the status quo for rock bands: A lead vocalist, two guitars, a bass and a drum set. The direct influence The Crickets (and Holly‘s solo work) had on the subsequent development of rock music is quite important.
Considering that, it‘s surprising that it‘s so hard to find a comprehensive list of their recording sessions. I have found multiple lists, but they all are slightly different, so I‘m not sure which one to believe. I compared a lot of the available information and compiled it in the list above; there could be mistakes however. Another point of importance is the role of The Picks: They can clearly be heard on most of the tracks on this album, but they were never present for the recording sessions; their voices were overdubbed at a later point.
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Schüttelbirne
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Re: Music of the Early Years: The Results - Albums

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8. Little Richard | Here‘s Little Richard
Recording: September 14, 1955 (A1, A5) – November 29, 1955 (A2) – February 7, 1956 (A6, B1, B2) – February 9, 1956 (B3) – May 9, 1956 (A4, B4) – July 31, 1956 (A3) – September 6, 1956 (B6) – October 15, 1956 (B5)
Release: March 4, 1957
Producer: Robert Blackwell
Label: Specialty
Genre: Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, New Orleans R&B
Line-Up:
September 14, 1955: Justin Adams (guitar), Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Melvin Dowden (piano), Frank Fields (bass), Earl Palmer (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone)
November 29, 1955: Clarence Ford (baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone), Lloyd Lambert (bass), Oscar Moore (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), William Pyles (guitar), Renald Richard (trumpet), Joe Tillman (tenor saxophone)
February 7+9/May 9, 1956: Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Edgar Blanchard (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), Earl Palmer (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone)
July 31/October 15, 1956: Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Frank Fields (bass), Raymond Montrell (guitar), Earl Palmer (drums), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Alvin Tyler (baritone saxophone)
September 6, 1956: Clifford Burks (tenor saxophone), Charles Connor (drums), Nathaniel Douglas (guitar), Grady Gaines (tenor saxophone), Jewell Grant (baritone saxophone), Richard Penniman (vocals, piano), Olsie Robinson (bass), Wilbert Smith (tenor saxophone)

Points: 710
Finished #2 in 1957 poll
Rank in 2016 poll: #3
Rank in 2020 All-Time poll: #371
AM rank: #393
Biggest Fan: Dan (#2)
Not a Fan: Schüttelbirne (#78)

A1 | Tutti Frutti (Richard Penniman, Dorothy LaBostrie)
A2 | True, Fine Mama (Richard Penniman)
A3 | Can‘t Believe You Wanna Leave (Leo Price)
A4 | Ready Teddy (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)
A5 | Baby (Richard Penniman)
A6 | Slippin‘ and Slidin‘ (Richard Penniman, Eddie Bocage, Al Collins, James Smith)
B1 | Long Tall Sally (Enotris Johnson, Robert Blackwell, Richard Penniman)
B2 | Miss Ann (Richard Penniman, Enotris Johnson)
B3 | Oh Why? (Winfield Scott)
B4 | Rip It Up (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)
B5 | Jenny, Jenny (Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman)
B6 | She‘s Got It (John Marascalco, Richard Penniman)

Little Richard had been a hit machine for Specialty Records for a while when they decided to collect some of his greatest hits on an album. Six songs – half of the album – had previously been released as singles and had been quite successful (A1, A4, A6, B1, B4, B6). The B-side of „Tutti Frutti“ is missing for some reason as is the A-side of „She‘s Got It“ (though that would later be included on his self-titled album).
The other six songs were not recorded in a short while to fill up the rest of the album (as was often the case), but was rather additional material recorded in different sessions over the span of a year, but not yet released. Some of these songs would later be released as singles too.
In contrast to subsequent albums Penniman co-wrote eight of the twelve tracks here. To this date, Here‘s Little Richard is regarded as one of the most important Rock & Roll album due to Penniman‘s energetic vocal performance, the joyous mood of the songs and the lack of filler material.
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