12) Miles Davis: 'The Birth Of The Cool'

Which definition of cool is most applicable to Miles Davis’s ‘Birth of The Cool’? Cool in the sense that it is composed and controlled? Cool that it is skilled and clever? Could it mean his style of playing was cool with a laid back approach? Maybe it even means cool in the way that people set trends which others then followed? The answer is, in fact, all of these definitions. He was undoubtedly one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century and a towering giant of jazz at the forefront of several major developments of the genre; such as bebop, hard bop, jazz fusion, and, to which we are concerned with here, cool jazz.

As the 1940s progressed and bebop became firmly established, it was clear that Miles simply couldn’t take on the established greats of bebop. Therefore Miles, along with arranger Gil Evans and his nonet, a group of nine musicians (you learn something new every day), began to head off into a new direction to counter against the aggressive tempos of bebop. Over the course of 1949 and 1950 Davis and his group recorded three LPs of twelve compositions which make up this compilation album, ‘The Birth of The Cool.

Cool jazz placed an emphasis upon texture and form, attempting to connect written parts with improvised ones. Similarly, cool jazz also featured unusual instrumentation such as a tuba and French horn along with the more traditional saxophones, trombone, piano, bass, drums, and, of course, trumpet. The arrangements were also inspired by classical music. All of this created a style of playing that was more akin to how Davis wanted to perform music, allowing him to create a rich tapestry of tones, texture, and harmony. The result was as the album suggests, the creation of cool jazz.

It's a welcome relief to see that this album contains no compositions over the four minute mark; they all hover around three minutes in length. Thankfully there are no endless solos and pushing of the 15 minute mark as many jazz albums do much to my annoyance at times. Davis’ trumpet solos are short, focused and emotional, as are all the solos actually. I was actually surprised to read that there were nine people playing these songs because it never sounds like it. The sound is intimate and never pushes too hard.

However, to say this album is ‘pure cool’ would be wrong. The tempo of opener ‘Move’ is anything but ‘cool’, in fact it could fit nicely onto any other bebop album of the time. However, the trumpet along with the other brass works well, its tight and the drumming is fantastic. ‘Budo’ also follows in a similar vain to the previous song. Apart from that though, the tempo is either middle paced or the ‘cool’ relaxed pace as the album suggests. ‘Jeru’ is one of the highlights with its great swinging drums, walking bass and trumpet snaking its way through this effortless number. In fact its when the swinging rhythms kick in that Davis and his band appear to be at their best. Other songs such as ‘Mood Dreams’ are great for creating spatial and atmospheric ballads. ‘Boplicity’ is another highlight of this album again with a great swinging melody. Rather bizarrely though, Davis composed this under a pseudonym, Cleo Henry, for this track alone and was never to use the name again. The rest of the songs on this album are solid and continue within the theme, the only exception is ‘Darn that Dream’ which features vocals. Not in itself a bad thing, but it just feels a little out of place on this album. Take this away and we have eleven solid tracks here.

I can completely appreciate the timelessness as well as the quality of this album. There is nothing not to like about this album. It could be played at any time simply as background music or one could study every single note and intricate detail contained within. It’s varied enough to not be monotonous but also not too varied as to lose the whole theme of coolness. 'The Birth of The Cool' will probably not be my favorite album of Miles Davis as there are still more classics to come which excite me even more. However, ‘The Birth Of The Cool’ is a perfect example of how something can be created which is new yet timeless. All hail the coolness of Miles Davis.

11) Sabu: 'Palo Congo'

I’m just glad there is some respite from listening to another jazz album! Actually I had been highly anticipating Sabu’s ‘Palo Congo’. Not only does it contain percussion as the propelling and dominant force; it also fuses African and Cuban influences. I have always found it rather amusing how Western society, with its pop bands lip-syncing their way through an auto-tuned computer-composed version of some cheesy pop classic, has the audacity to refer to African music as primitive. The beats and rhythms of African music are anything but, being both intricate and highly complex. This album therefore, on paper at least, contains the necessary elements for something quite amazing.

Born Louis Martinez in 1930, he was one of the most prolific conga players in Afro-Cuban music. The door had been opened for him by Chano Pozo who put Afro-Cuban drums firmly into jazz recordings during the 1940s. Martinez was himself inspired by some of the early jazz greats which culminated with him playing in Gillespie’s band in 1948. It was he who gave Martinez the nickname ‘Sabu’ which he was to use henceforth. Sabu remained a high-in-demand session player throughout the 1940s ad 1950s but faded into a drug induced haze in the late 1950s. Fortunately, he bounced back in 1957 with a run of three classic albums, Palo Congo was one of them. It is hailed as an Afro-Cuban masterpiece, a link between jazz, traditional African beats, and modern Cuban music.

‘Palo Congo’ was Sabu’s debut offering as leader and melded together what is essentially a percussionists album except for bass (Evaristo Baro) and Cuban Tres (Arsenio Rodriguez). Add to that some singing and chanting and we have the entire ingredients for the entire eight songs on this album.

Right from the outset it is obvious that this really needs to be listened to on one of those steaming hot summer days, a Mojito lightly cupped in one hand while the other gently cradles a Havana cigar with the smoke slowly rising into the afternoon sky. Instead I am listening to this on a cold and damp autumn morning frantically making my way to the train station. Anyway, this album can really be split into two sections. The first of which is the more fast paced Latin orientated sound. Tracks such as the fantastic opener ‘El Cumbanchero’ contains a simple, yet catchy, melody which gets the toes tapping and instantly brings a smile to the face. ‘Choferito’ showcases the great guitar work and a nice shuffling beat driven by tight harmonizing vocals. Similarly, ‘Tribilin Cantore’ appears perfect for driving along the coast on a hot summers day in an old 1950s Cadillac .

The second part of the album is certainly more African orientated with a more raw and wild feel to it. Indeed, it would not be too out of place to say that it feels like one has stumbled upon a tribe of elders in the African plains chanting and dancing happily around a campfire. Tracks such as Billumba’ and ‘Asabache’ and Aggo Eleuga’ demonstrate this perfectly. If nothing else, the musicians are clearly having the time of their life playing these songs, the passion is admirable. The best two tracks on this album have to be ‘Simba’ and ‘Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso’. The interplay between the percussion, cowbells, and guitar are awesome and the latter tracks fast and exciting pace are great highlights here.

In conclusion there is certainly nothing inherently bad about this album, indeed there are some pleasant moments here. Yet, there is nothing which is particularly inspiring here. May of the tracks go on for rather longer than they really should do; maybe that has something to do with the simple phrases being constantly repeated. I have certainly heard a lot more Latin music which commands more attention than 'Palo Congo'. I almost get the feeling of, ‘Is that it?’ after finishing this album. Why it appears on an essential listening list remains a mystery to me; there is obviously something I am missing. In 1967, Sabu emigrated to Sweden with his wife never to return to the USA again. I fear a similar fate for this album in 2010, it will emigrate to the doldrums of my hard drive never to heard from again.

Stand-out Tracks: 'El Cumbanchero', 'Simba', 'Rhapsodia Del Maravilloso'

Rating: 5/10

10) Thelonious Monk: 'Brilliant Corners'

Thelonious Monk is to jazz what Brian Wilson is to 1960s pop music, i.e. a musical genius. Not only did they push and shape the direction of their genres to the extent of defining them; they also both suffered from bi-polar disorder which was part responsible for their creativity and idiosyncrasies. If truth be told, I had never even heard of Thelonious Monk prior to this. Even as unfamiliar I am with jazz I had heard of some of the greats; such as Ellington and Basie. However, I was surprised to discover Monk was also considered one of the greatest jazz musicians to have lived. My ignorance is partially due to the fact that Monk’s particular sub-group of jazz, bebop (or to give it its accurate label of hard bop) is something I am entirely unacquainted with. I am officially a fish out of water here.

Growing up in New York in the early twentieth century, Monk tried hard to carve his own niche in the jazz community. By joining the bebop scene he did just that but was by no means successful, he was seen as eccentric and remained unpopular at first. Indeed, his techniques were so unique that he was considered inferior to his contemporaries. Suddenly, however, in the mid 1950s he was proclaimed a genius and held that status for the rest of his career.

Monk was important because he created his own world of music with its own rules and logic. As a performer he was very animated and quite the showman, yet it was his style of playing rather than his personality which was of most relevance. So advanced were his compositions that he was often considered crazy. Now many of these songs are played as jazz standards. He gave jazz a fresh and modern feel and along with his quintet of more than able musicians; pushed the boundaries of jazz musically.

‘Brilliant Corners’ is fast, highly complex, and difficult to appreciate at times but is a classic bebop album nonetheless. Jazz often has the wonderful oxymoron of ‘organized sloppiness’ thrown its way and it actually seems to fit perfectly to ‘Brilliant Corners’. It’s impossible to imagine how Monk sat down and thought about the overall concept and structure for this album; yet beneath the chaos there is certainly structure among the skewed melodies and truncated rhythms.

The complexity of this album is noted by the fact that its title track was spliced together from twelve incomplete takes from some of the best musicians around. The overall sound is almost jarring at to listen to at times. This is not helped by Monks use of chromatic and Lydian scales (as with a lot of jazz musicians) which basically give the impression that Monk doesn’t quite know how to play the piano, it sounds out of tune. Yet to say this is to say Picasso wasn’t much of an artist.

The album consists of only 5 pieces but is almost 45 minutes in length. It really doesn’t help that the rhythms are constantly changing; it’s really not easy to listen to. Opening track ‘Brilliant Corners’ is built around stuttered rhythms, piano and punctuated horns. It’s almost a bit too overwhelming to be honest. ‘Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues’ is a blues composition where each of the players takes it in turn to perform a solo in this thirteen minute Magnus-Opus. With it being this long, it is impossible not to lose interest, my mind always starts to wander half-way through. ‘Pannonica’ is probably the only accessible track on this album. It also sees Monk play celeste and piano at the same time, impressive in itself, and a melody that is actually memorable. Its unusual combination of instruments also gives it a rather unusual and memorable quality than others. The album concludes with ‘I Surrender, Dear’ and ‘Bemsha Swing’ with even more complex chord progressions.

Overall, I can understand and appreciate the importance of this album. However, bebop is really not for me. I know from playing jazz that it commands the utmost skill. To play jazz is amazing; to simply listen to it for pleasure, not so much. This kind of music commands full attention and I can’t help but let my mind wander at times when listening to this. Just as I can appreciate a great painting or great architecture, it’s great to see, or listen to in this case, but not something I would want to revisit anytime soon.

Standout Tracks: 'Pannonica'

Rating: 6/10

9) Count Basie: 'The Atomic Mr. Basie'

Best known for his big band work in the 1930s, Count Basie is another one of the jazz greats. It was during this period he perfected blues-drenched 4-4 rhythm of Kansas City from where he hailed. Yet by the 1950s, there was just no market for the big bands of old. As fashions changed; so did musicians in order to survive in the music business. It is also of no surprise that the longevity of the greatest musicians, in the case of Basie fifty years, is largely due to them constantly evolving and changing with the times, or in many cases, actually setting the tone for times.

After initially disbanding group work in the 1950s, Basie returned in 1958 with this masterpiece: ‘The Atomic Mr. Basie’. This recording is largely regarded as his best work from that period and, in fact, never to be surpassed again during his lifetime. Basie obviously felt that the idea of a big band was redundant whereas all that was required was some fresh blood. This came with the inclusion of Neal Hefti as the primary composer and arranger of these eleven compositions. Not only does Hefti create amazing moodscapes from frenetically paced, full sounding numbers, such as the opener ‘The Kid From Red Bank’; but also wonderful late night solitary numbers where all you have for company is your thoughts and a scotch, as in ‘After Supper’. Not only this, but he has done so in such a way which captures the greatness of each individual musician involved in this project.

Eddie Davis provides wonderful saxophone solos and there is an equally impressive all star trumpet section led by Thad Jones. Underpinning all of this is the flawless rhythm section of bassist, Eddie Jones; drummer, Sonny Payne; and rhythm guitarist, Freddie Green. Then of course there is Count Basie himself. He plays piano with such understatement in such numbers (‘The Kid From Red Bank’) that one would think he is doing his best not to be heard. Other times, he shows he is capable of full bombast, all accomplished with ease and swing.

Part of the reason for this albums success was that Basie built upon the blue foundations but this recording appeared to see Basie being more ambitious. He went beyond the blues to create something far bolder and dynamic which was able to sound modern and fresh (such as including some dazzling improvisation common within the emerging bebop sound) but still contained within the concept of a big band setting.

I was actually surprised at just how much I liked this album. I certainly approached this with a certain degree of hesitancy realizing that Basie was fusing elements of bebop with big band. However, this album never loses the listener as many bebop albums do. The beat is always solid and never drifts into endless improvisation. Equally, the melodies are crisp and memorable. Whether the pace is glacial or frantic the listen is still equally as impressive. ‘Duet’ is a fantastic muted trumpet piece with an unforgettable melody and ‘A Flight Of The Foo Birds’ really does deliver on all fronts. ‘Li’l Darlin’ ‘ is Basie’s answer to Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’ and just as impressive but it is the later two numbers ‘Teddy The Toad’ and ‘Splanky’ which remain most impressive for me. Indeed, the latter almost epitomizes everything which is good about a jazz recording.

This is largely considered the final great work of Count Basie’s, as well as gifted arranger Hefti. The former settled comfortably into churning out his back catalogue until his death in 1984 whereas the later ditched serious jazz for the glitz of Hollywood. Batman theme anyone?

Standout Tracks: ‘Splanky’, ‘Teddy The Toad’, ‘Duet’, ‘ A Flight Of The Foo Birds’

Rating: 9/10

8) The Crickets: 'The "Chirping" Crickets'

Any mention of Buddy Holly instantly initiates counterfactual history. What if he didn’t board that ill-fated flight in 1959? What if he were never born in the first place? How would music have been different to the course it did ultimately follow? Would he have just faded into the background during the 1960s or revolutionized music even more than he managed to do? It’s impossible to say. All we can say for certain is that in his all too short life he became one of the most influential musicians in rock and roll history, influenced countless to come, and did so all in eighteen months and by the age of twenty two!

The “Chirping” Crickets was undoubtedly one of the most important rock and roll releases of the 1950s. His name; along with Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, and Elvis, are synonymous with rock and roll history and his influence cannot be underestimated. Cited as a major influence by future artists such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Bob Dylan he was also one of the first artists to actually write, perform, and produce his own songs. Also, with The Crickets, he set the template for rock and roll which still holds true today; two guitars, bass, and drums. Not only this, but his look inspired people for another twenty years to come (Hank Marvin and Elvis Costello) as well as giving others the confidence that you don’t need to look like Elvis to succeed in the music business. Along the way he also did more than anyone else to popularize the fender Stratocaster.

The ‘Chirping’ Crickets was Holly’s first full length release and introduced audiences to the classic ‘That’ll Be The Day’. At under 30 minutes in length these twelve songs are basically simple love songs. Charles Hardin Holley, formed his band with schoolmate Jerry Allison eventually emerging into ‘The Crickets’ which although short lived (with Holly at the reins at least) still had a major impact. Not one to escape being influenced himself, it was Elvis who inspired Holly. The band stood out quite simply because, unlike other studio bands at the time, they wrote their own material in a style they penned ‘western bop’ which basically fused country and bebop music together. Along with Elvis’ rockabilly element and deference to the blues and early R&B, this melting pot of sounds became explosive.

Holly’s distinctive vocals were as good as his influential guitar work; strong and bold, while the Crickets drove the rhythm along perfectly. It’s interesting to note that it’s not actually The Crickets providing backing vocals here but an uncredited vocal group called The Picks. Listening back upon it now gives the sound a rather dated feel to the arrangements; it’s almost like a church choir backing Holly. Nonetheless, it was relevant for the 1950s and in no way takes away from the quality of the album.

There are a whole host of classic songs here; ‘Oh Boy’ is as stunning an opener as you get and truly states its rock intent. ‘That’ll Be The Day’ demonstrates Holly’s amazing guitar dexterity and blues influence. Others such as ‘Rock Me Baby’ are literally pulsating with rhythm, truly fantastic. ‘It’s So Easy’ is also great but the show stopper is the near pop perfection of ‘Not Fade Away’ with its Bo Diddley beat showcases everything which is good about Holly. Even the songs with melancholic lyrics are hidden by upbeat melodies. This is not to say this album is perfect. There are a few forgettable numbers such as ‘Send Me Some Lovin’ ’ and ‘An Empty Cup’ However, there is certainly more to treasure than forget here.

The Crickets were the first truly independent rock and roll band and Buddy Holly was largely responsible for their success. At times it is hard to look back from the viewpoint of 2010 and realize the immense impact this would have had on the people who were listening to it for the first time. Indeed, it certainly sounds outdated, however this in no way diminishes the quality or importance of this music from one of rocks greatest. Buddy Holly may have died well before his time yet in our memories he certainly will not fade away.

Standout tracks: ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Oh Boy’, ‘Last Nite’

Rating: 9/10

7) Frank Sinatra: 'Songs For Swingin' Lovers!'

There’s both good and bad news about Sinatra’s second mention on this list. Again, Sinatra teamed up with the genius that is Nelson Riddle. However, the results are as different as chalk and cheese. If ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ was the lonely, heartbroken, ballad-heavy side of Sinatra; then this is the day after the night before. Sinatra comes across as simply euphoric, confident, and back in love. It’s like a warm sunny walk, or more of a skip, in the park.

The maturity Sinatra brings to this album is partially why it works. The way he sings through these 15 songs in his carefree and confident manner with swinging sophisticated swagger, is great. Sinatra is also in fine voice as he eases us effortlessly through these songs. Similarly, this album includes many of the songs which many associate with Sinatra; From the opener ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ to the climatic build of ‘Anything Goes’. It’s 45 minutes of classic Frank!

Not enough credit can be placed upon Nelson Riddle. Without him, this album would not be anywhere near as highly regarded as it is. The arrangements are full of life yet subtle throughout and demonstrate his versatility after listening to ‘In The Wee Small Hours’. Although these songs are up to twenty years old, Riddle’s arrangements are fresh and new, giving new life to them. Also, given that most of these songs were originally written for piano or small jazz combos, these grand lavish arrangements are astounding.

Now for the bad news, it is this very familiarity which works against it for me. On any given day on radio stations, at any wedding reception, or any occasion which so happens to have the tag ‘jazz’ or ‘big band’ attached to it, Sinatra is not far behind and these songs are the ones played. Consequently, these songs have become a bore to listen to. On top of this is every TV reality singer wanabee and second rate singer looking to cash in on some easy money (yes Robbie Williams I’m talking about you) singing big-band Sinatra as well. The result is overkill and completely destroys these classic songs rendering no impression being left on me at all of these songs. In short, it’s quite hard to enjoy these songs.

So in conclusion, there is no doubting that this is a classic album. It’s ageless, the singing is great, the arrangements fantastic. For any Sinatra fan this is probably some of his best work. However, I will not revisit this album anytime soon. That is to say, I won’t intentionally revisit this album anytime soon. No doubt I will be subjected to inferior cover versions of these songs as well as the originals without ever intentionally wanting to.

Stand-out tracks: ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘Anything Goes’

Rating: 4/10 for the album as a whole (9/10 for Nelson Riddle)

6) Duke Ellington: 'At Newport'

If someone told me I had to sit down and listen to the best part of two hours of jazz I would probably have opted for another Louvin Brothers album. I like jazz but it has to be in relatively small doses. The running time didn’t sit well with me at all. However, this is Duke Ellington we are talking about and this is probably one of the best jazz albums I have ever listened to.

Being a giant of the jazz world, Ellington’s name is pretty much synonymous with the genre with a career spanning in excess of fifty years. Not only was he one of the best there was, his band was also composed of some of the other jazz greats to ever have lived. It was Ellington who melded this talent into a cohesive powerhouse. ‘Ellington at Newport’ was a live recording of the bands appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1956. It is often regarded as one the best performances of his career and certainly one which resurrected his career.

With the emergence of various, and more popular, sub-genres of jazz such as bepop, the dominance enjoyed by big bands in the 1920’s to 1940s was waning. It had led to the end of many big bands yet Ellington and co. soldiered on playing small venues and not securing a record contract. In spite of their unquestionable talent they just weren't fashionable. This concert was enough to turn that all around, and rejuvenate Ellington’s career until his death eighteen years later.

So why is this album so great? Well things certainly don’t start out like a career saving performance. As they took to the stage for a rather tepid version of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ some of the band couldn’t be found which led to a truncated set consisting of ‘Black and Tan Fantasy’ and ‘Tea for Two’. Both are solid yet nothing awe inspiring.

Two hours later the full band return, and what a way to return with a personal favorite of mine ‘Take The A Train’,which is quite stunning. Ellington then chose to showcase new material named on the day as the ‘Newport Jazz Festival Suite’ consisting of three pieces. It's just phenomenal to listen to this orchestra at work. The band clearly work well, and enjoy performing, together yet there is a certain level of competitiveness between them which is explosive and results are pure pleasure.

However, it is the next part which was to be the pinnacle of the set; 'Diminuendo in Blue' and 'Crescendo in Blue' bridged by a solo from Paul Gonsalves. The improvised nine minute tenor solo by Gonsalves lasted a full 27 choruses and turned a rather sedate audience into a vivacious and rambunctious one. It’s certainly a song you can listen to and wish it would just never end, it's fantastic stuff. There are also two great tracks after this in ‘I Got It Bad’ and ‘Skin Deep’.

This album has to be listened to from beginning to end and played loudly. The ride from hesitant start to dramatic climax is one every music lover should experience. As Ellington use to sign off his concerts with; “You are very beautiful, very lovely and we do you love madly” the same can be applied to tthis album. It’s very beautiful, very lovely and I do love it madly!

Stand-out Tracks: ‘Take The A Train’, ‘I Got It Bad’, ‘Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue’

Rating: 9/10