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.

5) Fats Domino: ‘This Is Fats’

Listening to Fats Domino is like slipping into bed on a cold winters evening. He is relaxing, provides warmth, and gives that overall feeling of safety. ‘Blueberry Hill’ epitomizes this completely; it’s a song for young and old alike. In fact, the majority of Domino’s songs follow in a similar vein, there is not much to dislike about Fats.

He is the most popular exponents of the classic New Orleans R&B sound, selling more than any other black R&B star throughout the 1950s. He may not have been as innovative as Chuck Berry or charismatic as Little Richard, yet he is certainly one of the grandfathers of rock and roll and made his mark on music history with his distinctive 12/8 piano led boogie woogie sound. Indeed his 1949 single, ‘The Fat Man’, is consistently mentioned as candidate for the first rock and roll record. Domino’s sound was tried and tested in New Orleans and never really changed throughout his entire career. However, far from being a hindrance, between 1955 and 1963 Fats racked up 35 top 40 singles influencing countless of other musicians along the way, including; the Rolling Stones and The Beatles.

So, therefore, for anyone interested in the early origins of rock n’ roll Fats Domino is a must and this album is a great place to start as it gives an overall feel for his work. The steady beats, the thumping piano, the crooning vocals, and the saxophone solos are all present in this repetitive, albeit distinctive, style. Domino didn't change the world with his music but he sure did make pleasant music to listen to, and dance to for that matter.

Three songs give a great feel for the Fats Domino sound: ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘Honey Chile’, and ‘Blue Monday’; all of which are classic sounds of the 1950s and a great place to start to get introduced to Domino. However, it’s some of the other tracks here which provide the highlights of this album. The ‘Fat Man’s Hop’ plays like a blues jam session and clearly demonstrates Domino’s piano prowess which is always understated in many of his well known songs. ‘Trust in Me’ is a fantastic rock n’ roll number which just makes you want to dance. The R&B track ‘You Done Me Wrong’ is undoubtedly one of the best tracks here with its 12 bar blues and call and answer structure, all underpinned with a swinging rhythm, it’s fantastic.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Blueberry Hill’, ‘You Done Me Wrong’ ‘Trust In Me’, ‘Blue Monday’

Rating: 7/10

2) Elvis Presley: 'Elvis Presley'

Who could possibly have imagined the revolution this relatively unknown 21-year-old (outside of Memphis) was to have on popular music when he released his debut album back in 1956. Elvis' eponymous debut was an amalgamation of different recording sessions throughout January at his new record label RCA with additional material supplied from his first label, Sun Records.

Protocol of the 1950s dictated that the ‘better’ songs, with greater selling potential, were released as singles; whereas albums were usually filled with lesser qualities songs. Therefore this album is by no means perfect, in fact given today’s standards of albums it comes across as a rather clumsy record in production and execution.

However, that should not detract from some greatness contained within. There is no mistaking Elvis’ idiosyncratic vocals and the overall energy of the album is infectious, such as the cover of Charles’ ‘Ive Got A Woman’, Richards’ ‘Tutti Frutti’ and ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down’. The energy is not only contained to Elvis, but also his great musicians; the pioneering Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D J Fontana. There simple yet effective arrangements work perfectly for Elvis and together they venture on quite a wide range of genres which is admirable in itself; covering country, rockabilly, R&B, blues and pop.

Proceedings start off excellently with the infamous ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ (only included as Perkin’s had already released the song himself and Elvis was contractually obliged to wait until he could release it as a single himself). In saying that I still enjoy Perkins' version as much if not more than the Kings. Some of the Sun recordings included, such as ‘I Love You Because’ and ‘I’ll Lever Let You Go’ come across as less than impressive. Also, although Tutti Frutti’s frenetic pace is a great effort, I would still rather listen to the original any day.

Yet there are gems included. ‘Trying To Get To You’ is one of the best early recordings Elvis ever made. Similarly, Elvis’ stripped rendition of ‘Blue Moon’ complete with falsetto oohs is exemplary. The final track ‘Money Honey’ starts off like Mancini’s ‘Pink Panther’ theme tune but transforms into a fantastic R&B number.

The albums cover is similarly a landmark. It is one of the most iconic photos of Elvis and was subverted by the Clash for ‘London Calling’ twenty years later.

Stand-out tracks: ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Trying To Get To You’, 'Blue Moon’, 'Money Honey’

Rating: 7/10

1) Frank Sinatra 'In The Wee Small Hours'

It is rather fitting that a book’s s title which suggests one to do exactly what is states opens with an album’s title which does the same. Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ is intended to be listened to alone and late at night. If the album cover wasn’t proof enough alone, then what's contained within will certainly resolve the matter. Just prior to the album being made, Sinatra famously separated from Ava Gardner and it was this which apparently provided the overarching theme for the album; sixteen ballads all based around the theme of lost love.

In a decade in when the single was king, albums merely served as a randomly compiled collection of an artist’s hits to date. Frank Sinatra’s ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ was noticeable for two reasons. Firstly, it was released as a double 10”, unusual for the time; and secondly, this album marked the consolidation of Sinatra’s (and indeed everyone’s attempt) to perfect the concept album as an art form.

The knowledge I possess of Frank Sinatra revolves purely around the never ending ‘best of’ collections which have been constantly trawled out by the record companies over the years. These predominately consist of the up-tempo swing numbers which everyone is familiar with. Thankfully, I have been introduced to a completely different side of Sinatra, that of a desperate and depressed man whose heart has been broken.

There are two main reasons why this album works so well in what it intends to do. The first of which is Nelson Riddle (the arranger) who perfectly creates a melancholy mood from start to finish with sparse orchestral rhythm sections formed by guitar, celesta, and flourishes of strings, and completed with Bill Miller’s delicate piano playing. It is this mood of loneliness and desolation which creates the perfect conditions for Sinatra to take centre stage with what forms the second reason this albums success; Frank's flawless vocals. Sinatra injects the perfect level of sincerity and emotion into the songs without ever becoming over indulgent or over-the-top.

The opening track, the only one specifically written for the album, is a stunning opener, as is the cover of Ellington’s ‘Mood Indigo’. Other highlights from this album are the cover of Cole Porter’s ‘What Is This Thing Called Love?’ and ‘I Get Along Without You Very Well’. The only negative thing about this album is that at sixteen tracks long consisting solely of ballads around one theme, it does run the risk of fading into the background at times. Yet in a way, given the whole theme of the album this could well be an intended by-product of the album. However, it's certainly not everyday I am prepared to engage in fifty minutes of stories from a heartbroken man. Overall though, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives. This surely has to be a contender for greatest break-up album of all time.

Stand-out tracks: 'In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning', 'Mood Indigo', 'What Is This Thing Called Love?'

Rating: 7/10