Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus

Saxophone Colossus

Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Colossus is one of the best 50s jazz albums. "St. Thomas" is easily recognizable and very popular. "You Don't Know What Love Is", "Strode Rode", "Moritat", and "Blue 7" make up the rest of the album. Sonny Rollins - tenor saxophone, Tommy Flanagan - piano, Doug Watkins - bass , and Max Roach - drums.

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um

Mingus Ah Um

My favorite Charles Mingus album, Mingus Ah Um is from 1959. It is one of the best jazz albums of all time. The album is mostly hard bop and avant-garde jazz. All the musicians sound good together. "Fables of Faubus" is one of my favorites. Charles Mingus plays the bass and also the piano on "Pedal Point Blues".

Ella Fitzgerald - The Best of the Song Books

The Best of the Song Books

Ella Fitzgerald was one of the best jazz vocalists ever. This great collection of her songs is from the 50s and 60s. Some of my favorites are "Something's Gotta Give", "The Lady Is a Tramp", "Love for Sale", "Midnight Sun", and "Hooray for Love".

Ultimate Tony Bennett

Ultimate Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett has many popular songs from the 50s and 60s, in the genre of pop and jazz. "Because of You" and "Rags to Riches" are some of my favorite 50s songs. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "The Best Is Yet to Come" are some of my favorite 60s songs.

The Very Best of Big Joe Turner

The Very Best of Big Joe Turner

Big Joe Turner is a 50s blues shouter. His most known song is my favorite one, "Shake, Rattle and Roll". Others I like are "Honey Hush", "TV Mam", "Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop", "Well All Right", "Flip Flop and Fly", "Hide and Seek", "Midnight Cannonball", "The Chicken and the Hawk (Up, up and Away)", "Boogie Woogie Country Girl", and "Midnight Special Train".

Bobby Darin - The Hit Singles Collection

The Hit Singles Collection

This is a big collection of Bobby Darin's 50s and many 60s songs. "Mack the Knife", "Queen of the Hop", and "Splish Splash", are my favorite 50s songs. Some other songs I like are "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", "Early in the Morning", "Plain Jane", "Beyond the Sea", "Lazy River", "18 Yellow Roses", and "Lovin' You".

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Diz N Bird at Carnegie Hall

Diz N Bird at Carnegie Hall

This is a live album of bebop jazz from 1947 at Carnegie Hall with some of my favorite jazz artists; Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. All the songs are lively. Some of my favorites are "Dizzy Atmosphere", "Relaxin' at Camarillo", "Cubano-Be, Cubano-Bop", "One Bass Hit", and "Salt Peanuts". I also like Dizzy Gillespie's Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1947-1949 album.

Dizzy Gillespie - Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1947-1949

Complete RCA Victor Recordings 1947-1949

Dizzy Gillespie was a great jazz trumpeter, scat singer, and bandleader. This is a big collection of many of his bebop jazz and scat songs. Some highlights on here are "Manteca", "Anthropology", "Two Bass Hit", "Night in Tunisia", "Cool Breeze", "Ool-Ya-Koo", "Jump Did-Le Ba", "I'm Beboppin' Too", and more great 40s jazz music. I also like Diz N Bird at Carnegie Hall.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Dino: The Essential Dean Martin

Dino: The Essential Dean Martin

Dean Martin is one of my favorite singers, along with Frank Sinatra. This collection has many of his hits from the 40s to the 60s. Some of my favorite songs are "Powder Your Face with Sunshine (Smile! Smile! Smile!)", "Mambo Italiano", "Memories Are Made of This", "Sway", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "Someone There's a Someone", and "The Door Is Still Open to My Heart".

Trumpet Blues: The Best of Harry James

Trumpet Blues: The Best of Harry James

Bandledaer Harry James was known for his trumpet skills. This collection has many of his songs from the 30s and 40s. Some of my favorites are "Trumpet Blues and Cantabile", "Barn 12", "I've Heard That Song Before", "Blues on a Count", "Been a Long, Long Time", and "Ciribiribin".

Bing Crosby - Definitive Collection

Definitive Collection

This collection has many of Bing Crosby's songs from the 20s to the 50s. A good 20s song is "Ol' Man River". Songs from the 30s I like are "Where the Blue of the Night (Meets the Gold of the Day)", "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby", and "Home On the Range. The 40s songs "White Christmas", "Sunday, Monday or Always", "Swinging on a Star", and "It's Been a Long, Long Time".

40's Hits: Great Records of the Decade Vol. 1

40's Hits: Great Records of the Decade Vol. 1

This album has many good 40s songs by various artists. Some of my favorites are "On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" by Johnny Mercer, "The Trolley Song" by Judy Garland, "Personality" by Johnny Mercer, "Rum and Coca Cola" by the Andrews Sisters, and "Baby It's Cold Outside" by Johnny Mercer & Margaret Whiting.

The Only Big Band CD You'll Ever Need

The Only Big Band CD You'll Ever Need

This is a nice collection of big band, swing, songs from the 30s and 40s. Some highlights are "Take the "A" Train", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "Begin the Beguine, "In the Mood", "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)", "Cherokee", "(I've Got a Gal in) Kalamazoo", "I'm in the Mood for Love", "Frenesi", and "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing) (Parts 1 & 2)".

The Essential Benny Goodman

The Essential Benny Goodman

Bandleader Benny Goodman was known as the "King of Swing". This big collection has many of his songs from the 30s and 40s. Some of my favorites are "Let's Dance", "Bugle Call Rag", "Sing, Sing, Sing", "There's a Small Hotel" (with Helen Ward), "This Can't Be Love" (with Martha Tilton), "Roll 'Em", and "Stealin' Apples". Their are many more swing jazz songs of his here. I also like Peggy Lee & Benny Goodman - Complete Recordings 1941-1947.

Peggy Lee & Benny Goodman - Complete Recordings 1941-1947

Complete Recordings 1941-1947

This collection has many early 40s songs by Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman. Some of my favorites are "Elmer's Tune", "My Old Flame", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "That Did It, Marie", "Blues in the Night", "I Threw A Kiss in the Ocean", and "For Every Man There's a Woman". Many more songs are here. I also like The Best of Miss Peggy Lee and The Essential Benny Goodman.

The Best of Miss Peggy Lee

The Best of Miss Peggy Lee

Peggy Lee is a jazz style singer from the 40s. This collection has her songs from the 40s to the 60s. Many of them are 40s songs. My favorite is the 50s song "Fever". The 40s songs I like are "I Don't Know Enough About You", "It's a Good Day", "Chi-baba, Chi-baba (My Bambino, Go to Sleep)", "Golden Earrings", "Why Don't You Do Right?", "MaƱana (Is Soon Enough for Me)", and "Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)". The 50s song "Alright, Okay, You Win". The 60s songs "I'm a Woman", and "Big Spender". I also like Peggy Lee & Benny Goodman - Complete Recordings 1941-1947.

The Andrews Sisters 50th Anniversary Collection

The Andrews Sisters 50th Anniversary Collection

The Andrews Sisters had many hit songs in the 30s and 40s. This collection has many of their hits. My favorite songs are "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Rum And Coca-Cola", and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)". "I Can Dream, Can't I?" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" are more good songs.

Tommy Dorsey - Greatest Hits

Greatest Hits

This is a nice collection of bandleader Tommy Dorsey songs from the 30s and 40s. Some of my favorites are "The Music Goes 'Round and Around", "Opus One", "I'm Getting Sentimental over You", and "I'm in the Mood for Love".