The 1950s, In (Relative) Brief

There were 23 albums in the book from the 1950s. That is the only decade I will be counting out; after that, the lists get much, much longer. Strictly highlights, starting in 1960. Out of the 23, I have listened to 19 and a quarter. Three of them have proven difficult (or costly) to track down, and the file for Brilliant Corners by Thelonius Monk crapped out after one song. I loved what I heard, though.

Of said 19 albums, the fifties did pretty well for themselves; I loved nine of them. Here's what albums I've listened to, and I'll write snippets about the ones I loved. I'm going to do my best to avoid hyperbole here, since I've gotten that out of the way in the journal. I apologise in advanced for when I fail to do so.

#1: Frank Sinatra, In the Wee Small Hours (1955)
I've listened to Sinatra my entire life. This is the first time I've been aware of how incredible his delivery is, how nuanced his emotional expressions are. He's mostly melancholy this time around, but he's perfect. It's never over-done. None of the songs dip into the sappy territory so much of his recorded output seems to reside in. The arrangements are perfect as well. It's a master-class in how to fit the arrangements to the song. They are thrilling to listen to, should you choose to focus on them, but they never call for your attention; that's allowed to rest on Sinatra, where it belongs. Fun fact; Originally released on two 10" records, an executive suggested pressing all the songs on the same record, creating the first mass-produced 12" record, the standard size for an LP.

#2: Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley (1956)

#3: The Louvin Brothers, Tragic Songs of Life

#4: Louis Prima, The Wildest
I was initially excited because Louis Prima was the voice of King Louis in The Jungle Book. The album held my interest. Prima and his backing band are full of energy, having fun, and, most importantly, perfect. I love his voice; you can hear that he's just enjoying what he's doing, and the band is too. Really entertaining, wonderful music.

#6: Duke Ellington, Ellington at Newport 1956

#7: Frank Sinatra, Songs for Swingin' Lovers
In stark contrast to In the Wee Small Hours, Sinatra is full of life and zest on this album, where he is, perhaps, in fullest control of his voice as he ever was. The album includes some of his best vocals, particularly on "I've Got You Under My Skin," one of my favourite songs, and "We'll Be Together Again," where, for a moment, he pleads with a nameless girl, and it tears at your soul. This is my favourite Sinatra record. It's not as brilliant as In the Wee Small Hours, but it's my favourite.

#8: The Crickets, The "Chirping" Crickets (1957)

#9: Count Basie, The Atomic Mr. Basie

#12: Miles Davis, The Birth of the Cool

#13: Machito, Kenya

#14: Little Richard, Here's Little Richard

#15: Tito Puente and His Orchestra, Dance Mania, Vol. 1 (1958)
While the album itself wasn't loved, there are three songs I whole-heartedly recommend: "Hong Kong Mambo," "Varsity Drag," which feels like New York City in the movie-montage sense, and "Estoy Siempre Junto A Ti" is my favourite song on the album, and would warrant purchasing the whole album.

#16: Billie Holiday, Lady In Satin
The songs are all very good, and Holiday really gets into the emotion of a vocal, unlike any female singer I've ever heard. When she says, on "You Don't Know What Love Is," "until you've flipped your heart and lost," you don't doubt for a moment that she has flipped her heart and lost, several times. The arrangements are very good as well. There are backing vocals, but they are used more as part of the orchestra than as actual voices. An excellent album.

#18: Sarah Vaughan, Sarah Vaughan At Mister Kelly's
Again, not a loved album, but WHAT a voice. The tone is perfect. She's almost flat once, in an entire live album that didn't use overdubs. If you are a singer, you have to listen to this.

#19: Ella Fitzgerald, Sings the Gershwin Songbook (1959)
There is nothing not to love about this album. Fitzgerald sings all the songs with the perfect amount of joy, sadness, love, whatever emotion the songs call for. Her voice with those melodies is an unbelievable combination. It's a magnificent collection of songs, one that's been deleted from pressings for a few years now. I truly don't know why.

#20: Ray Charles, The Genius of Ray Charles
The two sides of this album are quite distinctive. The first side is more energetic, the second is more laid back. Ray Charles is on form the whole time, with excellent song choices throughout. The first half of the album is truly enjoyable, but the second half, for me, is where the magic happens. It gets more intimate. The songs are full of love, devotion, and the hurt both can cause. I sought this out to purchase on record because I loved it so much. Still sounds great.

#21: Miles Davis, Kind of Blue
There's nothing to say about Kind of Blue that hasn't already been said. I'm not a huge fan of most instrumental jazz. It's not my bag, ya dig? But Kind of Blue has a certain magic to it, a certain perfection, that makes it reach beyond the restrictions a genre can so often place on something. If you haven't listened to it before, you definitely should.

#22: Marty Robbins, Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
Marty Robbins has an amazing voice for country music. This is straight-up country, with stunningly tight harmonies. They make it infinitely appealing to listen to. Some of the harmonies are very unusual, but they are always on the mark. Knowing most of you, this album won't suit any of your tastes, but it really is magnificent. And, if you like this, check out #3, Tragic Songs of Life.

#23: Dave Brubeck Quartet, Time Out
Along with Kind of Blue, this is one of those rare instrumental jazz albums I can really sink my teeth into. "Blue Rondo A La Turk" is a great opener, setting the pace- energetic without quite being chaotic-, the theme -odd time signatures-, and the quality -amazing. The entire Quartet is brilliant, but it's all anchored by Brubeck's technically perfect and emotively compelling piano playing. There are few players who are as skilled as he is at sticking to the song, but still making it bounce. He plays with a twinkle in his eye, if you will.

So, there you have the 1950s. Again, after this, it's purely the highlights, and entries will be around five albums long. If you listen to any of these, do let me know what you thought about them! I hope you take advantage of this and find some new music that excites you.