13. Machito - Kenya

OK, so I stole this quote from the man himself....

"If you've got rhythm, you have everything. Without rhythm you have nothing."

That pretty much sums up this album. A must for those in search of a killer rhythm. This album follows on from (and refines) the Congolese/Cuban sound in Sabu Martinez' Palo Congo.

Sadly, Machito died on stage in 1984 at Ronnie Scott's in London after suffering a stroke. At least he died doing what he loved.

Check this for a taste of Machito and his orchestra.

12. Miles Davis - Birth of the Cool

He's not wrong. A total deviation from pretty much anything that any jazz musicians were attempting at the time, Miles Davis became a legend when releasing this album. Tutored by the great Dizzy Gillespie and the often astonishing Charlie Parker, Miles Davis had a hell of a lot to live up to.

This album is new. No more bebop. No more frantic fast crazy trumpet solos. This IS the definition of cool. Attempting to do something that has never been done before is something that Miles Davis would later become associated with again, and again, and again.....

Thanks Miles. The soundtrack to many a Sunday afternoon.

Incidentally, the name Miles doubled in popularity in the US in the year of the release of this album. Upon his death in 1991, the re-release of his entire back catalog had a similar, but much more profound effect on the choice of the name Miles for boys. It's entirely possible (and I expect likely) that Miles Davis' music is now more popular than it ever was when he was alive and is now properly recognised for the utter genius that it was. (we'll see more of Mr. Davis later...)

11. Sabu Martinez - Palo Congo

Louis "Sabu" Martinez was a conga player - or conguero. Odd that an entire album should be dedicated to someone who only plays the conga? NO WAY! Since visiting Cuba last year, I've been amazed by the speed and skill of some of the congueros out there. Sabu was the original.. and in my opinion, one of the best. This guy started playing tin cans in the streets and soon taught himself to be a master of his art.

Palo congo literally means - the religion of the Congolese... the people who migrated to Cuba (either against their will in the slave trade, or by choice later in Cuba's history). The religion in this case is music.

Listening to this album makes me feel like I'm back in Candelaria in western Cuba listening to the local musicians and drinking many many mojitos. Music filled with such pasion is hard to put down. It represents part of the diversity of the music of such an intriguing country and always inspires the imagination.

Word of warning... don't play Billumba at full volume on your iPod when you are about to go to sleep.. is a bit disconcerting if you don't speak Spanish and you aren't expecting a crazy shouting man! Made me jump anyway.

Sabu - buenos noches!

10. Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners

I've had Straight, No Chaser on my iPod for years..., I thought that was the best Monk could come up with. I feel ashamed that I'd not made the effort to discover this brilliant, but often challenging album from the great man.

Opening with a dischordant vamp and continuing with jazz solos verging on the incomprehensible, this album flicks in and out of a groove which kicks, and immense bursts of creativity on keys.

Pannonica marks a distinct departure from any Monk I've ever heard before, blending the marimba, the xylophone, and the glockenspiel in tandem with a soulful tenor sax. Probably the only time I've ever heard this to good effect (I've heard it plenty of times when it hasn't worked!)

Worth a listen if you can handle improv that doesn't seem like it has a direction, but then brings you back into the fold with a great big hug.

9. Count Basie - The Atomic Mr. Basie

Released in 1957 on Blue Note records, here is 16 tracks of joyful jazz from one of the most important band leaders of his time.

The twinkle fingers of Basie are nimble and expressive and superbly accompanied by the Count Basie Orchestra featuring a full-size horn section - muffled trumpets and all.

For one of the most influential swing records of all time you shouldn't look much farther away than this. "Flight of the Foo Birds" conjures up images of days of extravagance gone by, and the dancing halls of 1950's America.

Brilliant... if you like that sort of thing. Some excellent Sax/Trumpet work from some real jazz names like Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, and Snooky Young.

8. The Crickets - The "Chirping" Crickets

The debut album for Buddy Holly, and his band The Crickets. Probably one of the best albums ever made, and a total watershed in Rock 'n' roll at the time. Buddy Holly didn't just break convention... he smashed it.

The album, and this music was the inspiration for many of the great that were later to follow... including the harmonies of the Beach Boys, and the blues melodies of The Rolling Stones.

More importantly, this album influenced the young John Lennon and Paul McCartney to form a band in 1960 - The Beatles - named in tribute to this album and the band that created it. It was this record that convinced The Beatles and The Beach Boys that it was acceptable for all members of the band to sing... a massive deviation from anything that had been heard before.

The big hits on the album (Oh, Boy! and Rave On!) were written by Texan country legend Sonny West. Despite his genius for writing catchy riffs, Sonny had a nasty tendency for an overuse of exclamation marks!!!!!!!! and one for luck... !

7. Frank Sinatra - Songs For Swingin' Lovers!

"You make me feel so young. You make me feel so spring has sprung, and every time I see your grin I'm such a happy individual." Need I say anymore?

Frank Sinatra. Utter genius. This is the soundtrack to many a romantic evening. Love it. Love it. Love it.

Buy it. Don't download it for free... deserves money to be spent on it. Stand out songs... I could list them all, but I have to pick a few... You make me feel so young, Old devil moon, I've got you under my skin, Anything goes, How about you?

6. Duke Ellington - Live At Newport

OK.. I'm back. This is a double album of 40 songs.. which is why it's taken so long to post again. I've got a new motivation for writing this blog... other than meaning that I get to listen to some more great albums!

Duke Ellington is the original master of jazz, and one of the greatest stars it's ever seen.. right up there with Miles Davis.

Bursting with energy and sheer enthusiasm from the opening "Star Spangled Banner", right through until the end, this album is electric! What an amazing gig this would have been to actually be at. It's a trailblazing album of jazz... recorded outside in 1956, and made ever more amazing by the fact that the crowd watched this in a 2-hour long torrential downpour of rain. The Duke Ellington Band are cheeky, and interact with the audience and each other between songs.

This album features one of the first recordings of the legendary Johnny Hodges on Alto Sax who is simply amazing.

If you want a lazy Sunday afternoon jazz album, then you can't get much better than this. Enjoy!

5. Fats Domino - This is Fats

I remember being given a CD by my Dad when I was 5 or 6 years old. It was called Blues Brother, Soul Sister. My Dad had bought it thinking it was something else (a very similar incident to him later buying a Ministry of Sound CD thinking that it would be classical music. It was called Chillout Anthems!). Anyway, to the point - this CD was my very first taste of blues, sould, R&B, and just a little bit of funk, and I like to think that it set the ball rolling in a 20-something-year love affair with these styles of music. There was a song by Fats Domino called Blueberry Hill, and I spent hours playing it over and over again, attempting to learn how to play it on the piano. I still can't, but I have very fond memories of that time.

This is Fats is the definitive Fats Domino CD. He was one of the first big stars of rock 'n' roll, and his music had a distinctive sound based on a rhythmic piano style influenced by boogie-woogie.

Tracks worth singling out - Blueberry Hill, Honey Chile, Reelin' and a Rockin', and The Fat Man's Hop.

4. Louis Prima - The Wildest!

American-Italian music at it's best. At a time when Vegas shows were the place to be, Prima managed to take his up-and-coming swing band to headline at the Sahara Hotel and Casino on the (old) strip. Prima was a singing, dancing, trumpet playing bindle of energy and creative talent.

Prima was very swiftly caught up in a whirlwind of activity, seeing him release countless records, movies, and investing heavily in the largely mafia owned casino and racehorse businesses in the US. This live recording marks the high point in his career, before slow and painful decline through disputes with fellow performers, his band, and in his love life.

Listening to this album, one cannot help but long to be part of it all in the 40's and 50's in Vegas. His style and vibrance lends itself well to the music, and he continues to be known for such classics as Jump, Jive An' Wall, and the great I Wanna Be like You.... the song famously sung in the Jungle Book!

Buona Sera!

3. The Louvin Brothers - Tragic Songs of Life (1956)

Doesn't sound very nice does it? Tragic songs of life. Sounds depressing. Well, it isn't!

I'm not really much of a country music fan, and don't know all that much about it, if I'm honest. Much of my country education came from years of listening to my Dad's old tapes of Don Williams, Dolly Parton, Jim Reeves, and Tammy Wynette.

The thing that strikes you immediately when you crank up the vinyl (or vinyl rip in my case - cracks and pops still preserved), is the plodding bassline and incredibly close country harmony - be it on a waltz, a straight 4/4, or a cut time march. These songs are all about the melody - nothing fiddly, nothing fussy, and just good old fashioned country music. One of the brothers plays a mandolin (or a lute... apologies to any country fan who knows the difference!), which seems to be a key part of every song. Gives it a good sense of wide open space and days gone by.

Highlights for me would be I'll be all Smiles Tonight, Katie Dear, and Alabama.

The Louvin Brothers were the trailblazers of modern country music. Not really something I'll come back to again, but country music purists or people with an interest in harmony will find something of interest here.

I really wish I was listening to their later album "Satan is Real", as it looks much more interesting!!!

According to Wikipedia, the brothers are also often remembered for this unusual cover used for their 1959 album. The album cover features the brothers standing in a rock quarry in front of a twelve-foot tall plywood rendition of the devil, while several old tires soaked in kerosene burn around them. Oddly, some reviewers count this as being one of the "greatest iconic album covers of all time". Weirdos.

2. Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (1956)

Mr Elvis Presley. The (Burger?) King. I grew up in a time when Elvis has already died, and had become more than an icon.. he was now a legend in the real sense. Often credited with inventing Rockabilly music, and as a beacon of innovation in Rock and Roll, Elvis actually struggled to make a breakthough in the early years of his career. He worked with a determination that was to see him become one of the most prolific and decorated musicians of modern time. This album was the sixth studio recording of his career, and the point at which Elvis crossed over into popular culture.

The opening line of "Well it's one for the money, two for the show...." should give you an idea of what this album is about. Upbeat, superb, and foot-tapping rock and roll. Elvis broke the mould of what was happening at the time with other artists, and was unconventional in every way possible. The confidence and, at times, arrogance comes across in spades.

Its not all breakneck speed - there are a few little ballads and love songs.. sure to send teenage girls (back in the 50's.. not now!!) into screaming rapture! Elvis mixes up the pace throughout, and demonstrates his versatility as an artist with aplomb by jumping from Rock and roll, to rockabilly, to jazz, to ballad and back again.

Stand out tracks - Blue Suede Shoes, I Got a Woman (Ray Charles cover), Tutti Frutti (Little Richard cover), and Blue Moon.

I really love this album.

(Interestingly, the cover of the album was to later be used as a template for The Clash's brilliant London Calling album)

1. Frank Sinatra - In The Wee Small Hours (1955)

Ahhhh. Frankie Sinatra. This is GOLD!

Such a fantastic voice, and just perfect string arrangement. This album was made for relaxing, and feeling good about yourself.

The opening track is a delicate, beautiful song and really sets the tone for the rest of the album. This isn't a swing album that most people reasonably familiar with Sinatra's name would be expecting. The mood remains calm and relaxed throughout, and is perfect for those late night moments with a good book or a cup of cocoa. Strangely, it reminds me of Christmas time - especially in the dark nights leading up to the big day.

The lyrics at times are tragic and sad, and describe loneliness in his life after lost love. The album cover reflects the tone of the album - just Frank.. on his own.. deserted in the street, as he is in love.

Although spanning about 50 minutes over 16 tracks, it's a joy to listen to, and time flies past.

This album makes me feel warm and safe. Well worth a listen.

(on a side note, if you've heard Jamie Cullum's terrible cover version of the title song.. PLEASE don't be put off. Cullum is but a mere shadow in Sinatra's overwhelming brilliance)

Ambitious project....

So then. I've got some time on my hands, and I've got a hell of a lot of music in my collection that I've barely listened to.. or worse - never even opened at all! A few years ago, I received a book from my Mum and Dad for Christmas called 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Charming. It's actually a great book... it gives you a very brief overview of each album, and a bit about the publisher and a track listing.

As a music lover, I was initially intrigued..

• a) how can someone make such a definitive list? (there must be hundreds of thousands of albums released every year worldwide - did they listen to EVERY single one of them?), and
• b) will the book cover all genres of music?
• c) how much would it cost to buy all of these?
  
• d) how can I get my hands on each of these albums?
  
• e) would I agree with the experts? I've listened to a fair few quality albums in my time...
  

Suffice to say, I couldn't manage to get hold of more than about 100 of them..... until now!! I have all 1001 albums, and I plan on hearing all of them before I die. Seeing as I'm only 27 at the moment, I figure I've got a little bit of time left to achieve this incredible feat. Listening to one album a week will take me about 19 and a quarter years, so I think I'll go quicker than that.

Maybe I'll do a few a week... who knows - maybe one a day!


Here we go.......