paul secor

All well and good, but "standards", the "great American songbook", whatever you want to call it, for whatever virtues were there, didn't reflect the blues heritage - I'm speaking about the blues of the black population, not forms or keys - or the white rural country heritage. It reflected a certain portion of the American population (and probably people who wanted to be part of those folks), and perhaps reflected the way that portion of the population spoke. And to base one's judgement of the realism of a song on how the lyrics conform to "everyday" speech - and I won't bring up the matter of whose speech - is pretty limiting. It's interesting that once black and rural white performers and songwriters became more ubiquitous on radio, how quickly things changed. A large audience wanted to hear something that reflected their reality.

The Hawks The Band Ragtime Cowboy Joe

Thanks. Looks like I've missed out on a lot. I'll have to search out the Ran Blake thread here too.

I hear what you're saying, and agree about the duo possibility, and about the results of a stronger rhythm section. Hey - in the end, we're just listeners. Ran Blake presented it the way he wanted and it worked. I have no recent Ran Blake recordings. Everything in my collection is from pre-mid-90's. Did he do any later recordings with horn(s) and rhythm? Film Noir does have some tracks with horns and rhythm, but it's not a conventional quartet or large group record. I guess if it's Ran Blake, it ain't gonna be conventional. And the discussion for this (or any other AOTW) can go on past the ending date for that album. It would be great if it did.

Great record! It always bugged me that even though it was a hit, the Dovells' vocal version was an even bigger hit (at least here in the States), when it wasn't nearly as good.

Happy Birthday!

I'm surprised that there hasn't been any more discussion on this - not even by the person who chose the album.

Happy Birthday!

If music has been released in album form, it's an album. Even post 1940, Bird's Savoy sides and Dial sides were originally issued as 78s. Monk's Blue Note sides and Bud's early Blue Notes were originally issued as 78s. Does the fact that they were later compiled on albums mean that those weren't albums? Ridiculous.

It turns my stomach to see A-Rod and Pete Rose doing pre-game commentary. Rose looks like a troll these days.

I don't have an answer. I just wondered why almost everything listed was from later than the bop era.

For me an album is an album, not an "album" or an Album. But that's just me.

You should have been a politician, Jim. (Though I guess I wouldn't wish that on anyone.) Obviously, pre-1940 music has been issued in album form.

There are many recordings from The "juvenile" phase of the art form that I value very highly. I'll let it go at that. "What dies it say in your opinion?" I just asked the question. I can't answer what it says for others.

Interesting that no one has listed a recording pre-1940. What does that say?

I'd have a tough time deciding on fifty top albums - forget five.

Dizzy Gillespie: Diz Big Band - Orchestra Conducted by Johnny Richards

Packy Axton The Marquis de Sade Sadie Hawkins

Hank Mobley: Dippin'

Thanks for the link.

Thanks. Will do.

An impressive collection of students. I'd like to know more.

Barbara Eden Eve Arden Adam Smith

I like it even better than I like Straight Man.