Read Noise

Billie Holiday is an artist who’s work I enjoy, but I’ve never listened to this album before – the last she recorded. Her vocal performance divided people here, and it’s clearly not what it was during her heyday. Still an emotional, enjoyable listen. For favourite track I can’t look past the poignant opener ‘I’m a Fool To Want You’, her troubled life clear in the performance. Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: maybe Favourite track: I’m A Fool…

Read More Read More

Oh God. Before now my only exposure to Tito Puente is his guest appearance in the classic Simpsons two-parter ‘Who Shot Mr. Burns?’. I’d have been happy if it had stayed that way. This mambo stuff is not for me. Maybe I could get into it if I was in Cuba, sipping a mojito and wearing white trousers. But sitting at my desk in the afternoon in my converted garage in Cheshire? Nope. Listened to it before?: no Will listen…

Read More Read More

Another of the foundation documents of rock ‘n’ roll. The frenetic energy of this album tempered by the fact that I listened to this in the same week that the great man passed away. Many of the tracks here are so embedded in our culture we’re all familiar with them: however I had never listened to this particular album before. It’s a great record from this formative moment in time. For favourite track it’s difficult to look beyond Tutti Frutti,…

Read More Read More

Another album that’s not really my thing, but I quite enjoyed it. The second track ‘Congo Mulence’ the standout for me, with a really nice groove. The whole album felt quite familiar, even to someone who isn’t into this whole Afro-Cuban jazz thing, so if you told me this was inspirational for a lot of stuff which came after, I’d believe you. Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: maybe Favourite track: Congo Mulence

Now we’re talking. This is a great album, and one I’ve listened to many times before. Although like most people who don’t know much about jazz, if I’m in the mood for Miles Davis I’m probably reaching for ‘Kind of Blue’ by default. Lots of standout tracks here, but I particularly enjoy the swing of ‘Jeru’. and the energetic opener. Listened to it before?: yes Will listen again?: yes Favourite track: Move

Not for me. I found this utterly forgettable. It took me a bit of time to get around to making this post, and now I can’t pick a favourite track or say much about it at all. I think the opener had a nice melody, and I enjoyed the guitar work throughout. It’s just not a genre of music I enjoy. Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: no Favourite track: meh

I generally enjoyed this and it never failed to be interesting during it’s 42 min runtime. Nevertheless it didn’t grab me like some of the last few I’ve listened too. I’d be reaching for the Count Basie before this. Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: maybe Favourite track: Bemsha Swing

I couldn’t point to any prior experience with Count Basie, but I really enjoyed this. Some tracks there I didn’t know the names of but recognised. ‘Duet’ goes down as the best track because my 6-year old son wandered in the room during that one and ‘he couldn’t stop dancing!’ Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: yes Favourite track: Duet

Listened to it before?: yesWill listen again?: yesFavourite track: Not Fade Away I am a huge Buddy Holly fan and spent most of my teenage years listening to his work (I was a very cool teenager). Needless to say I love this. It’s difficult to imagine the impact records like this had on people in 1957, but the influence of works like this on the Beatles and others is incredibly clear. Difficult to pick a favourite track as the whole…

Read More Read More

Frank Sinatra singing the Great American Songbook. This is what you think of when you think Sinatra: I’d not listened to this album before but I had already heard most of the interpretations on this album in other contexts, as have we all. It’s not for me really: this genre leaves me cold. There’s no hooks to get excited about. Listened to it before?: no Will listen again?: no Favourite track: You Make Me Feel So Young