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Urban75 Album of the Year 1963

Knotted has already alluded to it in the OP, but for me the album of the year has to be The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus



The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady is a studio album by American jazz double bassist, composer, and bandleader Charles Mingus. It was recorded on January 20, 1963, and released in July of that year by Impulse! Records. The album comprises a single continuous composition—partially written as a ballet—divided into four tracks and six movements. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz records of all time.
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ska invita said:
this is from 1962 unfortunately but deserves a hearing - the most Tear Down Babylon bit of jazz from this era Ive ever heard
Mingus going punk on the bass

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Yeah, but it wasn't released till 1963 so it still stands :thumbs:

I believe there was serious mither between Mingus and Ellington with Max Roach trying to keep the peace and stop one or the other from walking out (or clobbering each other).

Fucking great album though.
 
Serge Forward said:
Yeah, but it wasn't released till 1963 so it still stands :thumbs:

I believe there was serious mither between Mingus and Ellington with Max Roach trying to keep the peace and stop one or the other from walking out (or clobbering each other).

Fucking great album though.
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thats good news, i was very distracted when looking into it, great its officially 63. Discogs has a bunch of releases of it listed as 62 but maybe people have read the recording date on the sleeve notes and gone with that. looking at the artwork thats the only date on those releases

Opera Snapshot_2023-06-12_173122_www.discogs.com.png

The Wiki seems pretty set on Feb 63
en.wikipedia.org

Money Jungle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

hadnt herd of this before but seems to be widely considered a classic
amazing to hear duke ellington playing so discordantly...look forward to hearing the rest
 
ska invita said:
thats good news, i was very distracted when looking into it, great its officially 63. Discogs has a bunch of releases of it listed as 62 but maybe people have read the recording date on the sleeve notes and gone with that. looking at the artwork thats the only date on those releases

View attachment 378880

The Wiki seems pretty set on Feb 63
en.wikipedia.org

Money Jungle - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org

hadnt herd of this before but seems to be widely considered a classic
amazing to hear duke ellington playing so discordantly...look forward to hearing the rest
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RYM also has it as 1963
 
Surely it is the period of free jazz, it's just that most didn't go for it. The joke being you're playing free jazz means you're not getting paid.
 
Knotted said:
Surely it is the period of free jazz, it's just that most didn't go for it. The joke being you're playing free jazz means you're not getting paid.
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youre right you've got that earlier 60s more technical avant garde free jazz, ornette coleman etc, but i was referring to free and funky - the LSD era, 1968 onwards, lets form a commune, often afrocentric stuff - much of the formality of 60s stuff goes out the window then
 
Serge Forward said:
Yeah, but it wasn't released till 1963 so it still stands :thumbs:

I believe there was serious mither between Mingus and Ellington with Max Roach trying to keep the peace and stop one or the other from walking out (or clobbering each other).

Fucking great album though.
Click to expand...

Even in the cover photo Mingus looks ready to lamp someone.

He looked like that a lot though tbf.
 
ska invita said:
youre right you've got that earlier 60s more technical avant garde free jazz, ornette coleman etc, but i was referring to free and funky - the LSD era, 1968 onwards, lets form a commune, often afrocentric stuff - much of the formality of 60s stuff goes out the window then
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Oh that reminds me, we have this from 1963

 
Knotted said:
Oh that reminds me, we have this from 1963

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this looks interesting for anyone really wanting to time travel - includes some interviews - and music recorded with Sun Ra + Don Cherry + Paul Bley
the interviews are great
www.discogs.com

Pharoah Sanders - In The Beginning 1963-1964

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2012 CD release of "In The Beginning 1963-1964" on Discogs.
www.discogs.com www.discogs.com
4CD compilation from 2012

 
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Two Ike & Tina Turner albums in '63.

Don't Play Me Cheap leans towards slow numbers with lots of strings:


It's Gonna Work Out Fine is more funky arsed soul/R&B, and therefore I like it better:


Tinaroo isn't the best track on the album, but it's notable for being the first song Tina wrote the words to. Not that you'd know looking at the record, as the credit (and therefore the money) was kept strictly in Ike's name.
 
The Might Sparrow album "The Slave" is worth a listen, not least for the pro-Kennedy calypso song about the Cuban missile crisis.
 
I think the nearest I've ever got to listening to jazz is King Crimson.

People like Coltrane and Ellington passed me by somehow.

I was listening to Cream, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane etc.

Attempts have been made to get into jazz, unsuccessfully, whereas I do appreciate the quality of the musicianship, fifteen minute solos only loosely connected to the 'melody' (if one is discernible) do nothing for me I'm afraid.
 
Sasaferrato said:
I think the nearest I've ever got to listening to jazz is King Crimson.

People like Coltrane and Ellington passed me by somehow.

I was listening to Cream, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane etc.

Attempts have been made to get into jazz, unsuccessfully, whereas I do appreciate the quality of the musicianship, fifteen minute solos only loosely connected to the 'melody' (if one is discernible) do nothing for me I'm afraid.
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KC have some great jazz moments
 
Sasaferrato said:
I think the nearest I've ever got to listening to jazz is King Crimson.

People like Coltrane and Ellington passed me by somehow.

I was listening to Cream, Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane etc.

Attempts have been made to get into jazz, unsuccessfully, whereas I do appreciate the quality of the musicianship, fifteen minute solos only loosely connected to the 'melody' (if one is discernible) do nothing for me I'm afraid.
Click to expand...

Earlier (1930's/40's) Ellington is a good way in IMO.



There's solos but there's no messing about what so ever with them.
 
Jazz album review so far

The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady - technically brilliant and ambitious, but disappointingly I'm not acutally feeling that much from listening to it. Supposedly it was conceptualised as a ballet? I can imagine it really working as part of a stage show with a narrative....but without it Im not connecting that much emotionally...only a bit. Maybe need to play it more. I wonder if it has ever been performed as a stage show? There's lots of classic jazz scores that deserve getting played in the same way classical music does.
Also it does have a habit of looping sections longer than they deserve IMO. Will try again though at some point. I think its a very particular mood, it might just be me not connecting.

Duke Ellington - Money Jungle , start to finish my favourite album so far, just hits that sweet spot of being melodic and also fucking things up too. The recording feels like a real moment in time musical event. Genuine dynamics between the musicians. In trio too, has a rawness about it but never gets boring or falling back on easy options. So nice played it twice

Duke Ellington and Coltrane - Loved this one too...listened after an exhausting day and was perfect therapy. Two giants playing beautifully. Will give this a relisten. A keeper.

Coltrane - Impressions - didnt really connect with this too much - 4 track 'compilation' from different live dates . Obviously incredible technical playing, but....two long freewheeling workouts, one of which i liked enough and was doing interesting things (India), then there's a little filler number, but final track After The Rain is pure bliss


Sun Ra - When Sun Comes Out
as with so many Sun Ra albums some moments of real magic (especially first 3 tracks), but when it gets too squawky too often I switch off

Jackie McLean Let Freedom Ring - pretty good but didnt love it. The opening track Melody for Melonae is good, a couple of for me fillers but then the final track Omega is a cracker


A bunch of stuff that felt average to me, especiallly after playing the above:
Feelin' the Spirit - Grant Green (felt a bit knocked out)
Up & Down - Horace Parlan (as did this)
Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins (after the other two Duke LPs this was a more backwards looking set)
Midnight Blue - Kenny Burrell (late night whisky bar vibe, well done tbf, but background music really)

...as far as Ive got so far
 
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Missed one out .... Prince Lasha Ft. Sonny Simmons - The Cry
Opens with one of my favourite tunes - Congo Call

but disappointingly the rest is just doodling :(
 
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