#165 Stefano Bollani Trio – Stone In The Water

I’ve written a little about Bollani already and, in particular, my wife’s infatuation with him. Purely on the basis of his musical genius of course. This is technically her album, one that I bought her as a present when browsing in the much-missed Concerto record shop in Amsterdam. It’s the only other Bollani record we …

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#153 Art Blakey – The Jazz Messengers

The second Blakey album to pop up in little over a month. I first came across Art Blakey about 10 years ago when I started learning to play the drums. I can’t say I’ve developed much since then, as either a Blakey connoisseur or a drummer. The music on this record however is superb and …

#566 George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue (Chailly & Bollani)

Rhapsody in Blue is without doubt one of the defining classical works of the 20th century, and possibly the defining work of American classical music. It was as ground-breaking as the Rite of Spring, albeit in different ways, and although it caused no riots at its premiere there were plenty of detractors from this self-proclaimed …

#154 Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – The Big Beat

Arthur ‘Art’ Blakey is one bad-ass drummer, arguably the best jazz drummer of all time, and this is one of his definitive albums. It’s one of the 76 albums he recorded as a leader of the Jazz Messengers, and in common with many of them, it shows off the raw rhythmic sensibilities of Blakey along …

#940 Charlie Parker – Ornithology

Another of my grandfather’s jazz records, and another by a jazz legend and Be Bop master. Charlie Parker was arguably the greatest saxophonist of all time (cf. John Coltrane). His fast improvised playing is astonishing, it’s like standing under a waterfall of music, being showered left, right and centre with melodic lines, from the deliciously …

#367 Doris Day – The Doris Day Songbook

Doris Day is perhaps best known these days for her film roles (I adore her in Calamity Jane!) but for me, she’ll always be first and foremost a singer. During the 40s she recorded many classic jazz and swing tunes. This record is a compilation produced in Germany which I bought at the Utrecht Record …

#439 Duke Ellington – At The Cotton Club

The Cotton Club was a NYC Harlem nightclub, which had its heyday during the years of Prohibition and when the clientele were only rich white people but the performers were all black. From the late 20s to early 30s Duke Ellington and his orchestra were the house band, performing alongside many of the other great …