By Chris M. Slawecki
I will never again have the opportunity to reflect on an entire millennium of music.
Normally, some friends and I sit around at the end of the year and we swap year-end "best of" Top Ten records of the year lists. Maybe thats not quite so "normal-ly," but this is what we do. We must be doing it for about six years by now.
But 1999 isnt just any garden variety year. So Im not going to do just any Top Ten list.
Theres a boatload of music wobbling around my home if you spend a lot of time at "AAJ," you probably have a goodly amount of tunes around your home, too. And since most people seem to be using the calendar rollover as opportunity to simultaneously reflect on the past and future, I began to wonder about something.
Say, for example, the rapture really comes, or the huns, or god forbid my home catches on fire. And I could only grab ten records or tapes or CDs or whatever
ten pieces of music. If I could only take ten pieces of the music I own into the millennium, which ten would they be?
Now obviously this presumes a certain amount of honesty on my part (and yours, if you care to think about this with me). I wont pretend to own the complete Miles Davis Sony sessions or Chuck Berry catalog or whatever. No, compilations arent cheating. But I was thinking that the ten that I selected might surprise even me, and wondering what if anything that list of ten said about me. You try it too, and post your lists over on the discussion board.
This is going to be fun
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue. Most likely the one album that appears on most "Best Of" or similar lists. This album doesnt just feature a master inspiring a great band to an ensemble creative peak to millions of listeners, this album IS Jazz! I just cant imagine being without the little cat feet bass and piano opening of "So What," and this is some of Bill Evans best piano work. Why am I explaining this one
The Chess Records Blues Box. 101 reasons this four-CD anthology comes along, most of them attached to names like Howlin Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, and Muddy Waters, and tracks they recorded between the mid-40s and the mid-60s for the most important Blues label ever.
James Brown: The James Brown Story: Aint That A Groove 1966-69. Tough to pick just one from the good Godfather. But the funk in "Licking Stick," "Give It Up Or Turnit Loose" and "I Cant Stand Myself (When You Touch Me)" is absolute. Breakneck, frantic, unbelievable stuff ask just about anybody whos produced a rap or hip-hop album in the past fifteen years.
Thelonious Monk Septet: Monks Music. My first "favorite" Monk album, a 1957 program full of classics and "Abide With Me," one of the pianists favorite hymns. Gigi Gryce, Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane on saxes, Art Blakey on drums, and of course "The Only-est" Monk. A perfect introduction to the majesty of Monk and one of the rare examples of my occasional good taste.
Little Richard: The Essential Little Richard. Richard cut his best sides in his two year stint with Specialty, the source material for this 20-song compilation. Most include New Orleans saxophone icons Alvin "Red" Tyler and Lee Allen, with support from Huey "Piano" Smith and Guitar Slims band. Features ALL the "girl" songs ("Long Tall Sally," "Lucille," "Jenny Jenny," "Good Golly Miss Molly") and the theme to one of the great rock & roll movies, "The Girl Cant Help It."
Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas. This one surprised me the most. But can you imagine having never heard "Christmas Time Is Here" or "Linus and Lucy" or that swingin "O Tannenbaum," even if youve never seen the hallowed television special? Me neither. I never expected to take this one along, but it proved impossible to leave behind. Precious and resonant.
Jade Warrior: The Island Anthology. Some of the best "ambient" and "world music" music ever screaming electric guitars, Japanese themes and instruments, sounds from nature, all gorgeous and perfect and heard by hardly anyone. Two CDs presenting the four albums that this duo (Jon Fields and Tony Duhig) recorded for Island between 1974 and 1978: Floating World, Waves, Kites and Way of the Sun.
Isaac Hayes: Live at Lake Tahoe. My one guilty indulgence. Ike blankets this last set of the last night of a Vegas engagement with l-o-n-g, slow jam covers ("The Look Of Love," "Never Can Say Goodbye," "Its Too Late," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face") and plenty of murderously cool "come-ons" and raps. He stretches out toward the end of the night to playfully mess with classic R&B, easing "Rock Me, Baby" into "Stormy Monday," then "Aint No Sunshine" into "Feelin Alright" to close. This has been some of my favorite music for about as long as I can remember.
Frank Sinatra: Everything Happens To Me. Compiled by Sinatra himself in 1996, this is hardly your typical "greatest hits collection" theres no "Strangers," no "New York," no "My Way." Instead, this is a monument to an indomitable will disguised as a palette of sad, broke-down love songs. The opening medley, "The Gal Who Got Away / It Never Entered My Mind," is majestic bittersweet and heroic as are "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." Some of the best arrangers in the biz (Nelson Riddle, Claus Ogerman, Antonio Carlos Jobim). Magnificent.
Miles Davis: Black Beauty: Live at Fillmore West. For when Im in the mood for some fuzzy, fractured Miles, this is an often inspired, always crazy two-CD live set. After releasing Bitches Brew, Miles hit the road with the core band from the sessions (Chick Corea, Steve Grossman, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette and Airto). This swirling, aggressive music epitomizes the maelstrom surrounding Miles new direction in electric fusion. Grossman, Holland and Airto seem particularly comfortable in this psychedelic freakout. Intimidating but with commensurate rewards; like Sly Stone jamming on acid (if thats not redundant).
