Fats Waller, 1943, Last Testament, ALAMAC Records (includes V-Disk
recordings and selections from "Cabin in the Sky" such as "This is So Nice It
Must Be Illegal", "Ain't Misbehavin'", "You're Slightly Less Than Wonderful",
and "The Reefer Song."
Thelonious Monk, 1957, Monk and Trane, Riverside Records, (double LP with
Coleman Hawkins, Blakey, and no Monk on "Abide With Me" by William H. Monk,
reissued umpteen times.
Miles Davis, 1969, Bitches Brew, Columbia/Sony. If you have to experiment
with LSD while in college, make sure "Miles Runs the Voodoo Down" is blasting
in the backround.
Sun Ra, 1959, The Nubians of Plutonia, El Saturn Records, re-released on
ABC/Impulse. (Check out the funky "Plutonian Nights") Sun Ra had the second
Wurlitzer electric piano made; the first went to Ray Charles!
Bessie Smith, 1929-1933, The World's Greatest Blues Singer," Columbia 2 LP
set. Anything with " I Need a Little Sugar In My Bowl," "Gimme a Pigfoot,"
and an hour and a half of other goodies can't be as depressing as the
circumstances of these recordings.
Pharoah Sanders, 1971, Black Unity, ABC/Impulse. Orgasmic Phrentic Phrenzy!
Herbie Hancock, 1973, Headhunters, Columbia
Charlie Parker, 1944-1947, The Very Best of Bird, Dial Recordings
Sonny Stitt, 1972, Tune Up, Muse. If you're driving cross country at 3 in
the morning and need a logical flight path, try this! (Honorable mention in
this category" Dexter Gordon with Johnny Griffin and Eddie Jefferson, 1977,
Great Encounters, Columbia)
Ornette Coleman, 1973, Dancin' In your Head, Artists' House
Art Tatum, any collection of solo piano from 1933's "Tiger Rag" to 1955's
Norman Granz/Verve sessions, as much as you can afford
Theloious Monk. 1965, Solo Monk, Columbia. Have you ever heard anyone bend
the pitch of a piano key or play
