Category Archives: Uncategorized

     Every now and then, it appears that my list gets a little out of sequence.  While we are in 1961, and my notes on my list say 1961, today’s album apparently was recorded in 1965.  The good thing is, it doesn’t really feel out of sequence at all.  “Hoodoo Man Blues”, featuring Junior WellsContinue reading “Junior Wells “Hoodoo Man Blues” (1961)”

     So here we are, one month in the books.  As we sit here on the eve of Black History Month, there couldn’t be a better choice than today’s selection, “Portrait of a Legend”, by the phenomenal one-of-a-kind, Sam Cooke.  This album is rated #307 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest 500 Albums of All Time, butContinue reading “Sam Cooke “Portrait of a Legend” (1961)”

     After a multi-day stop in New York City jazz, we return to Music City and the country sounds of Nashville for the amazing and haunting voice of Patsy Cline.  An inspiration and influence to essentially every female country vocalist who followed behind her, “The Ultimate Collection”, which is rated as album #229 on RollingContinue reading “Patsy Cline “The Ultimate Collection” (1961)”

     On this journey, I have been introduced to a lot of new (for me) jazz music, and this is my second day in a row.  Following John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”, today I am back with Miles Davis for his 3rd album on my list.  The current selection is “Sketches of Spain”, which is ratedContinue reading “Miles Davis “Sketches of Spain””

     While the world of popular music drifted and stuttered a bit heading into the 1960s, jazz music continued to reach new heights and offer new extensions from the masters of the age.  On today’s discovery, we explore “Giant Steps” by master saxophonist John Coltrane, a previous featured artist on several pieces to include theContinue reading “John Coltrane “Giant Steps” (1960)”

“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens” “Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things”      Ahhh yes, the hills are alive.. with The Sound of Music.  We enter the 1960s with the #1 selling album of the year, the soundtrackContinue reading “Original Broadway Cast “The Sound of Music”(1960)”

         Confession time.. I’m a big Neil Sedaka fan.  We all have our guilty pleasures and secret shames, this is one of mine.  Is he a bit campy?  Yes.  Yet in this case, campy works.  It sometimes serves to torture those around me, but my playlist is heavily littered with the work of Neil Sedaka.Continue reading “Neil Sedaka “Rock With Sedaka” (1959)”

         Completing a trio of mid-century blues greatness along side Bo Diddley and Howlin’ Wolf, today was the day I experienced “Anthology” by Muddy Waters.  Like his peers and predecessors, the music of Muddy Waters truly transformed and gave birth to the British Invasion blues-rock of the 1960s.  Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, The Rolling Stones,Continue reading “Muddy Waters “Anthology” (1959)”

         Today’s album is the first real example of robust vocal harmonies on my journey. It is also the first “group” of artists featured, versus an individual lead performer.  There were many “doo-wop” sounds of the 1950s that filled this space in a fantastic way, but The Everly Brothers were one of the first actsContinue reading “The Everly Brothers “The Everly Brothers’ Best” (1959)”

         With all of the high energy of rock and roll’s explosion in the 1950s, one could possibly overlook the continued evolution of other genres of music during this era.  Released in 1959, “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis is considered by many to be the single most significant and praiseworthy jazz album of themContinue reading “Miles Davis “Kind of Blue” (1958)”