We haven't had any lists for awhile so, prompted by yesterdays YouTube clip of of Johnny Desmond, I thought I'd list my 10 favourite albums by male singers.
The criteria is simple: one album per artist and only albums that have stood the test of time hence no Kurt Elling or Gregory Porter.
Johnny Desmond: Blue Smoke w. Tony Mottolo providing some wonderful guitar backing.
Johnny Hartman: John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Self explanatory.
Mel Tormé: Lulu's Back in Town w. Marty Paich Octet.
Fred Astaire: The Astaire Story. Fred with JATP.
Woody Herman: Music For Tired Lovers. Woody sings to Erroll Garner's accompaniment.
Tony Bennett: The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings.
Buddy Greco: Live at Mr. Kelly's. Great singing and piano playing.
Nat King Cole: Two Marvelous For Words. Great singing and piano playing.
Joe Mooney: Do You Long For Oolong? Great singing and accordion playing.
Joe Mooney: Do You Long For Oolong? Great singing and accordion playing.
Frank Sinatra: Songs For Swinging Lovers - by a short head from a dozen other albums!
Lance.
2 comments :
Since I don't generally like vocal jazz, I've followed the Sage Gateshead/Camden Jazz Cafe model: Jazz, Blues, Soul, or - if you like - Nicholas Peyton's Black Music.
In alphabetical order:
Captain Beefheart - Lick my Decals off Baby. After the Music of the Millennium debacle on Channel 4 twenty years ago, Ken Clarke got to speak for Jazz and observed Songs for Swingin Lovers and the Captain's Trout Mask Replica were on the margins of Jazz. This was the follow-up and was his and is my favourite of all his albums.
Sam Dees - The Show Must Go On. The ultimate underground Soul Album.
Lamont Dozier - Out Here on my Own. Being part of the most successful songwriting partnership in the history of the American charts has overshadowed his remarkable run of solo albums in the seventies and early eighties.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On. Many people - myself included - consider this the greatest album ever made. For years now, whenever I've DJ'd, I've played a medley of his choons
Buddy Guy - Breaking Out. Saw him (with Junior Wells) just before and just after this album and they were amazing both times (the first time was on a bill with Albert King and John Lee Hooker) but the transformation on the latter, with his use of a solid body Fender, was stark.
Michael Henderson - Do it All. The bass player who brought the Fonk to Miles with On the Corner made four excellent soul/funk albums in the late seventies.
Luther Ingram - Do You Love Somebody. I've had a thing about (the real) Luther for many years for which I'm medicated. (My brother has Teddy Pendergrass, the great John Lias has Paul Kelly, former DJ and Kane Gang manager Phil Mitchell has Johnnie Taylor and former DJ and Record Shop owner Brian Cade has Bobby Womack - it's a soul thing).
Curtis Mayfield - Back to the World. Will we ever hear his like again?
SinAtra - Songs for Swingin Lovers. With Lance ging for this, I thought about Come Fly with Me or Wee Small Hours, but this is the one.
Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) - Down and Out Blues. Stands with Muddy and Wolf as the original giants of Chicago Blues.
Hello Lance
Sorry I can't name ten, I don't have many male vocalist albums but if I can mention two I do have and like very much. Both 'hip song' type singers. Bobby Dorough 'Devil May Care' and Dave Frishberg 'Getting Some Fun Out of Life' - both gems! I don't have Sinatra albums but do feel some of his versions of the Gasbook songs are unsurpassed and also I like Chet Baker's singing. Some do, some don't but I think he was one of the great jazz singers. My mother had many Al Bowlly albums, mostly compilations. I like him too, his recordings with Ray Noble.
And if I can mention an all time favourite male vocal - Jack Teagarden singing 'Stars Fell on Alabama'.
Roly
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