This is the discussion thread for the 1963 election. And the top 50 candidates are…



HALL OF ACCLAIM: TOP 50 CANDIDATES FOR 1963 ELECTION

Only releases through December 31, 1962 included.

1962 releases indicated with an asterisk.

1. THELONIOUS MONK (18.64)
ALBUMS: Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 1 (458); Genius of Modern Music, Vol. 2 (714); Brilliant Corners (429); Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane (733); Monk’s Music (1014); Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1528).
SONG: Round Midnight (342).

2. JOHN COLTRANE (18.76)
ALBUMS: Blue Train (613); Giant Steps (305); Coltrane Jazz (1456); My Favorite Things (444); Live at the Village Vanguard (848)*; Duke Ellington and John Coltrane (1400)*.
SONG: My Favorite Things (1643).

3. CHARLES MINGUS (18.81)
ALBUMS: Jazz at Massey Hall (514); Pithecanthropus Erectus (748); Blues and Roots (782); Mingus Ah Um (384); Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus (935); Money Jungle (1268)*.
SONGS: none.

4. THE EVERLY BROTHERS (18.83)
ALBUMS: The Everly Brothers (1618); Songs Our Daddy Taught Us (1722); It’s Everly Time (2551).
SONGS: Bye Bye Love (144); Wake Up Little Susie (420); All I Have to Do Is Dream (171); Bird Dog (2183); Cathy’s Clown (260); Walk Right Back (1873).

5. SONNY ROLLINS (18.98)
ALBUMS: Tenor Madness (1104); Saxophone Colossus (370); Way Out West (891); Night at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (1021); Night at the Village Vanguard, Vol. 2 (1150); The Bridge (1158)*.
SONG: St. Thomas (2551).

6. ORNETTE COLEMAN (19.03)
ALBUMS: Something Else!!! (1861); The Shape of Jazz to Come (315); Change of the Century (762); Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation (501); This Is Our Music (1688); Ornette on Tenor (1921)*.
SONGS: none.

7. ELLA FITZGERALD (19.05)
ALBUMS: Sings the Cole Porter Songbook, Vol. 1 (617); Sings the Rodgers and Hart Songbook, Vol. 1 (888); Ella and Louis (1370); Porgy and Bess (1373); Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1 (1319); Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook (875).
SONG: A-Tisket, A-Tasket (1097).

8. MUDDY WATERS (19.06)
ALBUMS: Muddy Waters at Newport (1960).
SONGS: I Can’t Be Satisfied (2132); Rollin’ Stone (773); Hoochie Coochie Man (282); Mannish Boy (240); Got My Mojo Working (588).

9. BO DIDDLEY (19.15)
ALBUMS: Bo Diddley (816); Go Bo Diddley (1349).
SONGS: Bo Diddley (177); I’m a Man (723); Who Do You Love (317).

10. HOWLIN’ WOLF (19.20)
ALBUM: Moanin’ in the Moonlight (551); Howlin’ Wolf (402)*.
SONG: Smokestack Lightnin’ (367); Wang Dang Doodle (2561); Back Door Man (2460); Spoonful (1247).

11. JERRY LEE LEWIS (19.23)
ALBUM: Jerry Lee Lewis (1341)
SONGS: Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (64); Great Balls of Fire (124).

12. BILL EVANS (19.25)
ALBUMS: Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1659); Portrait in Jazz (1689); Explorations (2257); Sunday at the Village Vanguard (479); Waltz for Debby (496); Undercurrent (2306)*.
SONG: Waltz for Debby (2639).

13. COUNT BASIE (19.25)
ALBUMS: Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings (1310); April in Paris (1000); At Newport (1447); The Atomic Mr. Basie (657).
SONGS: One O’Clock Jump (865); Lester Leaps In (2182); April in Paris (1447).

14. DIZZY GILLESPIE (19.32)
ALBUMS: Bird & Diz (1644); Jazz at Massey Hall (514); Dizzy Gillespie with Roy Eldridge (1572); Groovin’ High (1547); Birk’s Works (2360); At Newport (2130).
SONGS: Groovin’ High (2672); A Night in Tunisia (2463); Manteca (1168).

15. FATS DOMINO (19.36)
ALBUMS: Rock and Rollin’ with Fats Domino (1416); This Is Fats Domino! (2457); The Fabulous Mr. D (2295).
SONGS: Ain’t That a Shame (600); Blueberry Hill (213); Blue Monday (1803); I’m Walkin’ (2168); Walking to New Orleans (1921).

16. JOHNNY CASH (19.37)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Folsom Prison Blues (135); I Walk the Line (93); I Still Miss Someone (2109).

17. ROY ORBISON (19.44)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Only the Lonely (139); Running Scared (1092); Crying (295).

18. PATSY CLINE (19.45)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Walkin’ After Midnight (1407); Crazy (146); I Fall to Pieces (415); She’s Got You (1626)*.

19. THE DRIFTERS (19.47)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Money Honey (921); There Goes My Baby (269); Save the Last Dance for Me (670); Up on the Roof (870)*.

20. CHARLIE PARKER (19.48)
ALBUMS: Charlie Parker with Strings (1735); Bird & Diz (1644); Jazz at Massey Hall (514).
SONGS: Koko (768); Ornithology (2456).

21. ART BLAKEY (19.48)
ALBUMS: A Night at Birdland Vol. 1 (1236); A Night at Birdland Vol. 2 (2296); Moanin’ (781); Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk (1528); A Night in Tunisia (1787); Mosaic (2510)*.
SONGS: none.

22. BEN E. KING (19.51)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Spanish Harlem (583); Stand by Me (67).

23. BUD POWELL (19.52)
ALBUMS: The Amazing Bud Powell Vol. 1 (792); Jazz at Massey Hall (514); The Amazing Bud Powell Vol. 2 (2905).
SONG: Un Poco Loco (1616).

24. WOODY GUTHRIE (19.52)
ALBUM: Dust Bowl Ballads (607).
SONG: This Land Is Your Land (163).

25. SAM COOKE (19.53)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: You Send Me (189); Wonderful World (902); Cupid (1558);.Bring It on Home to Me (1111)*.

26. DION (19.53)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: I Wonder Why (819); A Teenager in Love (748); Runaround Sue (321); The Wanderer (1405).

27. BILL HALEY AND HIS COMETS (19.54)
ALBUM: Rock Around the Clock (2042).
SONG: (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock (45).

28. DAVE BRUBECK (19.56)
ALBUMS: Jazz Goes to College (2843); Time Out (324).
SONG: Take Five (730).

29. BOOKER T. & THE MG’S (19.57)
ALBUM: Green Onions (1368)*.
SONG: Green Onions (87)*.

30. EDDIE COCHRAN (19.59)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Summertime Blues (79); C’mon Everybody (1210).

31. BIG JOE TURNER (19.60)
ALBUM: The Boss of the Blues (1094).
SONG: Shake, Rattle and Roll (151).

32. THE SHIRELLES (19.61)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Dedicated to the One I Love (1784); Tonight’s the Night (1815); Will You Love Me Tomorrow (98).

33. BENNY GOODMAN (19.61)
ALBUM: The Famous 1938 Carnegie Hall Concert (513).
SONGS: Sing, Sing, Sing (724); Solo Flight (2007).

34. DEL SHANNON (19.62)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Runaway (77); Hats off to Larry (1809).

35. MAX ROACH (19.62)
ALBUMS: Daahoud/Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1229); Study in Brown (1979); At Basin Street (2209); Max Roach Plus Four (2438); We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1288); Money Jungle (1268)*.

36. RITCHIE VALENS (19.63)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Donna (788); La Bamba (152).

37. BOBBY BLAND (19.64)
ALBUM: Two Steps from the Blues (399).
SONG: Further Up the Road (2002); I Pity the Fool (2659); Turn on Your Love Light (1955).

38. GENE VINCENT (19.64)
ALBUM: Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps (1743).
SONG: Be Bop a Lula (125).

39. SARAH VAUGHAN (19.65)
ALBUMS: Images/Swingin’ Easy (1298); Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (743); In the Land of Hifi (2239); After Hours (2710).
SONGS: none.

40. CARL PERKINS (19.65)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Blue Suede Shoes (75); Honey Don’t (2859).

41. THE COASTERS (19.65)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Searchin’ (1570); Young Blood (979); Yakety Yak (262).

42. JAMES BROWN (19.66)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Please Please Please (324); Try Me (1468); Lost Someone (1423)*; Night Train (1848)*.

43. THE PLATTERS (19.67)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: The Great Pretender (329); Only You (And You Alone) (750); Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (1984).

44. WES MONTGOMERY (19.68)
ALBUMS: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (690); Bags Meets Wes (1774)*; Full House: Recorded Live at Tsubo – Berkeley, California (2011)*.
SONGS: none.

45. JOHNNY BURNETTE (19.69)
ALBUM: Johnny Burnette and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Trio (637).
SONG: The Train Kept A-Rollin’ (874).

46. THE ISLEY BROTHERS (19.70)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Shout (Parts 1 and 2) (230); Twist and Shout (1030)*.

47. STAN GETZ (19.70)
ALBUMS: Hamp & Getz (2186); Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson at the Opera House (2614); Focus (1769); Jazz Samba (818)*.
SONGS: none.

48. JUDY GARLAND (19.70)
ALBUM: Judy at Carnegie Hall (1093).
SONG: Over the Rainbow (380).

49. CLIFFORD BROWN (19.70)
ALBUMS: Daahoud/Clifford Brown & Max Roach (1229); Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown (743); Study in Brown (1979); At Basin Street (2209).

50. JOHN LEE HOOKER (19.71)
ALBUMS: none.
SONGS: Boogie Chillen (328); Boom Boom (774)*.

****

MOVING UP: John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Howlin’ Wolf, Bill Evans, Patsy Cline, The Drifters, Sam Cooke.

NEW TO THE LIST: Booker T. & the MG’s, Max Roach; James Brown, Wes Montgomery, The Isley Brothers, Stan Getz, John Lee Hooker.

(Max Roach is a re-entry.)

FELL OFF THE LIST: Jackie Wilson, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Lloyd Price.

BUBBLING UNDER: The Shadows, The Carter Family, Oliver Nelson, Leadbelly, Etta James.

****

Voting begins August 12. Discussion begins now.

There's some stuff at the top there, which I know practically nothing about. Monk, Mingus, Rollins, Coleman and Evans, those are artists I only know by name. I do believe I can find a Thelonious Monk album around here somewhere, but I don't know which one (or where to look). I can vaguely remember buying one a while ago, but I've never listened to it.

Any tips for where to start with those five?

Yeah, Rune, it’s interesting that five of the top six are jazz guys. In 1963, we’re really in the heyday of modern jazz, and the biggest names of fifties rock have already been skimmed off the top.

My thoughts on the five guys you mention…

Monk: This may be a minority opinion, but I love Genius of Modern Music.
Mingus: His best album (Black Saint) won’t count in the standings until next year.
Sonny: I don’t know from him; he was discussed in the ’61 thread.
Ornette: I’ve tried and failed to appreciate him. He’s one of those guys whose reputation is based on breaking the rules—which is fine, except that I think you need to understand the rules (of jazz) better than I do to get what he’s doing. Without that, he’s not very accessible (to me at least).
Evans: Of his solo stuff, I’ve only ever heard Waltz for Debby—I know him better for the stuff he did with Miles. Unquestionably brilliant, but rather stark for my taste.

****

By the way, both the Beatles and Dylan had their first Acclaimed releases in ’62, but neither of them is even close to the top 100 yet. I imagine that will probably change next year…

My first foray into Bill Evans' work came accidentally via Kind of Blue -- I was immediately taken by his performance on the album, which led me to seek out more of his stuff. From there, I bought Portrait (which is terrific), and not too long after, I ninja'd a friend's copy of Sunday at the Village Vanguard -- an absolutely stunning live jazz album (perhaps the most acclaimed live jazz album?)

It's important to note that his style isn't for everyone. His playing was steeped in the best tradition of late 19th/early 20th century classical impressionism (which he was trained in at an early age), which means that for as colorful as it can be (if you approach it the right way), it can also be, as schleuse says, stark and even dissonant at times. But the more you listen to it, the more beautiful and essential it becomes.

[For a quick comparison of styles, cue up Kind of Blue and listen to Wynton Kelly's bouncy piano on "Freddy Freeloader", and then check out Evans' solo bit at the end of "Blue In Green" -- two completely contrasting styles.]

The "not for everybody"-part probably sorts me out, as I'm not a jazz man (I'm more like Jas Mann).

These three will blow you away...

Monk: Brilliant Corners
Mingus: Ah Um (I like it better than Black Saint)
Evans: Sunday at the Village Vanguard

I like Bill Evans because he leaves out the brass for the most part and makes the piano sound cool. Most jazz pianists sound like elevator music.

I wonder, if you polled people who don't really like jazz, how many would say they don't like the sound of a trumpet? I like it sometimes, but the trumpet ruins a lot of jazz for me.

Interesting point, John. Jazz instrumentation derives from Dixieland (I think), which could be seen as a kind of variation on brass band music. So trumpets were appropriate early on, but you might be right that they sit more uneasily in bebop, let alone the modal jazz that rates highest on this site.

****

Lest this thread turn completely into jazz corner, I'd like to sound everybody out on the artists new to the top 50 this year...

Is anybody going to vote for James Brown at this point? If not, are we waiting for Live at the Apollo? Brand New Bag? Sex Machine?

And I wonder if John Lee Hooker might be a dark horse...he seems to me like an interesting link between country blues and electric blues.

george jones?

probably my favorite country vocalist, and had released all of my favorite songs by this point (the window up above, she thinks i still care, and my personal favorite, color of the blues) in addition to white lightning, the race is on, and a few others...no solid albums, i guess, but damn, only willie, merle and cash are in his league in post-hank country (i think waylon's way over-rated)...that classic country song story about driving your tractor to the bar cuz your wife took the keys to your car? yeah, george really did that

i'll also probably add howlin' wolf, jerry lee, and fats domino to my list. great inductions last round!

George Jones is a good idea. He's an excellent singer, with good, catchy songs. Sad at the bottom, but funny at the top. I'll add him myself. She Thinks I Still Care is frequently sung by myself both in the car and in the shower.

I love George Jones, primarily for his vocal abilities, but I would also include Merle Haggard "in his league," based on his excellent songwriting.

In terms of voting, it makes sense to vote for George Jones now that She Thinks I Still Care is in the books. Merle comes later, but I doubt either one of these country greats has the juice to pull it off in this forum.

Greg,

I misread your post. I see that you did include Merle in the Jones league. Good call.

I will be happy if we can get Bill Monroe (the father of bluegrass) into the hall this go around. I think it's possible. If I were going to make a list of the most influential/important country performers, he would be high on it.

Off the top of my head....

Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, George Jones, Merle Haggard, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, Roy Acuff, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, Gram Parsons, and Flatt & Scruggs. That's my sweet 16.

I like Waylon a lot, but I don't think he is as influential as the others listed above.

That "sweet 16" you listed, did you rank them in order of influence, or just whoever you thought of first?

I'd add Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Conway Twitty and Dolly Parton to the list, to make it a nice and even Sweet 20.

I don't know George Jones very well;
Not very easy to find country records in France, but thank God now there is Internet
I suppose a greatest hits collection would be a good way to start
I tried Merle yesterday, I listened to a 1971 album called Hag bur I was a bit disappointed.
What records of these 2 artists would you advise me ?

And I'll think about Bill Monroe

Bill Monroe is excellent. He's been my 10 pointer every time, I think.

I've posted it before, but I'll do it again. Watch, listen and be convinced:

Rune: Aside from Hank who is first on all my lists, they were placed in the order that they popped into my head.

Nicolas: Both Jones and Haggard are best heard in greatest hits collections. It's hard to recommend one in particular because the record companies keep re-packaging everything. For each artist, their best material was in the 1960s. Jones also has some good stuff from the 1950s.

I'll put together a muxtape and post the link here when I get a chance.

Off-the-cuff Top 5 George Jones songs: She Thinks I Still Care, A Good Year For The Roses, He Stopped Loving Her Today, The Window Up Above, Color Of The Blues.

Off-the-cuff Top 5 Merle Haggard songs: Okie From Muskogee, Mama Tried, Swinging Doors, Branded Man, The Bottle Let Me Down.

More Bill Monroe:

If the video is disabled here, you can still view it at You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffhqOy_A8KM

for merle i have lonesome fugitive and the first disc is great, second disc pretty good

for george i have the spirit of country, same deal...first disc is great, second disc has a few classics and a bunch of duds

top 5 george: color of the blues, the window up above, she thinks i still care, he stopped loving her today, if drinkin' don't kill me (her memory will)

top 5 merle: i take a lot of pride in what i am, mama tried, swinging doors, the bottle let me down, i'm gonna break every heart i can

schleuse
I'm leaving town and Internet for a week or so tomorrow so I won't be able to vote for 1963 in time.
Would you allow me to vote today ?
If not, I will understand and won't be mad at you

Sure, nicolas. You can post it on this thread, and I'll paste it over to the election thread tomorrow.

Bon voyage!

Merci.
I'll be in the mountains this week with few chances of Web connection, but back to civilization next week (but still on holidays)

Last week found me drifting away from our core music, rock'n roll. Now I made a point of having at least 50 per cent of rockers and soulmen in my list.

So, here it goes :

1.Georges Brassens : Glad to know that I'm not the only one now to defend Georges. A monument.

2.Fats Domino : Let's pay respect to New Orleans music and to a man of influence and very successful in his time (he was a far better seller than Chuck or Little R)

3.Leadbelly : Dylan made his debut album in 1961 singing House of The Rising Sun. He (directly or undirectly) borrowed it from the songsters like Lead and Josh White

4.Eddie Cochran : a great songwriter and guitar player. A Cochran greatest hits is a must-have (you'll realize that he made tons of good songs)

5.Roy Orbison : In 1962 Roy hasn't had his biggest hit but already recorded a few masterpieces ("In Dreams", "Running Scared", "Only The Lonely"). The albums are a little cheesy sometimes, but the singles..

6.Muddy Waters
7.Johnny Cash
8.Carl Perkins
9.Bill Monroe
10.James Brown