Vintage sounds from an era that expanded musical boundaries.
It could be easily argued that the albums on this 2 disc set represent the apotheosis of Miles Davis’ career, and that’s saying something. 1958’s Milestones had him putting his toe into the modal waters with his stellar team of John Coltrane/ts, Cannonball Adderley/as, Philly Joe Jones/dr, Red Garland/p and Paul Chambers/b. There’s not a weak spot on the album from the torrid “Dr. Jekyll” to the hip “Milestones.” Davis’ first album for Columbia included the classic version of “’Round Midnight” as well as the gorgeous “All Of You” that introduced the world to the beauty of the Harmon mute. 1959’s Kind of Blue is possibly the best and best known jazz album, with Jimmy Cobb/dr, Wynton Kelly/p, Paul Chambers/b and Bill Evans/p exchanging roles for five perfect songs, from the opening mood of “So What” to the ethereal “Flamingo Sketches” with the impressionistic “Blue In Green” tying it all together. A couple tracks from Davis’ next band with Hank Mobley as the new tenor saxist deliver a pair of reads of “So What” that make for fascinating comparisons. The gold standard.
The classy vocalist Nancy Wilson hit the ground running with her 1959 debut that had her with Billy May’s Orchestra that included alto saxist Willie Smith. She glistens on the Ellington “Passion Flower” and glows with Smith on a dreamy “Fly Me TO The Moon.” Next year’s release keeps here with May, who brings in tenor titan Ben Webster to give out some roaring solos. Her riveting “Guess Who I Saw Today” still ites, while “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” is a vintage swinger. Possibly her jazziest album is when she sits in with bopper alto saxist Cannonball Adderley and his hip team of Joe Zawinul/p, Louis Hayes/dr and Sam Jones/b. The team is glorious on “Never Will I Marry,” “The Masquerade is Over” and
The Old Country” with Adderley and Wilson feeding off each other in symbiosis. From the same year of 1962, Wilson does ballads and light swing with some strings and drummer Shelly Manne on “Little Girl Blue” and “Back In Your Own Backyard.” Class and polish.
Conway Twitty was a country version of Elvis, with a delivery like he was wearing his pants 1/2 size too tight when he first hit the ground running in 1959 with a pair of rollicking albums accompanied by some of Nashville’s best, including Roy Cramer/p, Hank Garland/g and even Roy Orbison sitting in.He could hiccup, snarl and moan out a lyric, as his debut includes the classic tear jerker “It’s Only Make Believe” and the sentimental “My One And Only You” that has him out-Elvising Elvis. His 1961 album clocks in at under 30 minutes, but it is chock full of nuts, with the definitive a rat-a-tat repetition of rhythm tunes like “ Reelin’ and Rockin’”, “Shake Rattle and Roll” and “Blue Suede Shoes” with his next release including the hip “Turn Around” and the dramatic “Portrait of a Fool.” Bonus tracks abound, which include the bel canto to rocking takes of “Danny Boy,” and “Rosaleena,” a danceable “Mona Lisa,” a fun “Maybe Baby” “Doubletalk Baby” and guffawing rockabilly “I Need Your Lovin’.” Twitty wasn’t short on rousing up a sweat