1959

[Bright Moments]

IMHO jazz's GREATEST year.

-_-

[Chuck Nessa]

I'd opt for 1923.

[jeffcrom]

Maybe. Just to be contrary, I'll suggest 1923 or 1945, in terms of recordings.

Edited to say that I wrote this before Chuck posted the above. I wasn't copying off his paper, I swear!

Edited March 2, 2010 by jeffcrom

[Bright Moments]

lets start with the proof:

Time Out

Kind of Blue

[Dave James]

The BBC aired a four part series last year suggesting that 1959 was the watershed year for jazz. The program argued its point by reviewing four important albums recorded that year; Kind Of Blue, Mingus Ah Um, The Shape Of Jazz To Come and Time Out.

Author Fred Kaplan ups the ante considerably in his recent book, 1959, The Year That Changed Everything.

[AllenLowe]

1961. The year of our lord, the Baby Wynton.

Three Wise Men came to Lincoln Center and spotted a star.

by the time they realized it was only a policeman's flashlight it was too late. The miracle had occurred.

Edited March 2, 2010 by AllenLowe

[Christiern]

A great record does not make a great year. It contributes to it, but there is so much happening away from recording studios that needs to be considered. I think we base too many of our evaluations and speculations on what was captured in the grooves or on tape. I have seen biographical books that were 90% based on the subject's recordings. Close to home (for me), consider Paul Oliver's biography of Bessie Smith—one might easily conclude that she did not have a life outside of Columbia's studio. Also that we have in her recordings the scope of her artistic expression.

Kind of Blue is a great album, but let's not get carried away by it. Great, pivotal music was recorded in the 20's, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, etc. I happen to think that Bozie Sturdivant's "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down" is not any less great than Miles or Louis or Bird, etc., at their best. We are talking about great music that simply is too timeless to pin to any calendar. IMHO

[Bright Moments]

Giant Steps

Finger Poppin' with the Horace Silver Quintet

The Little Giant

[ghost of miles]

I don't know about "greatest," Bright, but it was certainly a vintage year. (I also put together a timeline for non-jazz events of note that occurred in 1959.)

[B. Goren.]

  On 3/2/2010 at 2:36 AM, Bright Moments said:

Giant Steps

Finger Poppin' with the Horace Silver Quintet

The Little Giant

Mingus Ah Um

Blues & Roots

Mingus Dynasty

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

  On 3/2/2010 at 3:44 AM, ghost of miles said:

I don't know about "greatest," Bright, but it was certainly a vintage year. (I also put together a timeline for non-jazz events of note that occurred in 1959.)

Is this now official? I thought that diligent researchers failed to find proof of service?

October—“Twilight Zone” debuts on TV. Pan American becomes first airline to offer regular flights around the world. Errol Flynn dies of heart attack at age 50. Dr. Werner von Braun begins to work for NASA.

November—Charles van Doren admits to House subcommittee that he knew answers in advance on quiz show “Twenty One.” Ford discontinues Edsel. Chubby Checker introduces the Twist on “The Dick Clark Saturday Night Show.”

December—Walter Williams, last surviving veteran of the Civil War, dies at the age of 117. First color photograph of Earth received from outer space.

[kenny weir]

  On 3/2/2010 at 4:08 AM, Son-of-a-Weizen said:

Chubby Checker introduces the Twist on “The Dick Clark Saturday Night Show.”

1958: Hank Ballard writes The Twist. The high opinion that Chubby Checker has of himself and his achievements is matched in absurdity only by the mediocrity of his talent.

Edited March 2, 2010 by kenny weir

[DukeCity]

  On 3/2/2010 at 4:20 AM, kenny weir said:

  On 3/2/2010 at 4:08 AM, Son-of-a-Weizen said:

Chubby Checker introduces the Twist on "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Show."

1958: Hank Ballard writes The Twist. The high opinion that Chubby Checker has of himself and his achievements is matched in absurdity only by the mediocrity of his talent.

I knew it; only a matter of time before this thread devolved into yet another Chubby Checker bashing thread.

Some things never change...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

  On 3/2/2010 at 5:46 AM, DukeCity said:

  On 3/2/2010 at 4:20 AM, kenny weir said:

  On 3/2/2010 at 4:08 AM, Son-of-a-Weizen said:

Chubby Checker introduces the Twist on "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Show."

1958: Hank Ballard writes The Twist. The high opinion that Chubby Checker has of himself and his achievements is matched in absurdity only by the mediocrity of his talent.

I knew it; only a matter of time before this thread devolved into yet another Chubby Checker bashing thread.

Some things never change...

There's nowt wrong with mediochre talents, in my view

MG

[John L]

I'll take 1950, not because of specific recordings made that year, but because of WHO was on the scene in top form, or almost top form. It boggles the mind to contemplate, even more so if we go beyond jazz to blues, gospel, country, & R&B.

And Chubby Checker had yet to take a dump on American music.

Edited March 2, 2010 by John L

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

  On 3/2/2010 at 5:25 PM, John L said:

I'll take 1950, not because of specific recordings made that year, but because of WHO was on the scene in top form, or almost top form. It boggles the mind to contemplate, even more so if we go beyond jazz to blues, gospel, country, & R&B.

And Chubby Checker had yet to take a dump on American music.

And The Ames Brothers, Guy Mitchell, Vic Damone, Theresa Brewer, Perry Como, Patti Page, Eddie Fisher and, for TTK, Anton Karas!

Indeed! No wonder I hated pop music at seven

MG

[BruceH]

Certainly a great year for jazz. My favorite Mingus album and favorite Miles Davis album both released that year. But THE greatest?? C'mon...

1939 was also great, and a bunch of others. I'm with Ghost on this; let's agree to call it "vintage."

[BillF]

Hard to pin it down to one year, but there was really was a jazz boom from about 1957 to 1961. (Just think of the musicians in that famous 1958 Harlem photo!) Pleased I was at an impressionable age (17 to 21) in those years!

Edited March 2, 2010 by BillF

[Christiern]

1948 was the year I turned the dial on my wood-encased B&O radio and stumbled upon jazz. It was a very great year for me. Yes, I know that it always sounds best the first time, but this music just kept on giving....

[Big Beat Steve]

  On 3/2/2010 at 12:52 AM, jeffcrom said:

Maybe. Just to be contrary, I'll suggest 1923 or 1945, in terms of recordings.

:tup :tup

If there had been no "jazz 1945" there would not have been a "jazz 1959" "vintage year" either.

So I'll vote for 1945 for the coexistence of small-band swing AND bebop AND energing R&B (and ... name yours ...).

[Peter Friedman]

  On 3/2/2010 at 8:03 PM, BillF said:

Hard to pin it down to one year, but there was really was a jazz boom from about 1957 to 1961. (Just think of the musicians in that famous 1958 Harlem photo!) Pleased I was at an impressionable age (17 to 21) in those years!

I think Bill's point above is well taken. During the period Bill mentioned it was possible to see and hear a very very large number of Jazz Giants from a broad range of different stylistic periods.

[medjuck]

Does anyone have the Esquire Magazine that first published the photo? IIRC they had the perceptiveness to entitle that section of the magazine "The Golden Age of Jazz". Most of us always think the golden age was the day before yesterday not the time we're actually in.

[kenny weir]

  On 3/2/2010 at 5:46 AM, DukeCity said:

I knew it; only a matter of time before this thread devolved into yet another Chubby Checker bashing thread.

So sorry to fulfill your expectations! He's pretty harmless I suppose, but he seems to blow through Australia every few years, front up to a bunch of talk shows, make some appearances at low-rent "gala" events and non-stop blow his own trumpet.

Edited March 2, 2010 by kenny weir

[JSngry]

  On 3/2/2010 at 11:06 PM, kenny weir said:

non-stop blow his own trumpet.

[Dave James]

  On 3/3/2010 at 2:05 AM, JSngry said:

  On 3/2/2010 at 11:06 PM, kenny weir said:

non-stop blow his own trumpet.

Sounds like a porn film.