Music Monday: Two Classics and Somthing New

July 1964 was a pretty great month for music and saw the release of two classic albums.

As readers of this blog know, I have a soft spot for the troubled and problematic Lee Morgan. His 1964 album, The Sidewinder, released when Morgan was just 26, represents the pinnacle of hard bop (with just enough soul jazz to make it feel contemporary). You’ve probably heard this album, but if you haven’t check it out here:

Blue Mitchell is a favorite in our household and his late-50s and early-60s albums are in consistent rotation. I’ve sometimes failed to appreciate his later 1960s albums which seemed to put pop sensibility above the musicianship (or even the desire to produce “good music”). In fact, I hadn’t listened to The Thing to Do for years. When I saw on The Social Medias, that this album was celebrating its 60th anniversary this month, I put it on. 

Why haven’t I listened to this album more? Why isn’t it considered one of the greatest hard bop albums ever? 

Finally, I’ve been enjoying Linda Sikhakhane’s album iLadi (to continue with a Blue Note themed post). It reminds me of mid-1970s Pharaoh Sanders (and this is a good thing!)

One of the many benefits of being home is being able to enjoy my music again! So, stay tuned for more “music Monday”!