Nina Simone "Little Girl Blue" (1959)

Little Girl Blue [debut]

release date: Feb. 1959

format: cd (2013 remaster) / vinyl (2021 remaster)

[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,26]

producer: ? (arr. by Nina Simone)

label: Bethlehem Records / BMG - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Mood Indigo" - 2. "Don't smoke in Bed" - 3. "He Needs Me" (5 / 5) - 4. "Little Girl Blue" (5 / 5) - 5. "Love or Leave Me" (5 / 5) - 6. "My Baby Just Cares for Me" (5 / 5) (TV performance) - 7. "Good Bait" (instr.) - 8. "Plain Gold Ring" - 9. "You'll Never Walk Alone" (instr.) - 10. "I Loves You Porgy" - 11. "Central Park Blues" (instr.)

Studio album debut by Nina Simone (aka Eunice Kathleen Waymon) with 11 tracks stemming from the only recording sessions she did while associated with Bethlehem Records. Regardless, the label would go on for many years after by issuing releases from these recordings - be it compilations, or single releases, and all without Simone's consent. Despite the label did little to promote this album, it soon crept up on the charts and in people's consciousness. The album is one of jazz' great classics, and only one of many outstanding by Nina Simone. Although recorded in 1957, the sound is remarkably dynamic - perhaps due to great remastering, and even though Simone herself alledgedly wasn't thrilled with the compositions, the selected style, the album is a fine document and proof of her eneormous versatility. She may have seen herself as a classic pianist at the time, but the recordings are luckily there to show that she could perform on highest level in any genre and style. Here, she performs as jazz vocalist, as an outstanding interpreter, arranger, and pianist. It's just... mindblowing 'waow'!

Highly recomended.

EDIT 2021:

The 2021 Bethlehem / BMG vinyl remaster is a fine pressing, although, it's in stereo and remastered, but it sounds like a studio recording, although there's probably a lot of adjustments involved, you need to appreciate the end result, and thats quite an accomplishment.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Four Jacks "De glade rensdyr" (1959) (single)

De glade rensdyr, 7'' single

release date: 1959

format: vinyl (45-DK 1510)

[single rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,55]

producer: ?

label: Odeon - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "De glade rensdyr (The Happy Reindeer)" - - B) "Bare man har det godt"

Single release by Danish vocal group Four Jacks following the release of Waterloo. The A-side title song is credited Harold Rustigan and Robert Plaisted, the B-side is by Peter Mynte and Hans-Ole Nielsen. Both songs are arranged by John Mogensen and Jørn Grauengård.

This single is part of my parents' record collection and a B-side, I frequently played when 6-7 years old.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Four Jacks "Waterloo" (1959) (single)

Waterloo, 7'' single

release date: 1959

format: vinyl (45-DK 1496)

[single rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]

producer:

label: Odeon - nationality: Denmark

Tracklist: A) "Waterloo" - - B) "Personality"

Single release by Danish standards / vocal group Four Jacks, here consisting of John Mogensen, Poul Rudi, Bent Werther, and James Rasmussen. Both tracks here are covers. The A-side is an American song by John Loudermilk and Marijohn Wilkin, and the B-side is a Logan & Price song (Harold Logan & Lloyd Price) - both translated by Robert Arnold Nielsen and arranged by John Mogensen and Jørgen Ingmann.

The group has its origin in a duo founded in 1956 by Rudi and Otto Brandenburg. Shortly after, Mogensen was included and the three for a short time went under the name 'De 3 Båthorn' before Werther was included and they became Four Jacks. Mogensen took over as musical arranger of the group, and when Brandenburg in '58 left to pursue a solo career, Rasmussen became stable new member. In '63, the group changed line-up when Erik Aae Jensen replaced Werther, and in '64, songwriter and musical arranger Mogensen left to initiate a lasting and nationally legendary solo career, and the remainders went under changing names: Three Jacks, Scandinavian Four whenever Mogensen found the time to perform, and / or as 'De Nye Four Jacks' [The New Four Jacks']. Their heydays as a highly popular quartet, however, was in the days with Mogensen, Rudi, Werther, and Rasmussen from 1958 to 1963 - a period which includes this single.

This single was part of my parents' record collection, and I recall playing this quite quite often at the age of 6-7 on a portable turntable, and I also recall that I liked the B-side the most.

~ ~ ~

This post is part of MyMusicJourney, which enlists key releases that have shaped my musical taste when growing up and until age 14. Most of these releases come from my parents' and / or my older brother's collection.

Jacques Brel "La valse à mille temps" (1959)

La valse à mille temps
release date: 1959
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Track highlights: 1. "La valse à mille temps" (5 / 5) live - 4. "Je t'aime" - 5. "Ne me quitte pas" (4 / 5) - 6. "Les flamandes" (4 / 5) - 10. "La colombe"

4th full-length studio album by Jacques Brel aka "Jacques Brel 4". Like many of his early albums this release is just a self-titled album but is also known as "La valse à mille temps" (taken from the first track). I also enjoy his three earlier albums from the '50s but this particular album is considered one of his best ever original releases, and his first big hit album. It's his second release featuring the great French conductor François Rauber with whom Brel wrote two of the original 10 songs, although, the album's strongest tracks are written by Brel only.

Ella Fitzgerald "Hello, Love" (1959)

Hello, Love
release date: 1959
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]

A 1950s studio album with Ella Fitzgerald with recordings made between 1957-1959. My cd edition is the 2004 remastered edition on the original label, Verve Records. I enjoy most albums with this great singer, although, I like her most when she sings vocal jazz only. But there's absolutely nothing wrong about her versions of the 'Great American Songbook' of standards, it's just that so many other good and great artists have made their versions, and it's sometimes hard to tell the big differences. And then again: singing the standards was what brought her fame! Several of the songs here, appear (in different versions) on previous albums including her two albums with Louis Armstrong, Ella & Louis (1956) and Ella & Louis Again (1957).

Charles Mingus "Mingus Ah Um" (1959)

Mingus Ah Um
release date: Sep. 14, 1959
format: vinyl (1987 remaster) / digital (2009 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Teo Macero
label: CBS Records - nationality: USA

Studio album by Charles Mingus originally released on Columbia - here in the digitally remastered series 'CBS Jazz Masterpieces'.
The album is an essential part of any jazz collection.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 5 / 5, Popmatters 4,5 / 5 stars ]