1950s

 

Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy

November 1954

a spirited, joyful dixieland tribute to the father of blues, w.c. handy, and one of satchmo's first recorded LPs. the squealing freneticism of his horn playing is just as boisterous as ever, as are his iconic scratchy deep-bass vocals. theres defo a hint of feeling like it comes from a middle career period where louis is less interested in continually pushing the limits of his abilities more than settling into his own defined style, but thats hardly a complaint bcuz he owns it 100%. him and the band are perfectly in sync and it sounds like everyone here is having a great time and that energy rubs off a lot. in particular, his cheeky interplay with velma middleton in their vocal duets made me smile. essential listen for anyone interested in classic and/or traditional styles of jazz.

 

Ravi Shankar - Three Classical Ragas

1956

the sitar might be one of the most addictive instruments on earth to listen to. the sheer variety of different sensations and textures capable of being evoked with its strings alone is smth that continues to blow my whenever i hear it, and without a doubt ravi shankar deserves to be counted among the best sitarists who've ever lived. his masterful control of tempo allows each of the ragas here to evolve with a kind of natural momentum that gradually builds from slow and contemplative beginnings to a relentless flurry of excited notes played with such swift precision that it makes my head spin. ragas in general are extremely interesting to me conceptually; these kind of melodic frameworks without an easy equivalent in western music theory, deeply tied to all these specific metaphysical associations with different times of day/emotional states but still leaving room for improvised personal expression within their guidelines. the three ragas on here are performed in such a way that's simultaneously free-flowing and unrestrained by time, while still being inseparable from its place in history. a living tradition in every sense.