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Women To The Front
Women To The Front

ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS

MOANIN’

Art Blakey was and is the heartbeat and rhythm of the Blue Note label, and the title track here may be the theme song of the label. The Jazz Messengers served as a kind of proving ground for the best young jazz players, and Moanin’ is like an all-star team. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Bobby Timmons, with Benny Golson on sax and Jymie Merritt on bass combine with Blakey for the drummer’s swingingest and best known album.

THELONIOUS MONK

GENIUS OF MODERN MUSIC VOL. 1

These first recordings as a band leader for Monk, recorded in 1947 and 1948, are the seeds of a, yes, genius composer and player, and include some of my favorite Monk songs and melodies – “Well, You Needn’t,” “Ruby, My Dear,” and the masterpiece, “’Round Midnight.”

JOHN COLTRANE 

A LOVE SUPREME

A Love Supreme, Coltrane’s classic quartet at their peak, defies genre or style, and transcends into the spiritual; indeed, Coltrane called the 1964 recording - four part suite – his “attempt to say ‘THANK YOU GOD' through our work.” Quintessential for any collection.

Ella Fitzgerald

Sings The Cole Porter Song Book

The first album Ella recorded for Verve, and the first and greatest of her many landmark songbooks. When Norman Granz, Verve’s founder and the producer of the album, played it for Porter before its release, Porter exclaimed, “My, what marvelous diction that girl has.” Songs like “Night and Day,” “De-Lovely,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – unparalleled in American song, and these performances.

BILLIE HOLIDAY

Songs for Distingué Lovers

One of her last small group sessions, including the great Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ben Webster, and Barney Kessel, this is Billie delivering a haunting and dark sound, at her purest and rawest, and that is hard to match.

CHARLES MINGUS

The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady

Described by Mingus himself as “ethnic folk-dance music,” The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady is a single song cycle rather than a traditional jazz album of separate tracks. The intricate arrangements and raw emotional swings of the piece make it a highlight of Mingus’ career, and one of the most compelling listens in jazz.

STAN GETZ / JOAO GILBERTO

Getz/Gilberto

The quintessential bossa nova album, this record popularized the budding Brazilian borne genre when it was released in 1963. Most famous for “The Girl From Ipanema” featuring Astrud Gilberto on vocals – who was not a trained singer, and only chosen because she knew English (and was married to Joao Gilberto, the co-leader of the session and the song’s composer). Other highlights of this beautiful and timeless album include “Corcovado” – the only other track Gilberto sings on – and “Desafinado.”

ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG

ELLA & LOUIS

Released in 1956, this is the first of three duet albums between these jazz giants for the Verve label (they had recorded together for the Decca label nearly a decade earlier). The songs were chosen by Verve founder Norman Granz, and his selection of 11 slow- to mid-tempo tunes from the Great American Songbook were a perfect fit to showcase a delightful, respectful interplay between the two. Highlights include “Cheek to Cheek” (Irving Berlin), “Moonlight in Vermont” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

HANK MOBLEY

Soul Station

An incredibly warm and lovable album. Mobley’s smooth sound and warm solos combine with the top notch and comfortable backing of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass – both of whom were playing with Mobley in Miles Davis’ group at the time – and master Blue Note drummer Art Blakey. The title blues track leads this swingin’ session. One of my favorite album covers.

HORACE SILVER

DOIN’ THE THING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE GATE

The thing is live jazz, and live jazz is the thing! "We'd like for you all to help us get in the groove, let your hair down, and come on and get in the music with us," says Horace Silver in the spoken introduction to Doin' The Thing, the only live album the great pianist made during his remarkable 3-decade tenure on Blue Note Records. Recorded in May 1961 at the Village Gate in NYC, this exuberant live date featured Silver's great quintet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Roy Brooks.

JOHNNY GRIFFIN

Introducing Johnny Griffin

Part of the Blue Note 80 vinyl reissue series, celebrating Blue Note’s 80th Anniversary in 2019, Introducing Johnny Griffin is mastered from original analogue sources and pressed on 180g vinyl. Tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin blew out of Chicago and made his debut album for Blue Note Records in 1956, steering a nimble quartet with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach through a fantastic set of originals and standards. From the blistering opener “Mil Dew” to the loping “Chicago Calling” and bluesy “Nice and Easy” Griffin’s staggering technical ability and buoyant swing is readily apparent at every twist and turn.

Tim Ziegler is the Director, Classics and Jazz for Universal Music Enterprises, Universal Music Group’s catalog division. He feels blessed to work with Blue Note, Verve, and Decca on their world class and inspiring catalogs. He got interested in jazz in high school when his best friend’s dad mentioned Thelonious Monk’s “angular music” (thanks, Dave!) and has been evangelizing it for work in one form or another ever since. He lives in Pasadena with his family and their two dogs, Charlie and Blue.

ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS

MOANIN’

Art Blakey was and is the heartbeat and rhythm of the Blue Note label, and the title track here may be the theme song of the label. The Jazz Messengers served as a kind of proving ground for the best young jazz players, and Moanin’ is like an all-star team. Trumpeter Lee Morgan, pianist Bobby Timmons, with Benny Golson on sax and Jymie Merritt on bass combine with Blakey for the drummer’s swingingest and best known album.

JoHn Coltrane 

A LOVE SUPREME

A Love Supreme, Coltrane’s classic quartet at their peak, defies genre or style, and transcends into the spiritual; indeed, Coltrane called the 1964 recording - four part suite – his “attempt to say ‘THANK YOU GOD' through our work.” Quintessential for any collection.

THELONIOUS MONK

GENIUS OF MODERN MUSIC VOL. 1

These first recordings as a band leader for Monk, recorded in 1947 and 1948, are the seeds of a, yes, genius composer and player, and include some of my favorite Monk songs and melodies – “Well, You Needn’t,” “Ruby, My Dear,” and the masterpiece, “’Round Midnight.”

CHARLES MINGUS

The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady

Described by Mingus himself as “ethnic folk-dance music,” The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady is a single song cycle rather than a traditional jazz album of separate tracks. The intricate arrangements and raw emotional swings of the piece make it a highlight of Mingus’ career, and one of the most compelling listens in jazz.

BILLIE HOLIDAY

SONGS FOR DISTINGUÉ LOVERS

One of her last small group sessions, including the great Harry “Sweets” Edison, Ben Webster, and Barney Kessel, this is Billie delivering a haunting and dark sound, at her purest and rawest, and that is hard to match.

ELLA FITZGERALD

SINGS THE COLE PORTER SONGBOOK

The first album Ella recorded for Verve, and the first and greatest of her many landmark songbooks. When Norman Granz, Verve’s founder and the producer of the album, played it for Porter before its release, Porter exclaimed, “My, what marvelous diction that girl has.” Songs like “Night and Day,” “De-Lovely,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” – unparalleled in American song, and these performances.

KACEY MUSGRAVES 

GOLDEN HOUR

After winning Album Of The Year at the Grammy’s, Kacey Musgraves really won the heart of America with her fourth studio album, Golden Hour and witty personality. The lyricism of each track ranges from being by yourself and content with “Lonely Weekend” to a lovely, sweet homage in the track “Mother.” Kacey’s soft, sultry voice along with her divine, genuine lyricism will have you putting this album on repeat over and over again.

GWEN STEFANI

LOVE ANGEL MUSIC BABY

Love Angel Music Baby by Gwen Stefani is the first studio, breakaway album since her departure from No Doubt. This album resonates as a coming of age release with tracks like “Bubble Pop Electric” and “Cool.” The album does an exquisite job of marrying many genres together like electro-pop, R&B, and alternative. Love Angel Music Baby is a testament that Gwen Stefani was capable of standing on her own with her solo-project and have it succeed with such abundance. We owe a lot to Gwen for coining the term “Hollaback Girl” and teaching us the correct, perhaps difficult, spelling of bananas.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

FEVER TO TELL

A quick, fast-paced punk revival – Karen O in Fever To Tell is the front woman we’ve been so thirstily craving for so long. I remember seeing them perform at FYF in 2013 and she was wearing a sparkle suit; her energy was electric and bright like a punk rock Jesus. Fever To Tell is rebellious and empowering in every facet, every guitar chord. Her spunky dynamism, melodramatic voice along with the electronic sound of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will have you moshing and air-guitaring in general admission.

STAN GETZ / JOAO GILBERTO

Getz/Gilberto

The quintessential bossa nova album, this record popularized the budding Brazilian borne genre when it was released in 1963. Most famous for “The Girl From Ipanema” featuring Astrud Gilberto on vocals – who was not a trained singer, and only chosen because she knew English (and was married to Joao Gilberto, the co-leader of the session and the song’s composer). Other highlights of this beautiful and timeless album include “Corcovado” – the only other track Gilberto sings on – and “Desafinado.”

ELLA FITZGERALD & LOUIS ARMSTRONG

ELLA & LOUIS

Released in 1956, this is the first of three duet albums between these jazz giants for the Verve label (they had recorded together for the Decca label nearly a decade earlier). The songs were chosen by Verve founder Norman Granz, and his selection of 11 slow- to mid-tempo tunes from the Great American Songbook were a perfect fit to showcase a delightful, respectful interplay between the two. Highlights include “Cheek to Cheek” (Irving Berlin), “Moonlight in Vermont” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.”

JOHNNY GRIFFIN

Introducing Johnny Griffin

Part of the Blue Note 80 vinyl reissue series, celebrating Blue Note’s 80th Anniversary in 2019, Introducing Johnny Griffin is mastered from original analogue sources and pressed on 180g vinyl. Tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin blew out of Chicago and made his debut album for Blue Note Records in 1956, steering a nimble quartet with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach through a fantastic set of originals and standards. From the blistering opener “Mil Dew” to the loping “Chicago Calling” and bluesy “Nice and Easy” Griffin’s staggering technical ability and buoyant swing is readily apparent at every twist and turn.


HORACE SILVER

DOIN’ THE THING: LIVE AT THE VILLAGE GATE

The thing is live jazz, and live jazz is the thing! "We'd like for you all to help us get in the groove, let your hair down, and come on and get in the music with us," says Horace Silver in the spoken introduction to Doin' The Thing, the only live album the great pianist made during his remarkable 3-decade tenure on Blue Note Records. Recorded in May 1961 at the Village Gate in NYC, this exuberant live date featured Silver's great quintet with trumpeter Blue Mitchell, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Roy Brooks.

HANK MOBLEY

Soul Station

An incredibly warm and lovable album. Mobley’s smooth sound and warm solos combine with the top notch and comfortable backing of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass – both of whom were playing with Mobley in Miles Davis’ group at the time – and master Blue Note drummer Art Blakey. The title blues track leads this swingin’ session. One of my favorite album covers.

KACEY MUSGRAVES 

GOLDEN HOUR

After winning Album Of The Year at the Grammy’s, Kacey Musgraves really won the heart of America with her fourth studio album, Golden Hour and witty personality. The lyricism of each track ranges from being by yourself and content with “Lonely Weekend” to a lovely, sweet homage in the track “Mother.” Kacey’s soft, sultry voice along with her divine, genuine lyricism will have you putting this album on repeat over and over again.

GWEN STEFANI

LOVE ANGEL MUSIC BABY

Love Angel Music Baby by Gwen Stefani is the first studio, breakaway album since her departure from No Doubt. This album resonates as a coming of age release with tracks like “Bubble Pop Electric” and “Cool.” The album does an exquisite job of marrying many genres together like electro-pop, R&B, and alternative. Love Angel Music Baby is a testament that Gwen Stefani was capable of standing on her own with her solo-project and have it succeed with such abundance. We owe a lot to Gwen for coining the term “Hollaback Girl” and teaching us the correct, perhaps difficult, spelling of bananas.

YEAH YEAH YEAHS

FEVER TO TELL

A quick, fast-paced punk revival – Karen O in Fever To Tell is the front woman we’ve been so thirstily craving for so long. I remember seeing them perform at FYF in 2013 and she was wearing a sparkle suit; her energy was electric and bright like a punk rock Jesus. Fever To Tell is rebellious and empowering in every facet, every guitar chord. Her spunky dynamism, melodramatic voice along with the electronic sound of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs will have you moshing and air-guitaring in general admission.

Tim Ziegler is the Director, Classics and Jazz for Universal Music Enterprises, Universal Music Group’s catalog division. He feels blessed to work with Blue Note, Verve, and Decca on their world class and inspiring catalogs. He got interested in jazz in high school when his best friend’s dad mentioned Thelonious Monk’s “angular music” (thanks, Dave!) and has been evangelizing it for work in one form or another ever since. He lives in Pasadena with his family and their two dogs, Charlie and Blue.