Debussy’s “Children’s Corner Suite   Paolo Spagnolo, piano   Decca

(43 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)

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“Dance Suavemente”   RCA Victor

(38 votes, average: 3.58 out of 5)

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Celia Vilela “…e Viva a Juventude!!!”   RGE Records

(31 votes, average: 3.26 out of 5)

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“Encontro Musical”   Telefunken

(39 votes, average: 4.18 out of 5)

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“The Peaceful Side”   Billy Strayhorn   United Artists Records   1961.   A beautiful, typically smokey Herman Leonard photograph.

This is a little-known and rather melancholy set, virtually Billy Strayhorn‘s only recording away from the world of Duke Ellington. The focus is totally on Strayhorn’s piano throughout his interpretations of ten of his compositions (including “Lush Life,” “Take the ‘A’ Train,” and “Something to Live For”). Three selections have the Paris Blue Notes adding sparse wordless vocals, two other numbers add some quiet playing by the Paris String Quartet, and bassist Michel Goudret is on five of the ten selections (including one apiece with the strings and the voices). “Strange Feeling” and “Chelsea Bridge” are taken as unaccompanied piano solos. Of the ten songs, only “Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin'” hints at happiness; otherwise, Strayhorn’s melodic and concise playing is quite somber, peaceful in volume but filled with inner tension. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

(42 votes, average: 4.26 out of 5)

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“I Love Music”   Preview of January Albums from Capitol Records.     A DJ sampler compilation from 1958.

(35 votes, average: 4.23 out of 5)

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“Travesuras de…El Tehuelche”   This is the kind of photo that I would taken for the cover of my record.   But I wouldn’t have had the guts to go through with it!

(70 votes, average: 3.77 out of 5)

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“The Conquest of Space”   A conversation between Dr. Wernher von Braun and Willy Ley.   Vox Records.

(44 votes, average: 3.30 out of 5)

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Billy Taylor “Cross Section”   Prestige Records. (1954)   Check out the nice old tube amp.

Eight songs with his trio of 1954 (which included bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice); the four originals (which alternate with standards) were all dedicated to disc jockeys of the time.   The remaining four numbers match Taylor and May with what was dubbed “Machito’s Rhythm Section”: Charlie Smith on conga, Joe Mangual on bongos, Uba Nieto playing timbales and Machito himself on maracas.     Another Rudy Van Gelder session.   Ira Gitler handles the liner notes.

(60 votes, average: 4.53 out of 5)

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Original Bollywood Soundtrack. “Morchha”   Music by Bappi Lahiri   Polydor Records

(38 votes, average: 2.63 out of 5)

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