Five 1950's Jazz Favorites

Curated Mid-Century Modern Home Listings from Across the Country 📍

Were the 1950’s a golden era for Jazz? Undoubtedly. Let’s kick off a new week with some iconic albums from an iconic era. Note: The following is not a “best of” list or ranking, just some personal favorites . . .

Kenny Burrell - no title, Blue Note 1543 (1957)

Absurdly good album with even better album artwork by Andy Warhol. The original drawing can be seen in the book Andy Warhol – Drawings and illustrations of the 1950s (D.A.P./Goliga Books). Listen here.

Chet Baker Quartet - Chet Baker in Paris Volume 1 (1956)

Young Chet was a busy man. Volume 1 in Paris is a great place to start. Listen here.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out (1959)

The first million-selling jazz album lives up to the hype. Funny enough, Time Out was viewed as experimental at it’s 1959 release. It took until November 1960 for the work to see commercial success and start creeping up the charts. The lovely cover art was created by Sadamitsu “S. Neil” Fujita, who was a visual artist at Columbia Records between 1954 and 1960. Listen here.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (1959)

Kind of Blue is a kind of gateway drug to Jazz. An Avengers-level crew including John Coltrane and Bill Evans deliver a 45 minute and 45 second masterpiece. Listen here.

Lionel Hampton & Stan Getz - Hamp & Getz (1955)

We didn’t see peak Getz until the 1960s, but Hamp & Getz is still something special. The vibraphone and tenor saxophone pairing is unexpected, unique, and fun. Listen here.

GEMS FOR SALE THIS WEEK

25987 Mission St, Carmel, CA 93923

(Undisclosed Address), Los Angeles, CA 90046

Upgrade to a paid account for even more listings: