1964

The Barbra Streisand Album - Barbra Streisand

I owe Babs a huge apology. I have overlooked this woman for many years. So many times my parents have watched Yentl and I have left the room. So many times I have flipped by dozens of her records in thrift stores. Everywhere I went, Barbra Streisand was there, and sadly to say, it took almost twenty-two years before I ever gave her chance. From the way she sings that first line, "Now you say / you're lonely" I was blown away. She kills it on every track. Even "Who's Afraid of The Big Bad Wold" (Who ever thought it was a a good idea to put that on an album of standards is a mystery to me, but I think it works).

Few singers have that crystal clear high register that really hits me. She comes close to that Nancy Wilson barrier of excellence. But even Streisand breaks through the glass ceiling here. "My Baby's Loving Arms" is a bursting confession of love that shakes me up, the end note is outrageous. Although some of these songs seem to be sung in different characters, each one is beautifully perfected by her performance. Both "A Taste of Honey" and "Soon It's Gonna Rain" have a deep, almost operatic style, contrasted with the heartbreaking confessions on "Much More" and "A Sleepin' Bee". Of course the stand-out on the this album is "Happy Days Are Here Again" Her runs on this track travel from soft spoken to pedagogical, all the while, carrying a banner of hope over every note. The album as a whole is an exercise in expression and intimacy. Each track on here is a performance capable of connecting to audience in any way possible. Babs, don't ever let me forget about you again.

other 1964 nominees

• Bach's Greatest Hits performed by The Swingle Singers
• The Days of Wine and Roses Soundtrack performed by Henry Mancini
• Honey in the Horn performed by Al Hirt
• The Singing Nun performed by The Singing Nun

1963

The First Family - Vaughn Meader

Another comedy album, o boy. Vaughn Meader and his talented cast perform a kind of radio-theater bit as they mimic the President and the first family. It's essential sketch comedy. I only listened to this once and to be honest, I didn't really get it. I tried my hardest to pretend I was living in the sixties and JFK was the president, but even then I have the problem of having to hear JFK speak. A voice that I personally find rather irritating and hard to understand. Great guy though. I did find myself laughing occasionally, whenever "John" and "Jackie" would talk together I found both of their character voices absolutely hilarious.

This kind of sketch comedy predates SNL by ten years, but seems to some of the ground work for intelligent and relevant sketch comedy. People will always find pleasure in mocking or playing with their political figures. It humanizes them, makes them seem friendly, and is a cathartic way to deal with the faults of our nation. Comedy is a form of relief, and I'm glad even then, JFK was involved in this art. If I knew more about history, I would've loved it all the more. But it's a very entertaining piece and a steppingstone in comedy history.

• I Left My Heart in San Francisco performed by Tony Bennett
• Jazz Samba performed by Stan Getz & Charlie Byrd
• Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music performed by Ray Charles
• My Son, the Folk Singer performed by Allan Sherman

1962

Judy at Carnegie Hall - Judy Garland

Finally, an album I'm somewhat familiar with. Now, like most people I grew up knowing some of these songs such as "The Trolley Song" "You Go To My Head" and so on. But to be honest, I never thought of Judy Garland as much of an artist. All I knew about her was that she was some sort of Vaudeville singer who got big after The Wizard of Oz, and that she liked poppin pills.

To be honest, it wasn't until Rufus Wainwright covered this entire concert that I went through and listened to the whole thing. First of all, I thought his performance wis hilarious, ingenious, and impressive. And then when I listened to Judy's actual performance, I thought the exact same thing.

After going through again I found myself drawn to these slow love ballads such as "If Love Were All" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love". Being such a long set, there is a lot to take in here. The band is beautiful and Judy is extravagant and commanding. It's hard to imagine an entertainer like her who controlled the band and the audience all so well. Just listen as she cues up the songs and commands the audience to take an intermission.

What this live album presents is a person finding solace in her art. Amidst whatever she was going through at the time, Judy took the stage all for her own and showed the world all the good things she had to offer. And in doing so, we are left with this inspiring, witty, and beautiful piece.

other 1962 nominees

• Breakfast at Tiffany's Soundtrack performed by Henry Mancini
• Genius+Soul=Jazz performed by Ray Charles
• Great Band with Great Voices performed by Si Zentner & the Johnny Mann Singers
• The Nat King Cole Story performed by Nat King Cole
• West Side Story Soundtrack performed by Various Artists

1961

The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart - Bob Newhart

I've always had a hard time with stand-up. My excuse for not liking has always been that I don't want someone to make me laugh on purpose; if something's funny, just let it happen. But slowly i've learned to let my prejudice go and appreciate the art. On this past Thanksgiving I sat through an entire Jim Gaffigan DVD, that's over one hour! I let myself relax and have a good laugh, and that's the point of all of this. Everyone likes to laugh, and if I prefer sketch-comedy with an ensemble more than a one-man-show, so be it.

I was in a discussion yesterday with a friend about the importance of comedy. It's perhaps the most powerful form of commentary we have on politics and pop culture. With that being said, it's best to take it in context. Bob Newhart's performance here takes on history of politics, technology, sports, military, and everyday life. His bits are from the modern world, (the sixties), but are in communication with the past. He bridges the gap of past and the present by simply being in dialogue with them.

His stammering delivery is adorable and charming. No matter the character or situation he is performing, it's done in his natural voice, giving each piece familiarity. A part of what makes his work so entertaining is his dialogue with a character off-stage. His characters are always speaking to an absent person, leaving the audience to fill in the gaps. Whether it's Abraham Lincoln, Orville Wright, or a driving student, we get a chance to throw in our own lines and be in conversation with the piece itself.

other 1961 nominees

• Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall performed by Harry Belafonte
• Brahms: Concert No. 2 in B-Flat performed by Sviatoslav Richter
• Nice 'n' Easy performed by Frank Sinatra
• Puccini: Turandot performed by Erich Leinsdorf
• Wild Is Love performed by Nat King Cole

1/11/11

a. wikipedia has a lot of info, thank you.

b. grooveshark, itunes, youtube, excellent ways to listen to music, thanks.

c. it's snowing in seattle this evening. let's hope the city shuts down and everyone gets a play day.

1960

Come Dance With Me - Frank Sinatra

Sinatra was perhaps America's greatest entertainer throughout the forties and fifties. He won an Oscar and several Grammy awards, his first being with Come Dance With Me. I think everybody will agree with me that Frank Sinatra has one the most recognizable voices of all time. It's much more familiar and commong than that of Dean Martin or Bing Crosby. It's as if he's talking to an old friend and seducing a woman at a bar all rolled into one. Never do you hear him take a breath or hit a harsh consonant. Every word and syllable flows effortlessly. Each song is an easy and comfortable conversation.

The collection on this album is all arranged by Billy May, who worked with many of the great singers of the past such as Bobby Darin and Ella Fitzgerald. His band shines on this album with an upbeat and swinging attitude. Every track has the standard brass phrasing that one comes to love and dance to in these old standards. The band shines on "Day In -- Day Out" and "Just In Time", throwing every punch where possible.

The appeal of course is in that old familiar baritone voice of his. I listened to this album a few times, one of them being on a run which was a very odd experience, but I found that as a piece it is much more situational or nostalgic than cohesive. It is something you want to experience while dancing or drinking. The songs stand exceptionally on their own, but when jumbled together they get repetitive and tiring, particularly the slow and moody last track, "The Last Dance", which takes his voice to a very low and uncomfortable range. Many of the tracks become forgettable in this sequence of standards.

Sinatra is remarkable at taking any tune and making it his own as much as it is ours, but it comes out as a personal love letter to a particular time or moment. His songs are something you keep and want to dust off and re-read every once and a while. And it's not just because they are old, but because they are full of talent and sincerity.

other 1960 nominees

• Belafonte at Carnegie Hall performed by Harry Belafonte
• More Music From Peter Gunn performed by Henry Mancini
• Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 performed by Van Cliburn
• Victory at Sea, Vol. 1 performed by Robert Russell Bennett

1959

The Music from Peter Gunn - Henry Mancini

Everybody knows this first song. The title track to this television series became a standard for sexy spy tunes. This is the kind of music I imagine our grandparents listening to at pool parties in the late 50’s. Henry Mancini follows in the footsteps of Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, leading his band along with grace and poise, but not shying away from the experimental sounds to come. Whereas the big band sound is never forgotten here, not to mention perfected by the tickling of the piano keys with the trumpet on Dreamsville and Slow And Easy, the vibraphone and guitar have a beautiful relationship on this album that gives it a modern flare. Just listen to them sharing lines and riffs on tracks such as The Floater and A Profound Gass. It all seems familiar though until you reach Spook! The guitar's constant swagger draws on a standard blues riff but seems to open the way into surf rock. The track saunters on with the deep brass moaning in and out and the hi-hat of the drums never failing. Do you hear that? It’s the sound of the sixties coming down the road, and she’s never leaving.

I only know of one other piece by Mancini, his work in Breakfast At Tiffany’s, and who after hearing Moon River can ever forget it? That single would come to win him Record of The Year in 1962. It's a rare thing when a soundtrack becomes wildly popular, but Mancini's work on Peter Gunn not only won the first Album of The Year but also part two earned him a nomination the next year. It was the late fifties and people clearly loved their big bands. He managed to capture the allure and the mystique of private eyes and smokey offices with the blinds drawn, but escaped the cliche of genre and make a work of art that stands all on its own.

other 1959 nominees

Come Fly With Me - Frank Sinatra

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook - Ella Fitzgerald

Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely - Frank Sinatra

Tchaikovsky: Concerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op. 23 - Van Cliburn