This week I am handing over the column to David Vick, who has contributed what I regard as the best (so far) of all the Top Tens I have received. Sound in judgment and admirably wide-ranging, Vick has in particular introduced me to Kurt Elling, an amazing jazz vocalist, still only in his early forties, of whom I had never previously heard. Having checked Elling out on Spotify, it’s clear that he is a superb artist, and I have now ordered several of his CDs. Trust me, trust David Vick. This guy is sensational and I cannot understand why he is so little known. Now, over to you, Mr Vick.
Charles Spencer
First up must be, of course, Dylan. He and I have been, in the words of his latest album title, together through life. The man is, quite simply, the greatest genius of our generation. I have 783 Bob Dylan tracks on my iPod, which pretty much conveys the enormity of his contribution to music and to my life. If I have to choose just one of his albums to represent his life’s achievement, it will have to be:
1. Blonde on Blonde, Bob Dylan (1966)
The two other greatest rock albums of all time, both of which completely blew me away the first time I heard them (I can still remember the hairs on my neck standing up when I first listened to Astral Weeks, in the Rainbow Records shop in West Drayton, and realised that I was in the presence of something quite extraordinary), still sound just as good over 40 years later. They are:
2. Astral Weeks, Van Morrison (1968)
3. Forever Changes, Love (1967)
These days, I listen mainly to jazz, which I first got into while still at school in the 1960s, and I have no doubt whatsoever that the two most seminal figures are Miles Davis and John Coltrane, in all of their various incarnations. I listen to the music of both of them, and from all phases of their musical evolution, all the time.
It is a measure of the calibre of jazz fans as a subset of humanity that, quite remarkably, the accepted view of what is the greatest jazz album of all time (and is also the best-selling jazz album of all time) is one that I can wholeheartedly share:
4. Kind of Blue, Miles Davis (1959)
Choosing my favourite Coltrane album is a lot more difficult, so here I’m going for a compilation album containing some of his loveliest and most mellow tracks, first released by Impulse in 1991:
5. The Gentle Side of John Coltrane (original recordings, 1961–64)
Among the more contemporary instrumental jazz performers, I especially enjoy three great pianists: Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau and the late Esbjörn Svensson. The Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) recorded some 14 albums before the tragic death of its leader in a diving accident a couple of years ago. I’d be hard pressed to select a favourite among them, but in recognition of the total excitement I experienced when watching the trio perform live on a couple of occasions I’ve gone for:
6. Live in Hamburg, Esbjörn Svensson Trio (2007)
I also love the vibrancy and rhythm of African music. The best African music comes from West Africa, and the best West African music comes from Mali, from performers such as Salif Keita, Rokia Traoré and Oumou Sangaré. As the most effective showcase I’d choose this compilation double album by the Malian diva Oumou Sangaré. Catch her live, if you ever get the opportunity:
7. Oumou, Oumou Sangaré (2004)
OK, I’ve left the best until last. The one performer who has transformed my music listening in the past few years is the jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, from Chicago, now consistently voted the world’s top male jazz singer in the Downbeat critics’ poll. He combines the purity of Sinatra or Johnny Hartman with the edginess of Mark Murphy. His phrasing is never, ever less than perfect. At his best (‘Not While I’m Around’ on the Flirting with Twilight album, or ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ on Man in the Air), his music reduces me to tears with its sheer loveliness. I am now an evangelist for Kurt Elling. He has made five albums which are just about flawless. This Time It’s Love (1998) and Nightmoves (2007) could also have made it into my Top Ten, at the cost of totally over-balancing the list. The three that cruise into my pantheon are:
8. Flirting With Twilight, Kurt Elling (2001)
9. Man in the Air, Kurt Elling (2003)
10. Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman, Kurt Elling (2009)
Now go and listen to my man Kurt.
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