The real-feel temperature in New York yesterday was 21F, with fluorescent-gray skies and a stiff, frosty wind coming out of the Northeast. Midwinter had officially arrived, and so did the blahs. Rather than trick myself out of this time of year with upbeat music, I like to feed into the hushed, introspective mood. Here are 10 albums I often listen to as winter gets down to business:
Bill Evans: Turn Out the Stars, The Final Village Vanguard Recordings, June 1980, with Marc Johnson on bass and Joe LaBarbera on drums. I was there on Saturday night, seated right behind Evans with a bird's eye view of the keyboard. Here's Nardis from the box set...
Don Friedman: A Day in the City (1961). Here's the full album...
Billie Holiday: Body and Soul (1957). Recorded for Verve, the album by Holiday featured Harry "Sweets" Edison (tp), Ben Webster (ts), Barney Kessel (g), Jimmy Rowles (p), Red Mitchell (b), Alvin Stoller and Larry Bunker (d). Here's the album...
Gary McFarland: Butterscotch Rum (1971). Here's the album...
Maria Creuza: Sesion Nostalgia (1974). Here's the full album...
Charles Mingus: The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963). Here's the full album...
Kay Starr: I Cry By Night, with Ben Webster (1962). Here's the album...
Jack Teagarden: Mis'ry and the Blues (1961). Here's the album...
Bobby Scott: My Heart in My Hands (1967). Here's the album...
Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes: Double Portrait (2010). Here's the album...
