OTHER FIRST RECORDS

When I took up the guitar, I decided I would listen to the best players in all genres. In classical, I had heard of Andres Segovia from my father. For jazz, I got a copy of Downbeat magazine and read about Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Jim Hall. In country, it was Chet Atkins. So that determined my record (you remember those 12” vinyl things) purchases. Also, I used to watch the sitcom, “The Dobie Gillis Show”. On that show, Bob Denver (Gilligan’s Island) played Maynard G. Krebs, Dobie’s beatnik friend. Maynard was always going down to the Bijou theatre to hear Thelonius Monk. I thought “How did he make up such a funny name?” When I went down to Fitchburg Music and looked through the record bin, I was amazed and pleased to find records by Thelonius Monk in the jazz section. So I bought one. Criss Cross. By the way, his middle name was Sphere. Thelonius Sphere Monk. I think Charlie Rouse played tenor sax on that album. I don’t have it anymore. Lost it in Boston in the late 60’s along with most of my other collection.

My approach to music listening in those days was more like an exercise in music appreciation. I tried to find who was considered the best in a genre, then listen to it and try to learn what there was to like about it rather than just seeking out the music that I “liked” on first listen. Monk wasn’t anything like what I expected. It wasn’t what I thought “cool” jazz was. I had never heard anything like it. Bizarre, primitive, angular. He hits “wrong” notes on purpose. Minor 2^nd intervals. Monk may be an acquired taste for most of us but there’s nothing like him. I love it.

I also got into Jimmy Smith, the jazz organist. His was some of the music I used to hear “right before the news break” on the radio. So I bought several of his albums. I guess what I loved was his bluesy approach, funky. He played bass on the organ pedals. One album of his, I think it was a Blue Note, had Kenny Burrell on it. I learned the first 2 choruses of Kenny’s solo on one of the cuts. I still remember it. I can sing it to you right now. That was in my teens. The human brain is an amazing thing!

Of course in rock I had Duane Eddy, the Ventures, the Astronauts (a pre-Beatles band from Denver. They wore blonde suits, used blonde Fender guitars and amps). Later I liked the solo in Louie Louie by the Kingsmen and Steve Cropper’s solo in Green Onions (Booker T. and the MGs). These were more bluesy, string bendy things than the Ventures. It was much harder to figure out what they were playing because the notes wouldn’t stand still!