The music of 1950 is all over the board: jazz bebop, classical experimentation, obscure Mexican song & dance and the early beginnings of swingin’ pop. Rock and roll has yet to even be invented. Listed below are the 11 most interesting albums of a strange musical year.
Jazz
- The Last Testament of a Great New Orleans Jazzman (Bunk Johnson) A
- Innovations in Modern Music (Stan Kenton) A
- Charlie Parker with Strings (Charlie Parker) A
- The New Sound (Les Paul) A-
- Piano Solos (Bud Powell) A-
- Piano Solos #2 (Bud Powell) A
Swing/Pop
- Ella Sings Gershwin (Ella Fitzgerald) A-
- Swing and Dance with Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) A-
- Sarah Vaughan (Sarah Vaughan) B+
Classical
- Classical Check-Up
- Pierre Boulez
- John Cage
- Sergei Prokofiev
- Richard Strauss
Foreign
- Voice of the Xtabay (Yma Sumac) A-
- Sones de Mexico (Trio Aguilillas) A-
The Music of 1950
