50. “Walking Blues (Part 1 & 2)” by Son House
Son House, influenced by the straightforward style of Charley Patton, originally recorded “Walking Blues” in 1930. But his greatest rendition of the Delta standard is the raw, rickety, six-minute version he recorded for the Library of Congress in 1941. Accompanied by Willie Brown, Fiddlin’ Joe Martin and Leroy Williams (and the sounds of a train passing by in the background), this stretched-out rendition of “Walking Blues” is a fun and freewheeling mess — a song that possesses magnificent musical spontaneity.
49. “Take the ‘A’ Train” by Duke Ellington
“Take the ‘A’ Train” is one of the most joyous songs in the Duke Ellington catalogue: a rollicking swing number written by arranger/composer/collaborator Billy Strayhorn. It’s a quintessential Ellington tune, with memorable solos, catchy melodies and unexpected permutations. It also shows that Strayhorn knew Ellington’s style better than anyone. In Ellington’s own words: “Billy Strayhorn was my right arm, my left arm, all the eyes in the back of my head, the brain waves in my head, and his in mine.” Their thirty-year partnership resulted in some of the most elegant jazz ever recorded, and “Take the ‘A’ Train” is a sterling example of their synergistic songwriting.
48. “Good Rockin’ Tonight” by Wynonie Harris
Originally written and recorded in 1947 by jump blues artist Roy Brown, “Good Rockin’ Tonight” was covered by Wynonie Harris a year later with a far more energetic arrangement. Harris’ version speeds up the tempo, turns up the distortion and adds handclaps and raw, ad-libbed vocal shouts — potentially inventing rock ‘n’ roll in the process.
47. “Key to the Highway” by Big Bill Broonzy
With “Key to the Highway,” Big Bill Broonzy set the standard for all rhythmic blues music to follow. His simple country melodies are paired with an urban propulsion, driving the song forward with deceptively straightforward acoustic guitar riffs, wailing harmonica and an unceasing 4/4 beat. All the while, Broonzy soulfully sings about the glorious subject that is at the heart of all blues songs: escape.
46. “Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)” by Billie Holiday
Woozy, yearning, graceful, lovely — Billie Holiday’s dreamy 1945 single “Lover Man” is a fantastic display of her singular talents. The song bends and sways as if it’ll fall apart at any second, but Holiday’s beautifully drawling vocal keeps the arrangement steady. As always with Lady Day, there’s a not-so-subtle hint of tragedy that permeates the tune, and only a singer of Holiday’s expressive talents can pull off such a stunning balancing act.
45. “That’s All Right” by Arthur Crudup
Eight years before Elvis Presley released it as his debut single, Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s original 1946 version of “That’s All Right” laid the foundation for all rock ‘n’ roll music to follow. The song merges hard-driving rhythm with hard-driving Delta blues — in that order — and features the first non-jazz electric guitar solo.
44. “Lover” by Les Paul
Les Paul’s experiments with overdubbing and tape manipulation sound psychedelic and ahead of their time even today. On his 1948 recording of “Lover,” he transforms a Rodgers and Hart standard into an electric jazz wonderland that defies easy categorization. It features one of the best musical transitions of the decade: 70 seconds in, during which the song suddenly speeds up and becomes a surreal freakout.
43. “Ornithology” by Charlie Parker
The great thing about “contrafacts” — tunes based on previously existing chord progressions — is that harmonic structures cannot be copyrighted. As a result, Charlie Parker reimagines “How High the Moon” as a high-energy romp, with memorable solos and chirping melodies, delivered by a septet that is on absolute fire (and probably a little bit of smack) — the newly christened “Ornithology” is relentless in all the right ways.
42. “La Mer” by Charles Trenet
Most commonly known due to Bobby Darin’s anglicized 1959 cover “Beyond the Sea,” nothing beats Charles Trenet’s original 1946 chanson classic, “La Mer.” With an elegant and somewhat jazzy orchestral accompaniment, the song starts off humbly, with Trenet crooning sweet nothings about the vast infinitude of the ocean. It then builds to a rousing climax that crescendos with Trenet’s tidal wave of a voice — one of the greatest French singers in popular music history.
41. “Good Enough to Keep (Air My Special)” by Benny Goodman & Charlie Christian
By the end of World War II (and due in large part to the 1942-’44 musicians’ strike), the big band era was officially over: Count Basie, Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw all broke up their orchestras; Duke Ellington, Woody Herman and Stan Kenton took the genre in more experimental directions; Ray Noble lost popularity after the death of singer Al Bowlly; and Tommy Dorsey lost popularity after Frank Sinatra didn’t renew his contract.
Only Benny Goodman successfully adapted to the changing times, and “Good Enough to Keep” is the proof: a bouncy bebop tune that features electric guitar pioneer Charlie Christian and vibraphone virtuoso Lionel Hampton as part of the newly formed Benny Goodman Sextet. Even though it was recoded in 1941, “Good Enough to Keep” sounds a decade ahead of its time.
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