This Day in Music

January 24th

A legendary jazz performance, a legendary jazz cat’s release, a legendary solo release, Elvis takes a vacation, and more, all on this busy day in music.

(Yes, the term “legendary” is once again used liberally. It is, afterall, a central theme of this publication.)

Releases

1972: Legendary American singer-songwriter Paul Simon releases his second studio solo album, and first album following his split with Art Garfunkel, simply titled, "Paul Simon." Simon was focused on weaving-in other musical styles to his songs for this album, including latin music, blues, jazz, and even some reggae.

It was both a critical and commercial success. Receiving top marks from all reviewers, Robert Christgau, who graded the album a rare A+, wrote in his Village Voice review, "This is the only thing in the universe to make me positively happy in the first two weeks of February 1972." Retrospective ratings reflect universal acclaim from critics, earning their highest marks, which is fully justified because it’s a wonderful LP.

Featuring two of Simon's earliest solo hits, "Mother and Child Reunion" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard," it reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200, No. 2 in Canada, and No. 1 in the UK, Sweden, Norway, and Japan. It has been certified Platinum in the US for sales of one million copies.

1964: Thelonious Monk, the piano-playing jazz legend who puts the “cat” in the term “jazz cat,” releases his 21st album, and sixth with Columbia Records, simply titled “Monk.”

Monk composed two of the six tracks: “Teo,” in honour of the album’s producer, legendary Columbia Records studio maven, Teo Macero, who also did “Bitches Brew” for Miles Davis and “Time Out” for The Dave Brubeck Quartet, among dozens of others; and “Pannonica,” for legendary jazz patron, Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica ('Nica') de Koenigswarter, née Rothschild. Four American standards round out the LP, including “Liza (All the Clouds Roll Away)” by George and Ira Gershwin with Gus Kahn, and “April in Paris” by Harburg & Duke.

Nica Pannonica lived in a large house in Weehawken, New Jersey, where she moved following complaints from neighbours about the jazz sessions she held in her Manhattan apartment. At the house, she kept about 300 cats and referred to the property as Catville. Her great patronage of jazz and love of cats certainly made her beneficiaries “jazz cats,” but the term simply refers to cool dudes who play jazz. Monk was amongst the coolest, though it’s said he didn’t actually like cats, despite a famous photograph of him sleeping with Siamese on his lap, taken by the Baroness during one of his visits.

As for the record itself, “Monk” was warmly received by critics, earning 4-Stars from the Penguin Guide to Jazz, and featured a quartet with Charlie Rouse (ts), Larry Giles (b), and Ben Riley (d) completing the ensemble. Liner notes were written by legendary jazz pianist and composer, Bill Evans.

2011: English singer-songwriter Adele Adkins, known professionally by her first name only, releases her second studio album, “21.” As with her first album, “19,” the title is her age at the time the record was produced.

The style reflects her unique blend of Motown soul with a little country and southern blues. It sings of heartbreak, the process of healing, and of forgiveness, indicating a personal album that had followed the breakdown of a romantic relationship.

Received well by reviewers, it carries a Metacritic score of 76/100. The music-buying public however had a much more confident reaction, making “21” a worldwide commercial success and rocketing Adele to international stardom.

The album reached No. 1 on the charts of no less than 30 countries, including the big five: the Billboard 200 in the US, the UK Albums chart, the Canada Albums list, the Australian chart, and the German list. In addition, it was No. 1 across the rest of the Eurozone, Scandinavia, Russia, Brazil, and Japan. It is certified 18x Platinum in the UK, 14x Platinum in the US, 2x Diamond in Canada, 17x Platinum in Australia, and 8x Platinum in Germany. It’s also multi-Diamond and multi-Platinum in 22 other countries.

“21” has become the 16th best-selling album of all time, with certified shipments totalling nearly 31 million units. It was indeed a huge record for Adele, and why not? It’s fabulous!

Events

1975: Keith Jarrett performs the first of two consecutive sold-out shows at the Köln Opera House in Köln (i.e. Cologne), Germany (West Germany at the time). The performances would be immortalized on the legendary double-album, “The Köln Concert,” which became the highest-selling solo jazz album in history. This Day in Music will feature the album later this year, on its release date of November 30th.

1967: American soul singer Aretha Franklin receives a $25,000 ($241,000 in 2026 dollars) signing bonus to move from her label, Columbia, to Ahmet Ertegun's Atlantic Records.

The Daily Elvis

1969: Following the completion of record sessions Memphis, Elvis takes Priscilla and their daughter, Lisa Marie, to Aspen for a ski vacation.

Pictured: Keith Jarrett in Köln, c.1975