TOP ALBUMS OF 1956

#10



Paul Chambers
Whims of Chambers

A true champions lineup that doesn't swing as hard as it possibly could but it's still a fantastic record for this year and deserves a spot in the top ten. Look at this team...

Donald Byrd - trumpet
John Coltrane - tenor saxophone
Kenny Burrell - guitar
Horace Silver - piano
Paul Chambers - double bass
"Philly" Joe Jones - drums

Wild. Byrd, Trane, and Chambers all get writing compositions on here and the only dud is "Dear Ann". Everyone plays top notch, especially Jones on the kit, and it's always fun hearing Trane before he started to really take the world by storm.



#9



Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio
Johnny Burnette and the Rock 'n Roll Trio

Rockabilly with a whole lotta edge. F*cking Everly brothers weren't doing this sh*t. Burnette has that howl of his and it shines throughout the whole record, which is wonderfully consistent. I'm not a HUGE rockabilly fan but this certainly deserves inclusion and I think it's just a slight more iconic than Chambers giving it the edge here.