Monthly Archives: December 2020

Johnny Hammond: The Prophet

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In December 1972, “Kudu” label released “The Prophet”, the 28th Johnny Hammond album. It was recorded in November 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hammond Smith – organ
  • John Eckert, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Wayne Andre, Dick Griffin – trombone
  • Tony Studd – bass trombone
  • Jerry Dodgion, Maceo Parker – tenor saxophone
  • Pepper Adams, Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Eric Gale – guitar
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Andrew Primus – steel drum
  • Pee Wee Ellis – arranger, conductor, electric piano, melodica
  • Carl Carldwell, Lani Groves, Tasha Thomas – vocals 
  • Buddy Lucas – harmonica 
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Johnny “Hammond” Smith except where noted

  1. Prophet – Alfred Ellis
  2. Tomorrow Belongs to the Children – Bob Gundry
  3. Witchy Woman – Bernie Leadon, Don Henley
  4. Thunder and Lightning – Chi Coltrane
  5. Stand Behind Me – Carole King
  6. Corner of the Sky – Stephen Schwartz

Lead Belly

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On December 6, 1949, Huddie William Ledbetter aka Lead Belly died aged 61. He was musician (guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, windjammer), regarded as one of the pioneers of the blues and folk music. His songs covered a wide range of genres including folk, blues, and gospel, some of them like “Goodnight, Irene”, “Midnight Special”, “Cotton Fields”, and “Boll Weevil” became standards, and influenced generations of musicians. In 1988, Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2008 in the “Louisiana Music Hall of Fame”.

The Who: Who

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On December 6, 2019, “Polydor” label released “Who”, the twelfth The Who studio album. It was recorded February – August 2019, at “British Grove” and “Metropolis Studios” in London, and was produced by Pete Townshend, Dave Sardy, Bob Pridden and Dave Eringa.

Personnel:

  • Roger Daltrey – lead vocals
  • Pete Townshend – lead and backing vocals, guitars, harmonicas, percussion, synthesizer tracks, violin, cello, hurdy-gurdy, effects, orchestration
  • Andrew Synowiec – acoustic guitar
  • Gordon Giltrap – acoustic guitar
  • Pino Palladino – bass
  • Gus Seyffert – bass
  • Zak Starkey – drums
  • Carla Azar – drums
  • Matt Chamberlain – drums
  • Joey Waronker – drums
  • Simon Townshend – percussion
  • Fergus Gerrand – percussion
  • Dave Sardy – percussion, mellotron, synthesizer programming
  • Benmont Tench – organ, mellotron
  • Josh Tyrrell – handclaps
  • Rowan McIntosh – handclaps
  • Martin Batchelar – programming, orchestration, orchestra arrangement, orchestra conducting
  • Rachel Fuller – orchestration
  • Peter Rotter – orchestra fixer
  • Bruce Dukov – orchestra leader
  • Peter Blake – art direction, design

Track listing:

All tracks by Pete Townshend, except where noted.

  1. All This Music Must Fade
  2. Ball and Chain
  3. I Don’t Wanna Get Wise
  4. Detour
  5. Beads on One String – Pete Townshend, Josh Hunsaker
  6. Hero Ground Zero
  7. Street Song
  8. I’ll Be Back
  9. Break the News – Simon Townshend
  10. Rockin’ in rage
  11. She Rocked My World

James Brown: Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things

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In December 1968, “King Records” released “Thinking About Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things”, the 21st James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1968, and was produced by James Brown. The album was tribute to Little Willie John, R&B singer from the mid-1950s to the 1960s, who died earlier same year.

Personnel:

  • James Brown – vocals
  • The Dapps
  • New York Studio Orchestra
  • Ron Lenhoff – engineer
  • W. Hughes – design
  • E. Speedy Brown – photography
  • Bud Hobgood – production manager

Track listing:

  1. Talk to Me, Talk to Me – Joe Seneca
  2. Suffering With the Blues – Lloyd Pemberton, Teddy Conyers
  3. Cottage for Sale – Larry Conley, Willard Robison
  4. Billy Bailey – traditional
  5. Home at Least – Rudy Toombs
  6. Heart Break (It’s Hurtin’ Me) – Jon Thomas, Carlee Hoyle
  7. What Kind of Man – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Eddie Setser, Troy Seals
  8. A Note or Two Pt. I – James Brown, Bud Hobgood
  9. I’ll lose My Mind – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Bobby Byrd
  10. Fat Eddie – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Ron Lenhoff
  11. You gave My Heart a Song to Sing – James Brown, Bud Hobgood, Bobby Byrd
  12. A Note Or Two Pt. II – James Brown, Bud Hobgood

Johnny Hallyday

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On December 5, 2017, Jean-Philippe Léo Smet aka Johnny Hallyday died aged 74. He was musician (piano, guitar), singer and actor, the pioneer of the French rock and roll scene. He was called “The French Elvis”, and described as “The biggest rock star you’ve never heard of in English-speaking countries”. In 1997, he was made “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour”, and in 2001, Officer of the “Order of the Crown” in Belgium. In his more than four decades long career he worked with many famous musicians including Mick Jones, Jimmy Page, Tony Joe White, Dalida, Bon Jovi, Michael Bolton, Sylvie Vartan, Bono, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Tommy Brown, Connie Francis, and Laura Pausini. In his lifetime Hallyday released 81 studio and live albums.  

Chico O’Farrill: Nine Flags

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In December 1966, “Impulse!” label released “Nine Flags”, the ninth Chico O’Farrill album. It was recorded in November 1966, in New York City, and was produced by Bob Thiele.

Personnel:

  1. Chico O’Farrill – arranger, conductor
  2. Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
  3. Art Farmer, Bernie Glow, Jimmy Nottingham – trumpet
  4. Harry DiVito, Urbie Green, J. J. Johnson, Benny Powell – trombone
  5. Julius Watkins – French horn
  6. Jerry Dodgion, Joe Firrantello, Eddie Wasserman, Frank Wess – woodwinds
  7. Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone
  8. Larry Coryell – guitar
  9. Pat Rebillot – piano
  10. George Duvivier – bass
  11. Gus Johnson, Don Lamond, Mel Lewis – drums
  12. Carl Hard – percussion 

Track listing:

All tracks by Chico O’Farrill.

  1. Live Oak
  2. Patcham
  3. Aromatic Tabac
  4. Dry Citrus
  5. Royal Saddle
  6. Panache
  7. Green Moss
  8. Manzanilla
  9. Clear Spruce
  10. The Lady From Nine Flags

Gerry Mulligan: Night Lights

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In December 1963, “Philips” label released “Night Lights”, the 36th Gerry Mulligan album. It was recorded September – October 1963, at “Nola Penthouse Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Hal Mooney.

Personnel:

  • Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone, piano 
  • Art Farmer – flugelhorn
  • Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone
  • Jim Hall – guitar
  • Bill Crow – bass
  • Dave Bailey – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Gerry Mulligan except where noted.

  1. Night Lights
  2. Morning of the Carnival – Luiz Bonfá, Antônio Maria
  3. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning – David Mann, Bob Hilliard
  4. Prelude in E Minor – Frédéric Chopin
  5. Festival Minor
  6. Tell Me When

Brooke Fraser: Albertine

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On December 4, 2006, “Columbia” label released “Albertine”, the second Brooke Fraser album. It was recorded 2005 – 2006, and was produced by Marshall Altman.

Personnel:

  • Brooke Fraser – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, string arrangements, photography
  • Michael Chaves – electric guitar
  • Sean Hurley – bass guitar
  • Marshall Altman – percussion, backing vocals, string arrangements, engineer
  • Stevie Blacke – strings, string arrangements
  • Andy Hayes – engineer assistant
  • Don Bartley – mastering
  • Sophie Howarth – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Brook Fraser, except where noted.

  1. Shadowfeet
  2. Deciphering Me
  3. Love, Where Is Your Fire
  4. Love Is Waiting
  5. Albertine
  6. C.S. Lewis Song
  7. Epiloque
  8. Faithful
  9. Seeds – Dave Bassett, Brook Fraser
  10. Hosea’s Wife
  11. The Thief – Brook Fraser, Dan Wilson
  12. Hymn

Quincy Jones: The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones

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In December 1959, “Mercury” label released “The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones”, the sixth Quincy Jones album. It was recorded in November 1959, at “Fine Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Qunicy Jones.

Personnel:

  • Quincy Jones – conductor
  • Art Farmer, Lennie Johnson, Jimmy Maxwell, Lee Morgan, Ernie Royal, Nick Travis – trumpet
  • Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Frank Rehak – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Porter Kilbert, Phil Woods – alto saxophone
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson – tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo
  • Sahib Shihab – baritone saxophone
  • Patti Bown – piano
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Buddy Jones, Buddy Catlett – bass
  • Don Lamond – drums
  • Ralph Burns, Al Cohn, Bill Potts, Ernie Wilkins – arranger

Track listing:

  1. Lester Leaps In – Lester Young
  2. Ghana – Ernie Wilkins
  3. Caravan – Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  4. Everybody’s Blues – Ernie Wilkins
  5. Cherokee (Indian Love Song) – Ray Noble
  6. Air Mail Special – Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Mundy
  7. They Say It’s Wonderful – Irving Berlin
  8. Chant of the Weed – Don Redman
  9. I Never Has Seen Snow – Harold Arlen, Truman Capote
  10. Eesom – Bill Potts