Monthly Archives: December 2021

Wynton Marsalis: Hot House Flowers

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On December 18, 1984, “Columbia” label released “Hot House Flowers”, the third Wynton Marsalis album. It was recorded in May 1984, at “RCA Studio A” in New York City, and was produced by George Butler and Steven Epstein. The album won “Grammy Award” for “Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Soloist” in 1985.

Personnel:

  • Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
  • Branford Marsalis – soprano and tenor saxophone
  • Kent Jordan – alto flute
  • Paul McCandless – oboe, English horn
  • Andrew Schwartz – bassoon
  • Peter Gordon – French horn
  • Tony Price – tuba
  • Kenny Kirkland – piano
  • Ron Carter – double bass
  • Jeff “Tain” Watts – drums
  • Charles Libove (concertmaster), Ingrid Arden, Peter Dimitriades, Gayle Dixon, Guillermo Figueroa, Winterton Garvey, Harry Glickman, Regis Iandiorio, Ray Kunicki, Patmore Lewis, Diane Monroe, Louann Montesi – violin
  • Al Brown, Theodore Israel, Mitsue Takayama, Harry Zaratzian – viola
  • Seymour Barab, Richard Locker, Alvin McCall, Frederick Zlotkin – cello
  • Bob Freedman – arranger, orchestrator, conductor

Track listing:

  1. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish
  2. Lazy Afternoon – Jerome Moross, John Latouche
  3. For All We Know – John Frederick Coots, Sam M. Lewis
  4. When You Wish upon a Star – Ned Washington, Leigh Harline
  5. Django – John Lewis
  6. Melancholia – Duke Ellington
  7. Hot House Flowers – Wynton Marsalis
  8. I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You) – Al J. Neiburg, Doc Daugherty, Ellis Reynolds

Paul McCartney: McCartney III

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On December 18, 2020, “Capitol” label released “McCartney III”, the 18th Paul McCartney album. It was recorded in 2020, at “Hogg Hill Mill” in Sussex, England, and was produced by Paul McCartney.

Personnel:

  • Paul McCartney – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, bass guitar, double bass, acoustic piano, harpsichord, mellotron, harmonium, Fender Rhodes, synthesizers, Wurlitzer electric piano, drums, percussion, recorder
  • Rusty Anderson – electric guitar
  • Abe Laboriel Jr. – drums
  • Steve Orchard – engineer
  • Alex Pasco – engineer
  • Bob Kraushaar – engineer
  • Keith Smith – assistant engineer
  • Randy Merrill – mastering
  • Greg Kurstin – co-producer
  • George Martin – co-producer
  • Nick Steinhardt – art direction, design
  • Ed Ruscha – cover art typography
  • Mary McCartney – cover portrait, photography
  • Sonny McCartney – photography
  • Brian Clarke – stained glass

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul McCartney.

  1. Long Tailed Winter Bird
  2. Find My Way
  3. Pretty Boys
  4. Women and Wives
  5. Lavatory Lil
  6. Slidin’
  7. Deep Deep Feeling
  8. The Kiss of Venus
  9. Seize the Day
  10. Deep Down
  11. Winter Bird / When Winter Comes

Blue Mitchell: Heads Up!

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In December 1968, “Blue Note” label released “Heads Up!”, the 14th Blue Mitchell album. It was recorded in November 1967, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Blue Mitchell – trumpet
  • Burt Collins – trumpet
  • Jerry Dodgion – flute, alto saxophone
  • Junior Cook – tenor saxophone
  • Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
  • Julian Priester – trombone
  • McCoy Tyner – piano
  • Gene Taylor – bass
  • Al Foster – drums
  • Jimmy Heath, Melba Liston, Duke Pearson, Don Pickett – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. Heads Up! Feet Down! – Jimmy Heath
  2. Togetherness – Jimmy Heath
  3. The Folks Who Live on the Hill – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
  4. Good Humour Man – Don Pickett
  5. Len Sirrah – Melba Liston
  6. The People in Nassau – Blue Mitchell

Jackie McLean: Capuchin Swing

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In December 1960, “Blue Note” label released “Capuchin Swing”, the 18th Jackie McLean album. It was recorded in April 1970, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
  • Blue Mitchell – trumpet
  • Walter Bishop, Jr. – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Jackie McLean except where noted.

  1. Francisco
  2. Just for Now – Walter Bishop, Jr.
  3. Don’t Blame Me – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  4. Condition Blue
  5. Capuchin Swing
  6. On the Lion – Walter Bishop, Jr.

Bill Withers: Menagerie

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In December 1977, “Columbia” label released “Menagerie”, the sixth Bill Withers studio album. It was recorded in 1977, at “The Record Plant” in Los Angeles, “A&R Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Bill Withers, Keni Burke, Clarence McDonald and Clifford Coulter.

Personnel:

  • Bill Withers – lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards
  • Ray Parker Jr. – guitar
  • Clarence McDonald – keyboards, string arrangements, horn arrangements, arrangements
  • Dean Gant – keyboards
  • Clifford Coulter – keyboards, synthesizer solo
  • Mike Jones – synthesizers
  • Jerry Knight – bass
  • Keni Burke – bass
  • Russ Kunkel – drums, shaker
  • Alvin Taylor – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Paul Riser – horn arrangements, string arrangements
  • Charles Veal – concertmaster
  • Pat Hodges – backing vocals
  • Denita James – backing vocals
  • Jessica Smith – backing vocals
  • Phil Jantaas – assistant engineer
  • Roger Carpenter – design
  • Lou Beach – illustration
  • Elliot Gilbert – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Bill Withers, except where noted.

  1. Lovely Day – Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough
  2. I Want to Spend the Night
  3. Lovely Night for Dancing
  4. Then You Smile at Me – Bill Withers, Clarence McDonald
  5. She Wants To (Get on Down) – Bill Withers, Larry Nash
  6. It Ain’t because of Me Baby – Bill Withers, Michael Jones
  7. Tender Things
  8. Wintertime – Cliff Coulter
  9. Let Me Be the One You Need – Bill Withers, Skip Scarborough

Oscar Peterson & Joe Pass & Ray Brown: The Giants

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In December 1974, “Pablo” label released “The Giants” an album by Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, and Ray Brown. It was recorded on December 7, 1974, at “MGM Studios” and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano, organ
  • Joe Pass – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Norman Granz – layout, design
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Riff Blues – Oscar Peterson
  2. Who Cares? – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  3. Jobim – Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson
  4. Blues for Dennis – Oscar Peterson
  5. Sunny – Bobby Hebb
  6. I’m Getting Sentimental Over You – George Bassman, Ned Washington
  7. Caravan – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol
  8. Eyes of Love – Quincy Jones, Bob Russell

Charlotte Gainsbourg: Stage Whisper

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On December 13, 2011, “Because” label released “Stage Whisper”, the fourth Charlotte Gainsbourg album. It was released as double album, with studio and live recordings. “Stage Whisper” was recorded 2010 – 2011, and was produced by Beck.

Personnel:

  • Charlotte Gainsbourg – lead vocals, keyboards, percussion
  • Beck Hansen – vocal, guitar, synth bass, piano, organ, synthesizer, percussion, drums programming
  • Asa Taccone – organ, piano, drum programming, backing vocals
  • Charlie Fink – vocals, piano, bass, synthesizer, programming
  • Brian Lebarton – keyboard, guitar, backing vocals
  • Amir Yaghmai – guitar, violin, glockenspiel, percussion, backing vocals
  •  Conor J O’Brien – acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
  • Renaud Letang – keyboards
  • Matt Popieluch – guitar, backing vocals
  • Justin Baily – guitar
  • Bram Inscore – bass, contra bass, cello, percussion, backing vocals
  • Laurent Vernerey – double bass
  • Matthew Compton – drums, guitar, bass
  • Josiah Steinbrick – sitar
  • Tom Hobden – violin, backing vocals
  • Nicole Morier – guitar, glockenspiel, percussion, backing vocals
  • Eric Gardner – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Ben Attal – drums
  • Monique McGuffin – harp
  • Cole Marsden Greif-Neill – drums programming, engineer 
  • Julien Naudin – recording
  • Shaun Sebastian – recording
  • Drew Brown – recording, engineer
  • Cassidy Turbin, Alex Dromgoole, Dean Nelson, Russell Fawcus, Thomas Moulin – engineer
  • Darrell Thorp – mixing
  • Tom Elmhirst – mixing
  • Noah Georgeson – mixing
  • Benjamin Joubert – mastering

Track listing:

Studio tracks

  1. Terrible Angels
  2. Paradisco
  3. All the Rain
  4. White Telephone
  5. Anna
  6. Got to Let Go
  7. Out of Touch
  8. Memoir

Live tracks

  1. IRM
  2. Set Yourself on Fire
  3. Jamais
  4. Heaven Can Wait
  5. In the End
  6. AF607105
  7. Just Like a Woman
  8. The Operation
  9. The Songs That We Sing
  10. Voyage
  11. Trick Pony

Good Rats: Tasty

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In December 1974, “Warner Bros” label released “Tasty”, the second Good Rats album. It was recorded in 1974, at “House of Music” in New Jersey, and was produced by Stephan Galfas.

Personnel:

  • Peppi Marchello – lead vocals, harmonica, bats, arrangements
  • Mickey Marchello – vocals, guitar, arrangements
  • John “The Cat” Gatto – guitar, arrangements
  • Lenny Kotke – vocals, bass, arrangements
  • Joe Franco – drums, arrangements
  • George Marino – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Peppi Marchello.

  1. Back To My Music
  2. Injun Joe
  3. Tasty
  4. Papa Poppa
  5. Klash-Ka-Bob
  6. Fireball Express
  7. Fred Upstairs & Ginger Snappers
  8. 300 Boys
  9. Phil Fleish
  10. Songwriter

Fela Kuti: Expensive Shit

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On December 12, 1975, “Sounds Workshop” label released “Expensive Shit”, the twelfth Fela Kuti album. It was recorded in 1975, at “Arc Studio”, and was produced by Fela Kuti.

Personnel:

  • Fela Kuti – vocals, alto and tenor saxophone, piano, arranger

Africa 70

  • Christopher Uwaifor – tenor saxophone
  • Lekan Animashaun – baritone saxophone
  • Tunde Williams – trumpet, solo
  • Ukem Stephen – 2nd trumpet
  • Ogene Kologbo – tenor guitar
  • Leke Benson – rhythm guitar
  • Franco Aboddy – bass guitar
  • Tony Allen – lead drums
  • Henry Kofi – lead congas
  • Nicholas Addo – additional congas
  • Issac Olaleye – maracas
  • James Abayomi – sticks
  • Demola Odebiyi – engineer
  • Remi Olowookere – artwork, graphics
  • Peter Obe Photo Agency – photography
  • Roland Francis – executive producer

Track listing:

All tracks by Fela Kuti.

  1. Expensive Shit
  2. Water No Get Enemy

Michael Nesmith

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On December 10, 2021, Robert Michael Nesmith died aged 78. He was musician (guitar), singer, songwriter, actor, producer, and novelist. Nesmith was member of the bands The Strangers and The First National Band, but was known as member of The Monkees. In 1981, he won the first “Grammy Award” given for “Video of the Year” for his hour-long television show “Elephant Parts”.