All posts by mandevm

Franco Battiato: Pollution

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In December 1973, “Bla Bla” label released “Pollution”, the second Franco Battiato studio album. It was recorded in 1973, and was produced by Franco Battiato.

Personnel:

  • Franco Battiato – vocals, VCS 3 synthesizer
  • Mario Ellepi – vocals, guitars, VCS 3 synthesizer
  • Ruby Cacciapaglia – piano, VCS 3 and VCS 2 synthesizer
  • Gianni Mocchetti – vocals, bass, VCS 3 synthesizer
  • Gianfranco D’Adda – drums

Track listing:

  1. Il silenzio del rumore
  2. 31 dicembre 1999 – Ore 9
  3. Areknames
  4. Beta
  5. Plancton
  6. Pollution
  7. Ti sei mai chiesto quale funzione hai?

The Siegel–Schwall Band: 953 West

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In December 1973, “Wooden Nickel” label released “953 West”, the seventh Siegel–Schwall Band (The) album. It was recorded at in August 1973, at “Paragon Recording Studios” in Chicago, and was produced by Barry Mraz, Corky Siegel, Jim Schwall, Rollo Radford and Shelly Plotkin.

Personnel:

  • Corky Siegel – vocals, piano, harmonica
  • Jim Schwall – vocals, guitar
  • Rollo Radford – vocals, bass
  • Shelly Plotkin – drums, percussion
  • Barry Mraz – engineer
  • Bill Traut – supervision
  • Eddie Balchowsky – cover art, poem

Track listing:

  1. I’d Like to Spend Some Time Alone with You Tonight My Friend – Corky Siegel
  2. Traitor from Decatur – Patrick Garvey
  3. Good Woman – Shelly Plotkin
  4. Just Another Song About the Country Sung by a City Boy – Danny Glicken, Corky Siegel
  5. When I’ve Been Drinkin’ – Big Bill Broonzy, with additional lyrics by Jim Schwall
  6. Old Time Shimmy – Rollo Radford
  7. Off to Denver – Corky Siegel
  8. I Think It Was the Wine – Jim Schwall
  9. Reed Zone (Psychiatric Institution Blues) – Corky Siegel
  10. Blow Out the Candle – Jim Schwall

Gene Ammons: Got My Own

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In December 1972, “Prestige” label released “Got My Own”, the 35th Gene Ammons album. It was recorded October – November 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

  • Gene Ammons – tenor saxophone
  • Ernie Hayes – organ
  • Hank Jones – electric piano
  • Sonny Phillips – piano, organ
  • Joe Beck, Maynard Parker – guitar
  • Ron Carter – bass, electric bass
  • Billy Cobham, Idris Muhammad, Mickey Roker – drums
  • Ed Bogas – arranger
  • Unidentified strings
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. Lady Sings the Blues – Billie Holiday, Herbie Nichols
  2. God Bless the Child – Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog, Jr.
  3. Strange Fruit – Abel Meeropol
  4. Fine and Mellow – Billie Holiday
  5. Play Me – Neil Diamond
  6. Ben – Don Black, Walter Scharf
  7. The Shack Out Back – Gene Ammons

Steve Cropper

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On December 3, 2025, Steven Lee Cropper died aged 84. He was musician, songwriter, record producer and actor, known as “The Colonel”. He was the guitarist of the “Stax Records” house band, Booker T. & the M.G.’s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, and Johnnie Taylor. He was also member of the Blues Brothers Band, and recorded and performed with many other artists including Alabama, Jimmy Barnes, William Bell, Barbi Benton, Big Star, Stephen Bishop, Frank Black, Bobby and the Midnites, Booker T. & MG.’s, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Burnette, Brian Cadd, Cate Brothers, Chicago, David Clayton Thomas, A. J. Croce, Patti Dahlstrom, Delaney & Bonnie, Ned Doheny, Yvonne Elliman, Jose Feliziano, Eddie Floyd, Peter Frampton, Richie Furay, Art Garfunkel, Cyndi Grecco, Levon Helm, Chris Hillman, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Etta James, Wynonna Judd, Albert King, B.B. King, Al Kooper, John Lennon, Ann Margret, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Craig Morgan, Aaron Neville, Wayne Newton, Harry Nilsson, John Oates, Nigel Olsson, Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Wilson Pickett, Michel Polnareff, John Prine, Otis Redding, Bruce Roberts, Leon Russell, Sanford & Townsend, Leo Sayer, Poncho Sanchez, Guy Sebastian, Neil Sedaka, Paul Shaffer, Paul Simon, Percy Sledge, Broderick Smith, The Soul Children, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staple, Ringo Starr, Rod Stewart, Livingston Taylor, Carla Thomas, Mickey Thomas, Wendy Waldman, Tower of Power, The Manhattan Transfer, Dale Watson and Jerry Lynn Williams. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him 36th on its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists”. Cropper won two “Grammy Awards”, and as leader or co-leader Cropper released 13 albums.

Agitation Free: Malesch

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In December 1972, “Vertigo” label released “Malesch”, the debut Agitation Free album. It was recorded in 1972, at “Audio-Ton Studio” in Berlin, and was produced by Wolfgang Sandner and Peter Strecker.

Personnel:

  • Lutz “Lüül” Ulbrich – lead electric guitar, twelve-string guitar, Bavarian zither, Hammond organ
  • Jörg Schwenke – rhythm guitar
  • Michael Hoenig – EMS Synthi A, Vox Continental organ
  • Michael Günther – Fender Jazz bass, live-tapes
  • Burghard Rausch – congas, drums, marimbaphone, timbales
  • Peter Michael Hamel – Hammond organ
  • Uli Pop – bongos 

Track listing:

All track by Lutz “Lüül” Ulbrich, Jörg Schwenke, Michael Hoenig, Michael Günther

And Burghard Rausch

  1. You Play for Us Today
  2. Sahara City
  3. Ala Tul
  4. Pulse
  5. Khan el Khalili
  6. Malesch
  7. Rücksturz

James Moody: Flute ‘N The Blues

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In December 1956, “Argo” label released “Flute ‘n the Blues”, the ninth James Moody album. It was recorded in November 1956, in Chicago, and was produced by Dave usher.

Personnel:

  • James Moody – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, flute
  • Eddie Jefferson – vocals
  • Pee Wee Moore – baritone saxophone
  • Johnny Coles – trumpet
  • William Shepherd – trombone
  • Jimmy Boyd – piano, peck horn
  • John Latham – bass
  • Clarence Johnston – drums

Track listing:

  1. Flute ‘n the Blues – Harold Newboldt, James Moody, Arthur Boyd
  2. Birdland Story – Eddie Jefferson, James Moody
  3. It Could Happen to You – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
  4. I Cover the Waterfront – Edward Heyman, Johnny Green
  5. Body and Soul – Edward Heyman, Johnny Green, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton
  6. Breaking the Blues – John Adriano Acea
  7. Parker’s Mood – Charlie Parker
  8. Easy Living – Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger
  9. Boo’s Tune – Florence Pleasant
  10. Richard’s Blues – Moody, Newboldt

Dizzy Gillespie: The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band

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In December 1968, “MPS” label released “The Dizzy Gillespie Reunion Big Band”,a live album by Dizzy Gillespie. It was recorded in 1968, on “Berlin Jazz Festival” at “Berlin Philharmonic Hall” in Berlin, and was produced by Joachim-Ernst Berendt.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet
  • James Moody – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Sahib Shihab – alto saxophone, baritone saxophone
  • Chris Woods – alto saxophone
  • Paul Jeffrey – tenor saxophone
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Stu Hamer – trumpet
  • Jimmy Owens – trumpet
  • Victor Paz – trumpet
  • Dizzy Reece – trumpet
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • Ted Kelly – trombone
  • Tom McIntosh – trombone
  • Mike Longo – piano
  • Paul West – double bass
  • Otis Finch – drums

Track listing:

  1. Things to Come – Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller
  2. One Bass Hit – Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller
  3. Frisco – Mike Longo
  4. Con Alma – Dizzy Gillespie
  5. The Things Are Here – Dizzy Gillespie
  6. Theme – Birks’ Works – Dizzy Gillespie, Barney Kessel

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra: Sing Along With Basie

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In December 1958, “Roulette” label released “Sing Along with Basie”, album by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross with Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra. It was recorded May – October 1958, at “Capitol” in New York City, and was produced by Teddy Reig.

Personnel:

  • Jon Hendricks, Dave Lambert, Annie Ross, Joe Williams – vocals
  • Count Basie – piano
  • Marshal Royal – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Frank Wess – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute
  • Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
  • Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, Joe Newman, Snooky Young – trumpet
  • Henry Coker, Al Grey, Benny Powell – trombone
  • Freddie Green – guitar
  • Eddie Jones – bass
  • Sonny Payne – drums

Track listing:

  1. Jumpin’ at the Woodside – Count Basie
  2. Goin’ to Chicago Blues – Count Basie, Jimmy Rushing
  3. Tickle Toe – Lester Young
  4. Let Me See – Count Basie, Harry Edison
  5. Every Tub – Count Basie, Eddie Durham
  6. Shorty George – Count Basie, Andy Gibson
  7. Rusty Dusty Blues – J. Mayo Williams
  8. The King – Count Basie
  9. Swingin’ the Blues – Count Basie, Eddie Durham
  10. Li’l Darlin’ – Neal Hefti

Rusty Bryant: Night Train Now!

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In December 1969, “Prestige” label released “Night Train Now!”, the fifth Rusty Bryant album. It was recorded in October 1969, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Porter.

Personnel:

  • Rusty Bryant – alto and tenor saxophone, varitone
  • Jimmy Carter – organ
  • Boogaloo Joe Jones – guitar
  • Eddie Mathias – electric bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Rusty Bryant except where noted.

  1. Cootie Boogaloo
  2. Funky Mama
  3. Funky Rabbits
  4. Night Train – Jimmy Forrest
  5. With These Hands
  6. Home Fries