All posts by mandevm

Benny Bailey: Big Brass

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In December 1960, “Candid” label released “Big Brass”, the second Benny Bailey album. It was recorded in November 1960, at “Nola Penthouse Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Nat Hentoff.

Personnel:

  • Benny Bailey – trumpet
  • Julius Watkins – French horn 
  • Phil Woods – alto saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Buddy Catlett – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

Track listing:

  1. Hard Sock Dance – Quincy Jones
  2. Alison – Hale Smith
  3. Tipsy – Oliver Nelson
  4. Please Say Yes – Tom McIntosh
  5. A Kiss to Build a Dream On – Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby, Oscar Hammerstein II
  6. Maud’s Mood – Benny Bailey

The Electric Flag: An American Music Band

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In December 1968, “Columbia” label released “An American Music Band”, the second Electric Flag (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1968, and was produced by John Simon.

Personnel:

  • Harvey Brooks — vocals, bass, guitar
  • Herbie Rich — vocals, organ, tenor saxophone
  • John Simon — piano
  • Hoshal Wright — guitar
  • Buddy Miles — vocals, drums, guitar
  • Terry Clements — tenor saxophone
  • Marcus Doubleday — trumpet
  • Virgil Gonsalves — baritone saxophone, flute
  • Nick Gravenites — vocals, rhythm guitar, percussion
  • Stemsy Hunter — vocals, alto saxophone

Track listing:

  1. Soul Searchin’ – Buddy Miles
  2. Sunny – Bobby Hebb
  3. With Time There Is Change
  4. Nothing To Do – Harvey Brooks, Nick Gravenitess
  5. See To Your Neighbor – Nick Gravenites
  6. Qualified
  7. Hey, Little Girl – Nick Gravenites
  8. Mystery – Buddy Miles
  9. My Woman That Hangs Around the House

Philly Joe Jones: Showcase

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In December 1959, “Riverside” label released “Showcase”, the third Philly Joe Jones album. It was recorded in November 1959, in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Philly Joe Jones – drums, piano 
  • Blue Mitchell – trumpet 
  • Julian Priester – trombone 
  • Bill Barron – tenor saxophone 
  • Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone 
  • Dolo Coker, Sonny Clark – piano
  • Jimmy Garrison – bass 

Track listing:

All tracks by Philly Joe Jones except where noted.

  1. Battery Blues – Julian Priester
  2. Minor Mode – Bill Barron
  3. Gwen
  4. Joe’s Debut
  5. Gone – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  6. Joe’s Delight
  7. Julia – Julian Priester
  8. I’ll Never Be The Same – Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli
  9. Interpretation – Bill Barron

Bennie Green: The Swingin’est

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In December 1958, “Vee-Jay” label released “The Swingin’est”, the eighth Bennie Green album. It was recorded in November 1958, at “Bell Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Sid McCoy.

Personnel:

  • Bennie Green – trombone
  • Gene Ammons, Frank Foster – tenor saxophone
  • Nat Adderley – cornet
  • Frank Wess – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Eddie Jones – bass
  • Albert Heath – drums

Track listing:

  1. Juggin’ Around – Frank Foster
  2. Going South – Frank Foster
  3. Jim Dog – Gene Ammons
  4. Sermonette – Nat Adderley, Jon Hendricks
  5. A Little Ditty – Frank Wess

Hank Mobley: Peckin’ Time

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In December 1959, “Blue Note” label released “Peckin’ Time”, the 13th Hank Mobley album. It was recorded in February 1959, at “Van gelder Studio” in Hackensack, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Wynton Kelly – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Hank Mobley except where noted.

  1. High and Flighty
  2. Speak Low – Kurt Weill, Ogden Nash
  3. Peckin’ Time
  4. Stretchin’ Out
  5. Git-Go Blues

Red Garland: Groovy

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In December 1957, “Prestige” label released “Groovy”, the fourth Red Garland album. It was recorded in December 1956, May – August 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Red Garland – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

Track listing:

  1. C-Jam Blues – Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington
  2. Gone Again – Curtis Lewis, Curley Hamner, Gladys Hampton
  3. Will You Still Be Mine? – Matt Dennis, Tom Adair
  4. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  5. What Can I Say, Dear – Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman
  6. Hey Now – Red Garland

Clifford Jordan: Cliff Craft

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In December 1957, “Blue Note” label released “Cliff Craft”, the fourth Clifford Jordan album. It was recorded in November 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  1. Clifford Jordan – tenor saxophone
  2. Art Farmer – trumpet 
  3. Sonny Clark – piano
  4. George Tucker – bass
  5. Louis Hayes – drums

Track listing:

 All tracks by Cliff Jordan, except where noted.

  1. Laconia
  2. Soul-Lo Blues
  3. Cliff Craft
  4. Confirmation – Charlie Parker
  5. Sophisticated Lady – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
  6. Anthropology – Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker

Ralph MacDonald

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On December 18, 2011, Ralph Anthony MacDonald died aged 67. He was musician (percussion, steelpan), songwriter, arranger, record producer, and philanthropist. His best known compositions are “Where Is the Love”, a “Grammy Award” winner for Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway duet), “Just the Two of Us” (recorded by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr.), and “Mister Magic” (recorded by Grover Washington Jr.). MacDonald was member of the bands Desperadoes Steel Orchestra,  Steelband Panorama, and Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. He recorded with many famous musicians including David Bowie, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Quincy Jones, Carole King, Miriam Makeba, David Sanborn, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Luther Vandross, Amy Winehouse, Bob James, Ashford and Simpson, and The Brothers Johnson. As a leader MacDonald released ten albums.

Jimmy Nolen

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On December 18, 1983, Jimmy Nolen died aged 49. He was musician (guitar), known for his distinctive “chicken scratch” guitar playing style. Nolan was member of the Jimmy Wilson band, Johnny Otis band, George “Harmonica” Smith backing band, in 1959 he formed his own band The Jimmy Nolan Band, but was best known as the lead guitarist in James Brown band form 1965 until his dead. In its survey of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” magazine “Mojo” ranks Nolen at number twelve.  

Stanley Cowell

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On December 17, 2020, Stanley Cowell died aged 79. He was musician (piano), co-founder of the “Strata-East Records” label, and professor at the “Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers”, the “State University of New Jersey”. He recorded with many famous jazz musicians including Gary Bartz, Larry Coryell, Richard Davis, Sonny Fortune, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, The Heath Brothers, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, J. J. Johnson, Clifford Jordan, Oliver Nelson, Jimmy Owens, Art Pepper, Buddy Terry, Charles Sullivan, Charles Toliver, Roland Kirk, Marion Brown, Harold Land, and Max Roach. As leader Cowell released 34 albums.