Category Archives: Uncategorized

Leonard Cohen: The Songs of Leonard Cohen

Songs of Leonard Cohen

On December 27, 1967, “Columbia” label released “Songs of Leonard Cohen”, the debut Leonard Cohen album. It was recorded in August 1967, at the “Columbia Studio E” in New York, and was produced by John Simon.

Personnel:

  • Leonard Cohen – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Willie Ruff – bass
  • Jimmy Lovelace – drums
  • David Lindley, Chester Crill, Chris Darrow, Solomon Feldthouse – flute, mandolin, Jew’s harp, violin
  • Nancy Priddy – backing vocals
  • John Simon – music director, string arrangements

Track listing

All tracks by Leonard Cohen.

  1. Suzanne
  2. Master Song
  3. Winter Lady
  4. The Stranger Song
  5. Sisters of Mercy
  6. So Long, Marianne
  7. Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye
  8. Stories of the Street
  9. Teachers
  10. One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding

Bob_Dylan_-_John_Wesley_Harding

On December 27, 1967, “Columbia” label released “John Wesley Harding”, the eighth Bob Dylan studio album. It was recorded October – November 1967, and was produced by Bob Johnston. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “John Wesley Harding” at number 301 at its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of all Time”.

Personnel:

  • Bob Dylan– vocals, guitar, harmonica, piano, keyboards
  • Pete Drake– pedal steel guitar
  • Charlie McCoy– bass guitar
  • Kenneth Buttrey – drums
  • John Berg – cover photography

Track listing

All tracks by Bob Dylan.

  1. John Wesley Harding
  2. As I Went Out One Morning
  3. I dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
  4. All Along the Watchtower
  5. The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
  6. Drifter’s Escape
  7. Dear Landlord
  8. I am a Lonesome Hobo
  9. I Pity the Poor Immigrant
  10. The Wicked Messenger
  11. Down Along the Cove
  12. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight

Taj Mahal: The Natch’t Blues

Natchl blues

On December 23, 1968, “Columbia” label released “The Natch’l Blues”, the second Taj Mahal studio album. It was recorded May – October 1968, and was produced by David Rubinson.

Personnel:

  • Taj Mahal – vocals, harmonica, Miss “National” steel bodied guitar
  • Jesse Ed Davis- guitar, piano, brass arrangements
  • Al Kooper- piano
  • Gary Gilmore – bass
  • Chuck Blackwell – drums
  • Earl Palmer- drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Taj Mahal, except where noted.

  1. Good Morning Miss Brown
  2. Corinna – Taj Mahal, Jesse Ed Davis
  3. Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll
  4. Going Up to the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue
  5. Done Changed My Way of Living
  6. She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule to Ride – Taj Mahal, Yank Rachell
  7. The Cuckoo – traditional
  8. You Don’t Miss Your Water(‘Til Your Well Runs Dry) – William Bell
  9. Ain’t That a Lot of Love – Homer Banks, Deanie Parker

George Harrison & Frineds: The Concert for Bangladesh

The_Concert_For_Bangla_Desh

On December 20, 1971, “Apple” label released “The Concert for Bangladesh”  a live triple album by George Harrison and his friends. The album is recording from the concert on August 1, 1971, at “Madison Square Garden” in New York, held in aid of the homeless Bengali refugees of the Bangladesh Liberation War. This was the first big humanitarian concert with international music stars and was the model for future big rock benefits events such as “Live Aid” (1985).  The album was produced by George Harrison and Phil Spector. The box set included a 64-page book containing concert photos. ”The Concert for Bangladesh” won “Grammy Award” for “Album of the Year”.

Personnel:

  • George Harrison – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
  • Ravi Shankar– sitar
  • Bob Dylan– vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica
  • Leon Russell– piano, vocals, bass, backing vocals
  • Ringo Starr– drums, vocals, tambourine
  • Billy Preston– Hammond organ, vocals
  • Eric Clapton– electric guitar
  • Ali Akbar Khan– sarod
  • Alla Rakha– tabla
  • Kamala Chakravarty– tambura
  • Jesse Ed Davis– electric guitar
  • Klaus Voormann– bass
  • Jim Keltner– drums
  • Pete Ham– acoustic guitar
  • Tom Evans– twelve-string acoustic guitar
  • Joey Molland– acoustic guitar
  • Mike Gibbins– tambourine, maracas
  • Don Preston– electric guitar, vocals, percussion
  • Carl Radle– bass
  • Jim Horn– saxophones, horn arrangements
  • Chuck Findley– trumpet
  • Jackie Kelso– saxophones
  • Allan Beutler – saxophones
  • Lou McCreary – trombone
  • Ollie Mitchell– trumpet
  • Claudia Linnear, Jo Green, Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall, Don Nix – backing vocals
  • Tom Wilkes – design

Track listing:

  1. George Harrison/Ravi Shankar Introduction – George Harrison, Ravi Shankar
  2. Bangla Dhun – Ravi Shankar
  3. Wah-Wah – George Harrison
  4. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
  5. Awaiting on You All – George Harrison
  6. That’s the Way God Planned It – Billy Preston
  7. It Don’t Come Easy – Richard Starkey
  8. Beware of Darkness – George Harrison
  9. Band Introduction
  10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George Harrison
  11. Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash/Youngblood – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards/Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus
  12. Here Comes the Sun – George Harrison
  13. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall – Bob Dylan
  14. It Takes A Lot to Laugh It – Bob Dylan
  15. Blowin’ in the Wind – Bob Dylan
  16. Mr. Tambourine Man – Bob Dylan
  17. Just Like A Woman – Bob Dylan
  18. Something – George Harrison
  19. Bangla Desh – George Harrison

T. Rex: Same

T. Rex - Same

On December 18, 1970, “Fly” label released  the self-titled, fifth T.Rex studio album.  It was recorded July – August 1970, at the “Trident Studios” in London, and was produced by TonyVisconti. This was the first album released under this name since the band changed their name from Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Personnel:

  • Marc Bolan – vocals, guitar, bass, organ
  • Mickey Finn – vocals, bass, drums, Pixiphone
  • Tony Visconti – piano, string arrangements
  • Howard Kaylan – backing vocals
  • Mark Volman – backging vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Marc Bolan.

  1. The Children of Rarn
  2. Jewel
  3. The Visit
  4. Childe
  5. The Time of Love is Now
  6. Diamond Meadows
  7. Root of Star
  8. Beltane Walk
  9. Is it Love
  10. One Inch Rock
  11. Summer Deep
  12. Seagull Woman
  13. Suneye
  14. The Wizard
  15. The Children of Rarn (reprise)

Captain Beefheart

On December 17, 2010, Don Van Vliet aka Captain Beefheart died aged 69. He was singer, songwriter, musician (harmonica, saxophone, wind instruments) and producer, best known as a leader and frontman of the ensemble called “Magic Band”. Don Van Vliet was friend and collaborator with Frank Zappa. His 1969 album “Trout Mask Replica”, was ranked 58th in the “Rolling Stone” magazine’s 2003 list of the “500 greatest albums of all time”. Captain Beefheart was regarded as “one of modern music’s true innovators”.

Grover Washington

On December 17, 1999, Grover Washington, Jr. died aged 56. He was musician (saxophone), composer and arranger, considered to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre. Some of his most popular works feature his own compositions and covers of “Mister Magic”, “Take Five”, “Soulful Strut”, “Reed Seed”, “Black Frost”, “Winelight”, “Inner City Blues” and “The Best is Yet to Come”.  In his career he has performed and recorded with many famous musicians, including Kathleen Battle, Kenny Burrell, Hank Crawford, Charles Earland, Dexter Gordon, Urbie Green, Eddie Henderson, Masaru Imada, Boogaloo Joe Jones, Idris Muhammad, Gerry Mulligan, Don Sebesky, Johnny “Hammond” Smith, Melvin Sparks, Leon Spencer, Mal Waldron, Randy Weston, Bill Withers and Patti LaBelle.

David Bowie: Hunky Dory

Hunky Dory

On December 17, 1971, “RCA” label released “Hunky Dory”, the fourth David Bowie album. It was recorded June – August 1971, at the “Trident Studios” in London, and was produced by David Bowie and Ken Scott. In 2010, “Time” magazine placed the album on its list of “100 best albums of all time”.

Personnel:

  • David Bowie – vocals, guitar, alto and tenor saxophone, piano
  • Mick Ronson – vocals, guitar, Mellotron, arrangements
  • Rick Wakeman – piano
  • Trevor Bolder – bass guitar, trumpet
  • Mick Woodmansey – drums
  • George Underwood – cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by David Bowie, except where noted.

  1. Changes
  2. Oh! You Pretty Things
  3. Eight Line Poem
  4. Life on Mars
  5. Kooks
  6. Quicksand
  7. Fill Your Heart – Biff Rose, Paul Williams
  8. Andy Warhol
  9. Song for Bob Dylan
  10. Queen Bitch
  11. The Bewlay Brothers

Kraftwerk: Electric Café

Electric Cafe

On December 16, 1986, “Kling Klang” label released “Electric Café”, the ninth Kraftwerk studio album.  It was recorded 1982 – 1986, at the “Kling Klang Studios” in Dusseldorf, and was produced by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. This was the first Kraftwerk album to be created using predominantly digital musical instruments, although the final product was recorded on analog master tapes.

Personnel:

  • Ralf Hütter – vocal, vocoder, keyboards, electronics, mix
  • Florian Schneider – vocoder, speech synthesis
  • Karl Bartos – vocal, electronic drums, electronic percussion
  • Hubert Kretzschmar – design

Track listing:

  1. Boing Boom Tschak – Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos
  2. Techno Pop – Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, Emil Schult
  3. Musique Non Stop – Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos
  4. Der Telefon-Anruf (The Telephone Call) – Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos
  5. Sex Objekt – Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos
  6. Electric Café- Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, Maxime Schmitt

The Birdland Jazz Club

On December 15, 1949, “The Birdland Jazz Club”, named after Charlie Parker, opens in New York City. The club was located at “1678 Broadway” and worked until in 1965. The club re-opened for in1979 and in 1986 the second club located in “Manhattan’s Theater District” opened. The club current location is in the building next to The New York Observer headquarters.Some of the biggest names in Jazz history performed in “Birdland” including: Chet Baker; Count Basie; Roy Haynes; Jon Hendricks; Billie Holiday; Dave Holland; Freddie Hubbard; Hank Jones; Quincy Jones; Michel Legrand; Ramsey Lewis; Pat Martino; George Benson; Art Blakey; Dave Brubeck; Ron Carter; John Coltrane; Miles Davis; Sammy Davis Jr.; Blossom Dearie; Billy Eckstine; Duke Ellington; Maynard Ferguson; Ella Fitzgerald; Slim Gaillard; Erroll Garner; Stan Getz; Modern Jazz Quartet; Thelonious Monk; Anita O’Day; Charlie Parker; Oscar Peterson; Machito; Tito Puente; Bud Powell; Horace Silver; Nina Simone; Jimmy Smith; Billy Taylor; Clark Terry; McCoy Tyner; Sarah Vaughan; Dinah Washington; Joe Williams; Tony Williams; Lester Young; Michael Brecker; Melissa Manchester; Pat Metheny; Liza Minnelli; Michel Petrucciani; Harry Connick Jr.; Kurt Elling; Kevin Eubanks; Norah Jones; Diana Krall; Joe Lovano; John Pizzarelli; John Scofield; Maria Schneider; Phoebe Snow; Phil Woods and Yellowjacket.