On December 21, 1997, “Blue Note” label released “Another Shade of Blue”, the 120th Lee Konitz album. It was recorded in December 1997, at “Jazz Bakery” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Lee Konitz and Charlie Haden.
Personnel:
Lee Konitz – alto sax, liner notes
Brad Mehldau – piano
Charlie Haden – bass
Kurt Lundvall – engineer
Kenneth Noland – painting
Aldo Sampieri – design
Track listing:
Another Shade of Blue – Lee Konitz
Everything Happens to Me – Tom Adair, Matt Dennis
What’s New? – Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart
Body and Soul – Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour
All of Us – Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, Brad Mehldau
On December 20, 2020 Pelle Alsing died aged 60. He was musician (drums), member of the band Ratata, performed with the likes of Lisa Nilsson, Niklas Strömstedt and Ulf Lundell, but was best known as member and drummer of band Roxette.
In December 1977, “Impulse!” label released “First Meditations”, posthumously released John Coltrane album. It was recorded in September 1965, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Bob Thiele.
In December 1996, “Blue Note” label released “Alone Together”, the 113th Lee Konitz album. It was recorded in 1996, at “The Jazz Bakery” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Lee Konitz and Charlie Haden
Personnel:
Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
Brad Mehldau – piano
Charlie Haden – bass
Kurt Lundvall – engineer
Patrick Roques – design
Kenneth Knowland – painting
Art Lange – liner notes
Track listing:
Alone Together – Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz
The Song Is You – Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern
Cherokee – Ray Noble
What Is This Thing Called Love? – Cole Porter
‘Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams
You Stepped Out of a Dream – Nacio Herb Brown, Gus Kahn
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:
Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish
Lazy Afternoon – Jerome Moross, John Latouche
For All We Know – John Frederick Coots, Sam M. Lewis
When You Wish upon a Star – Ned Washington, Leigh Harline
Django – John Lewis
Melancholia – Duke Ellington
Hot House Flowers – Wynton Marsalis
I’m Confessin’ (That I Love You) – Al J. Neiburg, Doc Daugherty, Ellis Reynolds
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
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:
Heads Up! Feet Down! – Jimmy Heath
Togetherness – Jimmy Heath
The Folks Who Live on the Hill – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
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.
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
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:
Riff Blues – Oscar Peterson
Who Cares? – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Jobim – Joe Pass, Oscar Peterson
Blues for Dennis – Oscar Peterson
Sunny – Bobby Hebb
I’m Getting Sentimental Over You – George Bassman, Ned Washington
Caravan – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol
