Tag Archives: 1952

Duke Ellington: Uptown Ellington

In March 1953, “Columbia” label released “Ellington Uptown”, the fifth Duke Ellington album. It was recorded in December 1951 in New York City, February – June – July 1952 in Fresno, California.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn – piano
  • Betty Roché, Al Hibbler – vocal
  • Willie Smith, Johnny Hodges, Hilton Jefferson – alto saxophone
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Paul Gonsalves, Al Sears – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Willie Cook, Shelton Hemphill, Al Killian, Clark Terry, Francis Williams – trumpet
  • Ray Nance – trumpet, violin
  • Lawrence Brown, Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Tyree Glenn – trombone, vibraphone
  • Claude Jones, Juan Tizol – valve trombone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Fred Guy – guitar
  • Wendell Marshall, Oscar Pettiford, Junior Raglin – bass
  • Louis Bellson, Sonny Greer – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington, except where noted.

  1. Skin Deep – Louis Bellson
  2. The Mooche – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  3. Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn
  4. A Tone Parallel to Harlem (Harlem Suite)
  5. Perdido – Juan Tizol
  6. Controversial Suite Part 1: Before My Time
  7. Controversial Suite Part 2: Later

Nina Simone: Nina Simone At The Village Gate

On January 15, 1952, “Colpix” label released “Nina Simone at the Village Gate”, the sixth Nina Simone album. It was recorded in March 1961, at “The Village Gate” in Greenwich Village in New York, and was produced by Cal Lampey.

Personnel:

  • Nina Simone – vocals, piano
  • Al Schackman – guitar
  • Chris White – bass
  • Bobby Hamilton – drums
  • Richard Alderson – recording

Track listing:

  1. Just in Time – Adolph Gree, Betty Comden, Jule Styne
  2. He Was Too Good to Me – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  3. House of the Rising Sun – Josh White, Libby Reynolds Holmes, Nicholas Ray
  4. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
  5. Brown Baby – Oscar Brown
  6. Zungo – Babatunde Olatunji
  7. If He Changed My Name – Robert MacGinsey
  8. Children Go Where I Send You – traditional, arranged by Nina Simone

Hank Williams: Moanin’ The Blues

On September 12, 1952, “MGM” label released “Moanin’ the Blues”, the second and last Hank Williams studio album. It was recorded in 1952, and was produced by Fred Rose.

Personnel:

  • Hank Williams – vocals, guitar
  • Don Helms – steel guitar
  • Jerry Byrd – steel guitar
  • Bob McNett – electric guitar
  • Zeke Turner – electric guitar
  • Sam Pruett – electric guitar
  • Jack Shook – rhythm guitar
  • Louis Innis – rhythm guitar, bass guitar
  • Fred Rose – piano
  • Owen Bradley – piano
  • Howard Watts – bass guitar
  • Willie Thawl – bass guitar
  • Farris Coursey – drums
  • Tommy Jackson – fiddle
  • Jerry Rivers – fiddle
  • Robert “Chubby” Wise – fiddle

Track listing:

All tracks by Hank Williams, except where noted.

  1. Lovesick Blues – Cliff Friend, Irving Mills
  2. Moanin’ the Blues
  3. The Blues Come Around
  4. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  5. I’m a Long Gone Daddy
  6. My Sweet Love Ain’t Around
  7. Long Gone Lonesome Blues
  8. Honky Tonk Blues

Lester Young: Lester Young With Oscar Peterson Trio

In June 1954, “Norgran” label released “Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #1” and “Lester Young with the Oscar Peterson Trio #2”, the debut Lester Young albums. They were recorded in November 1952, in New York City, and were produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Lester Young – vocal, tenor saxophone
  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • J. C. Heard – drums
  • Nat Hentoff – liner notes

Track listing

  1. Ad Lib Blues – Oscar Peterson, Lester Young
  2. I Can’t Get Started – Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin
  3. Just You, Just Me – Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages
  4. Almost Like Being in Love – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe
  5. Tea for Two – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
  6. There Will Never Be Another You – Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
  7. (Back Home Again In) Indiana – James F. Hanley, Ballard MacDonald
  8. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  9. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish
  10. (I’m) Confessin’ (That I Love You) – Doc Daugherty, Al J. Neiburg, Ellis Reynolds
  11. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  12. These Foolish Things – Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey

Oscar Peterson: Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin

In December 1952, “Clef Records” label released “Oscar Peterson Plays George Gershwin”, the seventh Oscar Peterson album. It was recorded in December 1952, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • David Stone Martin – design
  • Norman Granz – liner notes, supervised

Track listing:

All tracks by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.

  1. The Man I Love
  2. Fascinating Rhythm
  3. It Ain’t Necessarily So
  4. Somebody Loves Me
  5. Strike Up the Band
  6. I’ve Got a Crush on You
  7. I Was Doing All Right
  8. S’Wonderful
  9. Oh, Lady be Good!
  10. I Got Rhythm
  11. A Foggy Day
  12. Love Walked In

Oscar peterson: Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington

In December 1952, “Clef Records” label released “Oscar Peterson Plays Duke Ellington”, the sixth Oscar Peterson album. It was recorded in December 1952, and was produced by Norman Granz. This is the first of two Oscar Petersons Duke Ellington songbook albums (released in the 50’s as 10”).

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • David Stone Martin – artwork
  • Norman Granz – liner notes, supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington, except where noted.

  1. John Hardy’s Wife – Mercer Ellington
  2. Sophisticated Lady – Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
  3. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be – Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons
  4. Just A-Sittin’ and A-Rockin’ – Lee Gaines, Billy Strayhorn
  5. In a Mellow Tone
  6. I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good) – Paul Francis Webster
  7. Prelude to a Kiss – Mack Gordon, Irving Mills
  8. Cotton Tail
  9. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
  10. Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn
  11. Rockin’ in Rhythm – Irving Mills
  12. Never No Lament (Do Nothin’ Til You Hear from Me) – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell

Johnny Hodges: The Blues

In October 1956, “Norgran” label released “The Blues”, the fifth Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded July 1952 – September 1953 – July 1954, at “Radio Recorders” in Los Angeles, in San Francisco and New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.  

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Emmett Berry, Shorty Baker – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Arthur Clarke, John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Rudy Williams – tenor saxophone
  • Ted Brannon, Call Cobbs, Leroy Lovett – piano
  • Ray Brown, Red Callender, Barney Richmond, John Williams – bass
  • Louis Bellson, J. C. Heard, Al Walker – drums
  • Alex De Paola – cover photography
  • Phil Stern – photography
  • Norman Granz – supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Johnny Hodges, except where noted.

  1. Rosanne – Glenn Osser, Edna Osser, Dick Manning
  2. Hodge-Podge – Johnny Hodges, Duke Ellington
  3. Jappa
  4. Through for the Night – Trummy Young
  5. The Sheik of Araby – Ted Snyder, Harry B. Smith, Francis Wheeler
  6. Latino
  7. Johnny’s Blues – Edith Cue Hodges
  8. Indiana – Ballard MacDonald, James F. Hanley
  9. Easy Going Bounce – Leroy Lovett
  10. Burgundy Walk

Ray Charles: The Genius Sings the Blues

In October 1961, “Atlantic” label released “The Genius Sings the Blues”, the ninth Ray Charles album. It was recorded 1952 – 1960, and was produced by Ahmet Ertegün and Jerry Wexler.

Personnel:

  • Ray Charles – vocals, piano, organ
  • Marcus Belgrave – trumpet
  • Joe Bridgewater – trumpet
  • Riley Webb – trumpet
  • John Hunt – trumpet 
  • David Newman – alto, baritone and tenor saxophone 
  • Bennie Crawford – baritone saxophone
  • Don Wilkerson – tenor saxophone
  • Edgar Willis – bass 
  • Roosevelt Sheffield – bass
  • Teagle Fleming – drums
  • William Peeples – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Ray Charles, except where noted.

  1. Early in the Mornin’ – Dallas Bartley, Leo Hickman, Louis Jordan
  2. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
  3. The Midnight Hour – Sam Sweet
  4. (Night Time Is) The Right Time – Napoleon Brown, Ozzie Cadena, Lew Herman
  5. Feelin’ Sad – Guitar Slim
  6. Ray’s Blues
  7. I’m Movin’ On – Hank Snow
  8. I Believe to My Soul
  9. Nobody Cares
  10. Mr. Charles’ Blues
  11. Some Day Baby
  12. I Wonder Who

Horace Silver: New Faces, New Sounds

In December 1952, “Blue Note” label released “New Faces New Sounds (Introducing the Horace Silver Trio)”, the debut Horace Silver album. It was recorded in October 1952, at “WOR Studios” in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Art Blakey– drums
  • Curly Russell– bass
  • Gene Ramey– bass
  • Leonard Feather– liner note
  • John Hermansader – design

Track listing:

  1. Safari – Horace Silver
  2. Ecaroh – Horace Silver
  3. Prelude to a Kiss – Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills
  4. Thou Swell – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  5. Quicksilver – Horace Silver
  6. Horoscope – Horace Silver
  7. Yeah – Horace Silver
  8. Knowledge Box – Horace Silver

 

Les Paul

On August 13, 2009, guitarist Les Paul died at the age of 94.Les Paul has developed one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which was released for commercial sale in 1952 and had serious impact to the birth of Rock’n’ Roll. Les Paul has also developed few other important recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing.