Tag Archives: 1954

Chat Baker: Chat Baker & Strings

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On April 14, 1954, “Columbia” label released “Chet Baker & Strings”, album by Chet Baker. It was recorded December 1953 – February 1954, in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Chet Baker – trumpet
  • Bud Shank – alto saxophone, flute
  • Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone
  • Russ Freeman – piano
  • Joe Mondragon – bass
  • Shelly Manne – drums
  • Sam Cytron, Jack Gasselin, George Kast, Eudice Shapiro, Paul Shure, Felix Slatkin – violin
  • Lou Kievman, Paul Robyn – viola
  • Victor Gottlieb – cello
  • Jack Montrose, Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich, Shorty Rogers – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. You Don’t Know What Love Is – Don Raye, Gene de Paul
  2. I’m Thru With Love – Fud Livingston, Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck
  3. Love Walked In – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  4. You Better Go Now – Irvin Graham, Bickley Reichner
  5. I Married An Angel – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  6. Love – Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane
  7. I Love You – Cole Porter
  8. What a Diff’rence a Day Made – María Grever, Stanley Adams
  9. Why Shouldn’t I? – Cole Porter
  10. A Little Duet for Zoot and Chet – Jack Montrose
  11. The Wind – Russ Freeman
  12. Trickleydidlier – Shorty Rogers

Oscar Pettiford: Basically Duke

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In December 1954, “Bethlehem” label released “Basically Duke”, the fifth Oscar Pettiford album. It was recorded in December 1954, in New York City. “Basically Duke” was released as 10” LP.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Pettiford – bass, cello
  • Earl Knight – piano
  • Osie Johnson- drums
  • Dave Schildkraut – alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Danny Bank – baritone saxophone
  • Clark Terry, Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Tom Dowd – engineer
  • Shirely Hoskins Collins – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Oscar Pettiford, except where noted.

  1. Jack the Bear – Duke Ellington
  2. Tamalpais
  3. Swing Until the Girls Come Home
  4. Mood Indigo – Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills
  5. Chuckles – Clark Terry
  6. Time on My Hands – Vincent Youmans, Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon

Johnny Hodges: The Blues

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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

Horace Silver: Horace Silver And The Jazz Messengers

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In October 1956, “Blue Note” label released “Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers”, a repackage of 1955 10” LPs by Horace Silver. It was recorded December 1954 – February 1955, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Doug Watkins – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Horace Silver, except where noted.

Originally released on 10″ LP “Horace Silver Quintet, Volume 3” 

  1. Room 608
  2. Creepin’ In
  3. Stop Time

Originally released on 10″ LP “Horace Silver Quintet Vol. 4”

  1. To Whom It May Concern
  2. Hippy
  3. The Preacher
  4. Hankerin’ – Hank Mobley
  5. Doodlin’

Johnny Hodges: Used To Be Duke

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In October 1956, “Norgan” label released “Used to Be Duke”, the eight Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded July – August 1954, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Shorty Baker – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Call Cobbs Jr., Richie Powell – piano
  • John “Buddy” Williams – double bass
  • Louie Bellson – drums
  • Herman Leonard – photography
  • Norman Granz – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Used to Be Duke – Johnny Hodges
  2. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  3. Sweet as Bear Meat – Johnny Hodges
  4. Madam Butterfly – Jimmy Hamilton, Johnny Hodges
  5. Warm Valley – Duke Ellington
  6. Ballad medley: Autumn In New York / Sweet Lorraine / Time On My Hands / Smoke Gets in Your Eyes / If You Were Mine / Poor Butterfly – Vernon Duke / Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish / Vincent Youmans, Harold Adamson, Mack Gordon / Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach / Matty Malneck, Johnny Mercer / Raymond Hubbell, John Golden

Louis Armstrong: Concert at the Crescendo Vol. 1

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On January 21, 1955, “Decca” label released “Concert at the Crescendo Vol. 1”,the seventh Louis Armstrong album. It was recorded in 1954, at “Crescendo Club” in Hollywood.

Personnel:      

  • Louis Armstrong – vocals, trumpet
  • Velma Middleton – vocals
  • Barmey Bigard – clarinet
  • Trummy Young – trombone
  • Billy Kyle – piano
  • Arvell Shaw – double bass
  • Barrett Deems – drums
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South – Clarence Muse, Leon Rene, Otis Rene
  2. Jeeper Creepers – Harry Warren
  3. Tin Roof Blues – Paul Mares, Ben Pollack, Mel Stitzel, George Brunies, Leon Roppolo
  4. My Bucket’s Got a Hole in It – Clarence Williams
  5. Rose Room – Art Hickman
  6. Brother Bill – Louis Armstrong, Bill Cosby
  7. Lazy River – Hoagy Carmichael, Sidney Arodin
  8. T’ain’t What You Do – Melvin “Sy” Oliver, James “Trummy” Young
  9. Perdido – Juan Tizol
  10. Blues for Bass
  11. Don’t Fence Me In – Cole Porter
  12. Stompin’ at the Savoy – Edgar Sampson

Dinah Washington: Dinah Jams

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In February 1955, “EmArcy” label released “Dinah Jams”, the second Dinah Washington studio album. It was recorded in August 1954, and was produced by Bob Shad.

Personnel:

  • Dinah Washington – vocals
  • Clifford Brown – trumpet
  • Maynard Ferguson – trumpet
  • Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Herb Geller – alto saxophone
  • Harold Land – tenor saxophone
  • Richie Powell – piano
  • Junior Mance – piano
  • George Morrow – double bass
  • Keter Betts – double bass
  • Max Roach – drums

Track listing:

  1. Lover, Come Back to Me – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
  2. Alone Together – Arthur Schwartz
  3. Summertime – George Gershwin
  4. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  5. No More – Tutti Camarata, Bob Russell
  6. I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Cole Porter
  7. There Is No Greater Love – Isham Jones, Marty Symes
  8. You Go to My Head – John Frederick, Havem Gillespie

Clifford Brown and Max Roach: Clifford Brown & Max Roach

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In December 1954, “EmArcy” label released “Clifford Brown & Max Roach”, album by Clifford Brown and Max Roach. It was recorded in August 1954, in “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Bob Shad, and has been released as 10” vinyl. In “Jazz: A Critic’s Guide to the 100 Most Important Recordings”, the album is placed at #34.

Personnel:

  • Clifford Brown – trumpet
  • Max Roach – drums
  • Harold Land – tenor saxophone
  • George Morrow – bass
  • Richie Powell – piano

Track listing:

 All tracks by Clifford Brown, except where noted.

  1. Delilah – Victor Young
  2. Parisian Thoroughfare – Bud Powell
  3. Daahoud
  4. Joy Spring
  5. Jordu – Duke Jordan

Scotty Moore

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On June 28, 2016, Winfield Scott “Scotty” Moore III died aged 84. He was a musician (guitar) and recording engineer, performed with Starlight Wranglers, Ricky Nelson, and Roy Orbison, but was best known as a founding member of The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley’s backing band, and as studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. In its list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time”, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked Moore at number 29. In the year 2000, he was inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, in 2007 in the “Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum”, and in 2015, in the “Memphis Music Hall of Fame”.

Carmen McRae: Same

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On March 23, 1955, “Bethlehem” label released the self – titled, third Carmen McRae album. It was recorded October – December 1954.

Personnel:

  • Carmen McRae- vocals
  • Herbie Mann- flute, tenor saxophone
  • Mat Mathews- accordion
  • Mundell Lowe- guitar
  • Tony Scott- clarinet, piano
  • Dick Katz- piano
  • Skip Fawcett- double bass
  • Wendell Marshall- double bass
  • Kenny Clarke- drums
  • Osie Johnson– drums

Track listing:

  1. You’d Be So Easy to Love – Cole Porter
  2. If I’m Lucky (I’ll Be The One) – Chuck Darwin, Paulette Girard
  3. Old Devil Moon – Y. “Yip” Harburg, Burton Lane
  4. Tip Toe Gently – Mat Mathews, Paulette Girard
  5. You Made Me Care – Chuck Darwin, Paulette Girard
  6. Last Time for Love
  7. Misery – Tony Scott
  8. Too Much in Love to Care