Tag Archives: 1956

Harry Edison And His Orchestra: Sweets

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In November 1956, “Clef” label released “Sweets”, album by Harry Edison and His Orchestra (the third Harry Edison album overall). It was recorded in September 1956, is Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Harry Edison – trumpet
  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Rowles – piano
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Joe Mondragon – bass
  • Alvin Stoller – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Harry Edison except where noted.

  1. Hollering at the Watkins
  2. Used to Be Basie
  3. How Deep Is the Ocean? – Irving Berlin
  4. Studio Call
  5. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  6. Opus 711
  7. Love Is Here to Stay – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  8. K.M. Blues
  9. Walkin’ with Sweets

Joe Newman’s Septet: The Midgets

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In 1956, “RCA” label released “The Midgets”, album by Joe Newman’s Septet (the ninth Joe Newman album overall). It was recorded in July 1956, at “Webstar Hall” in New York City, and was produced by Jack Lewis.

Personnel:

  • Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Frank Wess – flute
  • Hank Jones – piano, organ
  • Barry Galbraith – electric guitar
  • Freddie Green – rhythm guitar
  • Eddie Jones – bass
  • Osie Johnson – drums
  • Ernie Wilkins – arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Ernie Wilkins, except where noted.

  1. The Midgets – Joe Newman
  2. The Late, Late Show – Roy Alfred, Murray Berlin
  3. Really? Healy!
  4. One Lamper
  5. She Has Red Hair
  6. Valerie
  7. No Moon at All – Redd Evans, Dave Mann
  8. Indeed the Blues
  9. Living Dangerously
  10. Scooter
  11. My Dog Friday

Jimmy Smith: Jimmy Smith At The Organ

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In July 1956, “Blue Note” label released “Jimmy Smith at the Organ”, the third Jimmy Smith album. It was recorded in June 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Smith – organ
  • Thornel Schwartz – guitar
  • Donald Bailey – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording, mastering
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Jimmy Smith, except where noted.

  1. Judo Mambo
  2. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  3. Lover, Come Back to Me – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
  4. Well, You Needn’t – Thelonious Monk
  5. Fiddlin’ the Minors
  6. Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert
  7. I Cover the Waterfront – Johnny Green, Edward Heyman

Phil Woods Septet: Pairing Off

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In July 1956, “Prestige” label released “Pairing Off”, album by Phil Woods Septet (the third Phil Woods album overall). It was recorded in June 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Phil Woods – alto saxophone
  • Gene Quill – alto saxophone
  • Donald Byrd, Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Doug Watkins – bass
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Phil Woods, except where noted.

  1. The Stanley Stomper
  2. Cool Aid
  3. Pairing Off
  4. Suddenly It’s Spring – Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen

Rosemary Clooney: Blue Rose

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On May 21, 1956, “Columbia” label released “Blue Rose”, the debut Rosemary Clooney studio album. It was recorded January – February 1956, and was produced by Irwing Townsend.

Personnel:

  • Rosemary Clooney – vocals
  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Billy Strayhorn – arranger, conductor
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry – trumpets
  • Quentin Jackson, Britt Woodman – trombones
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Jimmy Woode – bass
  • Sam Woodyard – drums

Track listing:

  1. Hey Baby – Duke Ellington
  2. Sophisticated Lady – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish
  3. Me and You – Duke Ellington
  4. Passion Flower – Billy Strayhorn, Milton Raskin
  5. I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Henry Nemo, John Redmond
  6. It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  7. Grievin’ – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  8. Blue Rose – Duke Ellington
  9. I’m Checkin’ Out – Goombye – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  10. I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good) – Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
  11. Mood Indigo – Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills

Hampton Hawes: This Is Hampton Hawes

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In May 1956, “Contemporary” label released “This Is Hampton Hawes”, the second Hampton Hawes label. It was recorded June – December 1955, January 1956, at “Los Angeles Police Academy” in Chavez Ravine, “Contemporary’s Studio” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Lester Koenig.

Personnel:

  • Hampton Hawes – piano
  • Red Mitchell – bass
  • Chuck Thompson – drums

Track listing:

  1. You and the Night and the Music – Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz
  2. Stella by Starlight – Victor Young, Ned Washington
  3. Blues for Jacque – Hampton Hawes
  4. Yesterdays – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
  5. Steeplechase – Charlie Parker
  6. ‘Round About Midnight – Thelonious Monk
  7. Just Squeeze Me – Duke Ellington
  8. Autumn in New York – Vernon Duke
  9. Section Blues – Red Mitchell, Chuck Thompson

Randy Weston Trio: With These Hands…

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In May 1956, “Riverside” label released “With These Hands…”, the fourth Randy Weston album. It was recorded in March 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bill Grauer and Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – piano
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone 
  • Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass
  • Wilbert Hogan – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston, except where noted.

  1. The Man I Love – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  2. Serenade in Blue – Mack Gordon, Harry Warren
  3. I Can’t Get Started – Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin
  4. This Can’t Be Love – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  5. These Foolish Things – Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
  6. Lifetime
  7. Do Nothing till You Hear from Me – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
  8. Little Niles

Frank Wess: North, South, East….Wess

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In May 1956, “Savoy” label released “North, South, East….Wess”, the second Frank Wess album. It was recorded in March 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

  • Frank Wess – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Frank Foster – tenor saxophone
  • Henry Coker, Benny Powell – trombone
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Eddie Jones – bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Frank Wess, except where noted.

  1. What’d Ya Say – Ozzie Cadena
  2. Dill Pickles – Frank Foster
  3. Dancing on the Ceiling – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  4. Hard Sock Dance
  5. Salvation
  6. Lazy Sal – Henry Coker

Blossom Dearie: Same

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In April 1957, “Verve” label released the self-titled, second Blossom Dearie studio album. It was recorded in September 1956, and was produced by Norman Granz and Blossom Dearie.

Personnel:

  • Blossom Dearie – vocals, piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Jo Jones – drums

Track listing:

  1. Deed I Do – Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose
  2. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) – Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman
  3. Ev’rything I’ve Got – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  4. Comment allez-vous – Murray Grand
  5. More Than You Know – Edward Eliscu, Rose, Vincent Youmans
  6. Thou Swell – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  7. It Might as Well Be Spring – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  8. Tout doucement – Emile Jean Mercadier, Rene Albert Clausier
  9. You for Me – Bob Haymes
  10. Now at Last – Bob Haymes
  11. I Hear Music – Burton Lane, Frank Loesser
  12. Wait Till You See Her – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  13. I Won’t Dance – Dorothy Fields, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern, Jimmy McHugh
  14. A Fine Spring Morning – Bob Haymes

Jutta Hipp: Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims

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In February 1957, “Blue Note” label released “Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims”, the seventh Jutta Hipp album. It was recorded in July 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Jutta Hipp – piano
  • Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone
  • Jerry Lloyd – trumpet
  • Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Just Blues – Zoot Sims
  2. Violets for Your Furs – Matt Dennis, Tom Adair
  3. Down Home – Jerry Lloyd
  4. Almost Like Being in Love – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe
  5. Wee Dot – J. J. Johnson, Leo Parker
  6. Too Close for Comfort – George David Weiss, Jerry Bock, Larry Holofcener