Tag Archives: 1956

Bobby Bland: Two Steps From The Blues

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On January 1, 1961, “Duke” label released “Two Steps from the Blues”, the debut Bobby Bland album. It was recorded 1956 – 1960, at “Universal Recording Corporation” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Don Robey.

Personnel:

  • Bobby Bland – vocal (the scintillating voice)
  • Clarence Holloman  – guitar
  • Wayne Bennett  – guitar
  • Hamp Simmons  – bass
  • John “Jabo” Starks  – drums
  • Teddy Reynolds  – piano
  • Robert Skinner  – tenor saxophone
  • L. A. Hill  – tenor saxophone
  • Rayfield Devers  – baritone saxophone
  • Joe Scott  – trumpet, arranger
  • Melvin Jackson  – trumpet
  • Pluma Davis  – trombone
  • Rene Williams – design
  • Dzondria LaIsac – design, liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Two Steps from the Blues – Don D. Robey, John Riley Brown
  2. Cry Cry Cry – Don D. Robey
  3. I’m Not Ashamed – Don D. Robey, Joseph Scott
  4. Don’t Cry No More – Don D. Robey
  5. Lead Me On – Don D. Robey
  6. I Pity the Fool – Deadric Malone
  7. I’ve Just Got to Forget You – Don D. Robey
  8. Little Boy Blue – Charles Harper
  9. St. James Infirmary – traditional, credited to Joe Primrose
  10. I’ll Take Care of You – Brook Benton
  11. I Don’t Want No Woman – Don D. Robey
  12. I’ve Been Wrong So Long – Don D. Robey, Ray Agee

Red Garland: A Garland Of Red

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In December 1957, “Prestige” label released “A Garland of Red”, the debut Red Garland album. It was recorded in August 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Red Garland – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Tom Hannan – design
  • Esmond Edwards – photography
  • Ira Gitler – liner notes
  • Bob Weinstock – supervision

Track listing:

  1. A Foggy Day – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  2. My Romance – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  3. What Is This Thing Called Love? – Cole Porter
  4. Makin’ Whoopee – Walter Donaldson, Gus Kahn
  5. September in the Rain – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
  6. Little Girl Blue – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  7. Constellation – Charlie Parker
  8. Blue Red – Red Garland

Illimois Jacquet: Swing’s The Thing

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In December 1956, “Clef” label released “Swing’s the Thing”, the twelve Illinois Jacquet album. It was recorded in October 1956, at “Radio Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Illinois Jacquet – tenor saxophone
  • Roy Eldridge – trumpet
  • Jimmy Jones – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar
  • Ray Brown – bass
  • Jo Jones – drums
  • Phil Stern – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Las Vegas Blues – Roy Eldridge
  2. Harlem Nocturne – Earle Hagen, Dick Rodgers
  3. Can’t We Be Friends? – Paul James, Kay Swift
  4. Achtung – Illinois Jacquet
  5. Have You Met Miss Jones? – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  6. Lullaby of the Leaves – Bernice Petkere, Joe Young

Miles Davis: Collectors Items

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In December 1956, “Prestige” label released “Collectors’ Items”, the 20th Miles Davis album. It was recorded in January 1953, at “WOR Studios” in New York City, March 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Ira Gitler and Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

January 1953 session:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Parker (as Charlie Chan) – tenor saxophone
  • Walter Bishop Jr. – piano
  • Percy Heath – bass
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums

March 1956 session:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording

Track listing:

All tracks by Miles Davis, except where noted.

  1. The Serpent’s Tooth (Take 1)
  2. The Serpent’s Tooth (Take 2)
  3. Round About Midnight – Thelonious Monk
  4. Compulsion
  5. No Line
  6. Vierd Blues
  7. In Your Own Sweet Way – Dave Brubeck

Lee Morgan: Introducing Lee Morgan

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In December 1956, “Savoy” label released “Introducing Lee Morgan”, the second Lee Morgan album. It was recorded in November 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Hank Jones – piano
  • Doug Watkins – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy van Gelder – recording, lacquer cut
  • H. Alan Stein – liner notes
  • Ozzie Cadena – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Hank’s Shout – Hank Mobley
  2. Nostalgia – Fats Navarro
  3. Bet – Doug Watkins
  4. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise – Oscar Hammerstein, Sigmund Romberg
  5. P.S. I Love You – Gordon Jenkins, Johnny Mercer
  6. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  7. That’s All – Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes

Trigger Alpert: Trigger Happy

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In December 1956, “Riverside” label released “Trigger Happy!” the only Trigger Alpert album. It was recorded October – November 1956, at “Reeves Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Trigger Alpert – bass
  • Zoot Sims – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Al Cohn – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Urbie Green – trombone
  • Tony Scott – clarinet, tenor saxophone, arrangements
  • Ed Shaughnessy – drums
  • Dick Hyman, Marty Paich – arrangements
  • Jack Higgins – recording

Track listing:

  1. Treat Me Rough – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  2. Looking at You – Cole Porter
  3. Love Me Tomorrow (But Leave Me Alone Today) – Vernon Duke, John La Touche
  4. Trigger Happy – Tony Scott
  5. Tranquilizer – Dick Hyman
  6. I Like the Likes of You – Vernon Duke, Yip Harburg
  7. I Wish I Were in Love Again – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  8. I Don’t Want to Be Alone Again – Johnny Mercer, Jimmie Smith
  9. Trigger Fantasy – Trigger Alpert
  10. Where’s That Rainbow? – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers

James Brown: Please Please Please

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In December 1958, “King” label released “Please Please Please”, the debut James Brown and His Famous Flames studio album. It was recorded February 1956 – September 1958, and was produced by Ralph Bass.

Personnel:

  • James Brown – lead vocals
  • Bobby Byrd – piano, backing vocals
  • Nafloyd Scott – guitar
  • Johnny Terry – backing vocals
  • Sylvester Keels – backing vocals
  • Bill Hollings – backing vocals
  • Louis Madison – backing vocals
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • John Faire – guitar
  • Eddie Freeman – guitar
  • Alvin “Fats” Gonder – piano
  • Ernie Hayes – piano
  • Clarence Mack – bass
  • Carl Pruitt – bass
  • Edwyn Conley – bass
  • David “Panama” Francis – drums
  • Reginald Hall – drums
  • Edison Gore – drums
  • George Dorsey – alto saxophone
  • Clifford Scott – tenor saxophone
  • Wilbert Smith – tenor saxophone
  • Ray Felder – tenor saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by James Brown, except where noted.

  1. Please, Please, Please – James Brown, John Terry
  2. Chonnie-On-Chon – James Brown, Bobby Byrd, Nafloyd Scott, Wilbert Smith
  3. Hold My Baby’s Hand – James Brown, Trevor Smith
  4. I Feel That Old Feeling Coming On – Nashpendle Knox, Nafloyd Scott
  5. Just Won’t Do Right
  6. Baby Cries Over the Ocean
  7. I Don’t Know – James Brown, John Terry
  8. Tell Me What I Did Wrong
  9. Try Me
  10. That Dood It – Rudy Thomas, Rosie Marie McCoy
  11. Begging, Begging – Julius Dixson, Rudy Toombs
  12. I Walked Alone – Nashpendle Knox, Nafloyd Scott
  13. No, No, No, No
  14. That’s When I Lost My Heart
  15. Let’s make It
  16. Love or a Game

Kenny Burrell: Introducing Kenny Burrell

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In September 1956, “Blue Note” label released “Introducing Kenny Burrell”, the debut Kenny Burrell album. It was recorded in May 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Paul Chambers – double bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums
  • Candido Camero – conga
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Reid K. Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. This Time the Dream’s on Me – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  2. Fugue ‘n’ Blues – Kenny Burrell
  3. Takeela – Kenny Burrell
  4. Weaver of Dreams – Jack Elliot, Victor Young
  5. Delilah – Victor Young
  6. Rhythmorama – Kenny Clarke
  7. Blues for Skeeter – Kenny Burrell

B. B. King: Singin’ the Blues

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In June 1957, “Crown” label released “Singin’ the Blues”, the debut B.B. King album. The album contains tracks that were issued between 1951 and 1956 on singles by “RPM Records”. The album was produced by Florette Bihari.

Personnel:

  • B. B. King – vocals, guitar
  • Florette Bihari – art direction
  • Gene Lesser – photography
  • Cy Schneider – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by B.B. King and Jules Bihari (credited under the pseudonym Jules Taub).

  1. Please Love Me
  2. You Upset Me Baby
  3. Every Day I Have the Blues – recorded by Peter Chapman (Memphis Slim)
  4. Bad Luck – derived from “Bad Luck Blues” by Ivory Joe Hunter
  5. 3 O’Clock Blues – recorded by Lowell Fulson
  6. Blind Love – derived from “Standing at My Window” by Arthur Crudup
  7. Woke Up This Morning
  8. You Know I Love You
  9. Sweet Little Angel – recorded by Lucille Bogan and Tampa Red as Black Angel Blues
  10. Ten Long Years – similar track “Five Long Years” recorded by Eddie Boyd
  11. Did You Ever Love a Woman – recorded by Gatemouth Moore
  12. Crying Won’t Help You – recorded by Tampa Red

Duke Ellington: Such Sweet Thunder

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In April 1957, “Columbia” label released “Such Sweet Thunder”, album by Duke Ellington. It was recorded August 1956 – March 1957, and was produced by Irving Townsend. The album is a twelve-part suite based on the work of William Shakespeare.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Russell Procope – clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Harry Carney – bass clarinet, baritone saxophone
  • Cat Anderson – trumpet
  • Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Ray Nance – trumpet
  • Willie Cook – trumpet
  • Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • John Sanders – trombone
  • Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Jimmy Woode – bass
  • Sam Woodyard – drums
  • Billy Strayhorn – orchestration
  • Howard Fritzson – art direction
  • Randall Martin – design
  • Don Hunstein – photography
  • Irving Townsend – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, except where noted.

  1. Such Sweet Thunder – Cleo
  2. Sonnet for Caesar
  3. Sonnet to Hank Cinq
  4. Lady Mac
  5. Sonnet in Search of a Moor
  6. The Telecasters
  7. Up and Down, Up and Down (I Will Lead Them Up and Down) – Puck
  8. Sonnet for Sister Kate
  9. The Star-Crossed Lovers
  10. Madness in Great Ones – Hamlet
  11. Half the Fun
  12. Circle of Fourths