Tag Archives: 1956

Donald Byrd: The Young Bloods

In April 1957, “Prestige” label released “The Young Bloods”, the fifth Donald Byrd album. It was recorded in November 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, NJ, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Donald Byrd – trumpet
  • Phil Woods – alto saxophone
  • Al Haig – piano
  • Teddy Kotick – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Phil Woods except where noted.

  1. Dewey Square – Charlie Parker
  2. Dupeltook
  3. Once More
  4. House of Chan
  5. In Walked George
  6. Lover Man – Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, James Sherman

Little Richard: Here’s Little Richard

On March 4, 1957, “Specialty” label released “Here’s Little Richard”, the debut Little Richard album. It was recorded September 1955 – October 1956. In 2003, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 50 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and ranked the track “Tutti Frutti” at number 43 on its list of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Little Richard (Richard Penniman) – vocals, piano
  • Edgar Blanchard – guitar
  • Frank Fields – bass
  • Earl Palmer – drums
  • Lee Allen – tenor saxophone
  • Alvin “Red” Tyler – baritone saxophone
  • Huey Smith – piano
  • Justin Adams – guitar
  • William “Frosty” Pyles – guitar
  • Roy Montrell – guitar
  • Nathaniel Douglas – guitar
  • Lloyd Lambert – bass
  • Olsie Richard Robinson – bass
  • Oscar Moore – drums
  • Charles Connor – drums
  • Renald Richard – trumpet
  • Clarence Ford – tenor and baritone saxophone
  • Wilbert Smith – tenor saxophone
  • Grady Gaines – tenor saxophone
  • Joe Tillman – tenor saxophone
  • Clifford Burks – tenor saxophone
  • Jewell Grant – baritone saxohone

Track listing:

  1. Tutti Frutti – Richard Penniman, Dorothy LaBostrie, Joe Lubin
  2. True, Fine Mama – Richard Penniman
  3. Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave – Leo Price
  4. Ready Teddy – Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco
  5. Baby – Richard Penniman
  6. Slippin’ and Slidin’ – Richard Penniman, Eddie Bocage, Al Collins, James Smith
  7. Long Tall Sally – Enotris Johnson, Robert Blackwell, Richard Penniman
  8. Miss Ann – Richard Penniman, Enotris Johnson
  9. Oh Why? – Winfield Scott
  10. Rip It Up – Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco
  11. Jenny, Jenny – Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman
  12. She’s Got It – John Marascalco, Richard Penniman

Milt Jackson: Roll Em Bags

On January 5, 1956, “Savoy” label released “Roll ‘Em Bags”, the fourth Milt Jackson album. It was recorded in January 1949 and January 1956, in New York City, and at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

  • Milt Jackson – vibes, piano
  • Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Billy Mitchell, Lucky Thompson – tenor saxophone
  • Wade Legge – piano
  • Wendell Marshall, Curly Russell – bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums
  • Joe Harris – timbales

Track listing:

All tracks by Milt Jackson except where noted.

  1. Conglomeration
  2. Bruz
  3. You Go to My Head – J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  4. Roll ‘Em Bags
  5. Faultless
  6. Hey, Frenchy – Ozzie Cadena
  7. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  8. Fred’s Mood
  9. Wild Man

Red Garland: A Garland of Red

In January 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 engineer
  • Bob Weinstock – supervision
  • Ira Gitler – liner notes
  • Hannan, Edwards – design, photography

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

Horace Silver: 6 Pieces Of Silver

In January 1957, “Blue Note” label released “6 Pieces of Silver”, the fifth Horace Silver album. It was recorded 1956, at June – November 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Donald Byrd – trumpet 
  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone 
  • Junior Cook – tenor saxophone
  • Doug Watkins – bass 
  • Gene Taylor – bass
  • Louis Hayes – drums
  • Bill Henderson – vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Horace Silver, except where noted.

  1. Cool Eyes
  2. Shirl
  3. Camouflage
  4. Enchantment
  5. Señor Blues
  6. Virgo
  7. For heaven’s Sake

Art Farmer & Donald Byrd: 2 Trumpets

In January 1957, “Prestige” label released “2 Trumpets”, an album by Art Farmer and Donald Byrd. It was recorded in August 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Art Farmer – trumpet 
  • Donald Byrd – trumpet
  • Jackie McLean – alto saxophone 
  • Barry Harris – piano
  • Doug Watkins – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

Track listing:

  1. The Third – Donald Byrd
  2. Contour – Kenny Drew
  3. When Your Lover Has Gone – Einar Aaron Swan
  4. Dig – Miles Davis
  5. Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams, Bernie Hanighen

Red Garland: Groovy

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

Personnel:

  • Red Garland – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums

Track listing:

  1. C-Jam Blues – Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington
  2. Gone Again – Curtis Lewis, Curley Hamner, Gladys Hampton
  3. Will You Still Be Mine? – Matt Dennis, Tom Adair
  4. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  5. What Can I Say, Dear – Walter Donaldson, Abe Lyman
  6. Hey Now – Red Garland

Elvis Presley: Elvis

On October 19, 1956, “RCA Victor” label released “Elvis” (also known as Elvis Presley No. 2), the second Elvis Presley studio album. It was recorded January – September 1956, at “RCA Studio 1” in New York City, “Radio Recorders Studio 1” in Hollywood, and was produced by Steve Sholes.

Personnel:

  • Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano
  • Scotty Moore – electric guitar
  • Shorty Long – piano
  • Gordon Stoker – piano
  • Bill Black – double bass
  • D. J. Fontana – drums
  • The Jordanaires – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Rip It Up – Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco
  2. Love Me – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
  3. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again – Gene Sullivan, Wiley Walker
  4. Long Tall Sally – Robert Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman
  5. First in Line – Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman
  6. Paralyzed – Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley
  7. So Glad You’re Mine – Arthur Crudup
  8. Old Shep – Red Foley
  9. Ready Teddy – Robert Blackwell, John Marascalo
  10. Any Place in Paradise – Joe Thomas
  11. How’s the World Treating You – Chet Atkins, Boudleaux Bryant
  12. How Do You Think I Feel – Webb Pierce, Wayne Walker

Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: Ella and Louis

In October 1956, “Verve” label released “Ella and Louis”, a studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, accompanied by the Oscar Peterson Quartet. It was recorded in August 1956, at “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald– vocals
  • Louis Armstrong– vocals, trumpet
  • Oscar Peterson– piano
  • Herb Ellis– guitar
  • Ray Brown– bass
  • Buddy Rich– drums
  • Val Valentin – engineer
  • Phil Stern – photography

Track listing:

  1. Can’t We Be Friends? – Paul James, Kay Swift
  2. Isn’t This a Lovely Day? – Irving Berlin
  3. Moonlight in Vermont – John Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf
  4. They Can’t Take That Away from Me – Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
  5. Under a Blanket of Blue – Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes
  6. Tenderly – Walter Gross, Jack Lawrence
  7. A Foggy Day – Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
  8. Stars Fell on Alabama – Mitchell Parish, Frank Perkins
  9. Cheek to Cheek – Irving Berlin
  10. The Nearness of You – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
  11. April in Paris – Vernon Duke, Yip Harburg

Roland Kirk: Triple Threat

In July 1957, “King” label released “Triple Threat”, the debut Roland Kirk album. It was recorded in November 1956 in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Roland Kirk – tenor saxophone, manzello, flute, stritch
  • James Madison – piano
  • Carl Pruitt – bass
  • Henry Duncan – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Roland Kirk except where noted.

  1. Roland’s Theme
  2. Slow Groove
  3. Stormy Weather – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  4. The Nearness of You – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
  5. A La Carte
  6. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  7. Triple Threat