Tag Archives: 1959

Duke Ellington: Blues In Orbit

In May 1960, “Columbia” label released “Blues in Orbit”, the 32nd Duke Ellington album. It was recorded in February 1958, February – December 1959, at “Radio Recorders” in Los Angeles, “Columbia 30th Street” in New York.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Billy Strayhorn – piano
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone 
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Ray Nance – trumpet, violin
  • Cat Anderson, Shorty Baker, Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Fats Ford – trumpet
  • Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Matthew Gee, Booty Wood – trombone
  • Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Woode – bass
  • Jimmy Johnson – drums
  • Sam Woodyard – drums
  • Teo Macero – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington except as noted.

  1. Three J’s Blues – Jimmy Hamilton
  2. Smada – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  3. Pie Eye’s Blues
  4. Sweet and Pungent – Billy Strayhorn
  5. C Jam Blues – Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard
  6. In a Mellow Tone – Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler
  7. Blues in Blueprint
  8. The Swingers Get the Blues, Too – Duke Ellington, Matthew Gee
  9. The Swinger’s Jump
  10. Blues in Orbit – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  11. Villes Ville Is the Place, Man

Tony Bennett With The Count Basie Orchestra: Strike Up The Band

In May 1959, “Roulette” label released “Strike Up the Band”, album by Tony Bennett with the Count Basie Orchestra. It was recorded in January 1959, at “Capitol Studios” in New York, and was produced by Teddy Reig.

Personnel:

  • Tony Bennett – vocals
  • Ralph Sharon – piano, arrangements

The Count Basie Orchestra:

  • Count Basie – piano
  • Marshal Royal, Frank Wess – alto saxophone
  • Frank Foster, Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
  • Thad Jones, Snooky Young, Wendell Culley, Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Benny Powell, Henry Coker, Al Grey – trombone
  • Freddie Green – guitar
  • Eddie Jones – bass
  • Sonny Payne – drums

Track listing:

  1. Strike Up the Band – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  2. I Guess I’ll Have to Change My Plan – Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz
  3. Chicago – Fred Fisher
  4. With Plenty of Money and You – Al Dubin, Harry Warren
  5. Anything Goes – Cole Porter
  6. Life Is a Song – Fred E. Ahlert, Joe Young
  7. I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe
  8. Jeepers Creepers – Johnny Mercer, Harry Warren
  9. Growing Pains – Dorothy Fields, Arthur Schwartz
  10. Poor Little Rich Girl – Noël Coward
  11. Are You Havin’ Any Fun? – Sammy Fain, Jack Yellen

Sun Ra: Jazz In Silhouette

In May 1959, “Saturn” label released “Jazz in Silhouette”, the third Sun Ra studio album. It was recorded on March 1959, at “El Saturn” in Chicago, and was produced by Alton Abraham.

Personnel:

  • Sun Ra – piano, celeste, gong
  • Marshall Allen – alto saxophone, flute
  • James Spaulding – alto saxophone, flute, percussion
  • John Gilmore – tenor saxophone, percussion
  • Pat Patrick – baritone saxophone, flute, percussion
  • Charles Davis – baritone saxophone, percussion
  • Hobart Dotson – trumpet
  • Bo Bailey – trombone
  • Ronnie Boykins – bass
  • William Cochran – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Sun Ra except where noted.

  1. Enlightenment – Sun Ra, Hobart Dotson
  2. Saturn
  3. Velvet
  4. Ancient Aiethopia
  5. Hours After – Sun Ra, Everett Turner
  6. Horoscope
  7. Images
  8. Blues at Midnight

Modern Jazz Quartet: Pyramid

In March 1960, “Atlantic” label released “Pyramid”, the 15th Modern Jazz Quartet album. It was recorded 1959 – 1960, at “Music Inn” in Lenox, MA, “Capitol Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Nesuhi Ertegun.

Personnel:

  • Milt Jackson – vibraphone
  • John Lewis – piano
  • Percy Heath – bass
  • Connie Kay – drums

Track listing:

  1. Vendome – John Lewis
  2. Pyramid (Blues for Junior) – Ray Brown
  3. It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing) – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  4. Django – John Lewis
  5. How High the Moon – Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis
  6. Romaine – Jim Hall

John Coltrane: Coltrane Jazz

In February 1971, “Atlantic” label released “Coltrane Jazz”, album by John Coltrane. It was recorded March, November, December 1959 – October 1960, at “Atlantic Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Nesuhi Ertegun.

Personnel:

  • John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
  • McCoy Tyner – piano
  • Wynton Kelly – piano
  • Cedar Walton – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Steve Davis – bass
  • Elvin Jones – drums
  • Lex Humphries – drums
  • Jimmy Cobb – drums
  • Tom Dowd, Phil Lehle – engineer
  • Eutemey – cover design
  • Lee Friedlander – photography
  • Zita Carno – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by John Coltrane, except where noted.

  1. Little Old Lady – Hoagy Carmichael, Stanley Adams
  2. Village Blues
  3. My Shining Hour – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  4. Fifth House
  5. Harmonique
  6. Like Sonny
  7. I’ll Wait and Pray – George Treadwell, Jerry Valentine
  8. Some Other Blues

Gerry Mulligan And Ben Webster: Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster

In February 1960, “Verve” label released “Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster”, album by Gerry Mulligan and Ben Webster. It was recorded November – December 1959, and was produced by Norman Granz. The album, as a “classic album from two giants”, is featured in NPR’s “Basic Jazz Record Library”.

Personnel:

  • Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone
  • Ben Webster – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Rowles – piano
  • Leroy Vinnegar – double bass
  • Mel Lewis – drums
  • Phil Schaap – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Gerry Mulligan, except where noted.

  1. Chelsea Bridge – Billy Strayhorn
  2. The Cat Walk – Gerry Mulligan, Ben Webster
  3. Sunday – Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Nathan “Ned” Miller, Jule Styne
  4. Who’s Got Rhythm
  5. Tell Me When
  6. Go Home
  7. Sunday – Chester Conn, Bennie Krueger, Natha “Ned” Miller, Jule Styne

Stan Kenton And His Orchestra: Road Show

In February 1960, “Capitol” label released “Road Show”, live album by Stan Kenton and His Orchestra. It was recorded in October 1959, at “Elliot Hall” in Purdue University, Lafayette, In, and was produced by Lee Gillette, John Palladino and Bill Wagner.

Personnel:

  • Stan Kenton – piano, conductor
  • June Christy – vocals
  • The Four Freshmen (Ken Albers, Don Barbour, Ross Barbour, Bob Flanigan) – vocal group 
  • Charlie Mariano – alto saxophone
  • Ronnie Rubin, Bill Trujillo – tenor saxophone
  • Marvin Holladay, Jack Nimitz – baritone saxophone
  • Bud Brisbois, Rolf Ericson, Bill Mathieu, Roger Middleton, Dalton Smith – trumpet
  • Kent Larsen, Archie LeCoque, Don Sebesky – trombone
  • Jim Amlotte, Bob Knight – bass trombone
  • Joe Castro – piano
  • Pete Chivily – bass
  • Jimmy Campbell – drums
  • Mike Pacheco – Cuban drums

Track listing:

  1. Artistry in Rhythm – Stan Kenton
  2. Stompin’ at the Savoy – Edgar Sampson, Benny Goodman, Chick Webb, Andy Razaf
  3. My Old Flame – Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow
  4. The Big Chase – Marty Paich
  5. I Want to Be Happy – Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar
  6. It’s a Most Unusual Day – Jimmy McHugh, Harold Adamson
  7. Midnight Sun – Sonny Burke, Lionel Hampton, Johnny Mercer
  8. Kissing Bug – Billy Strayhorn, Rex Stewart, Joya Sherrill
  9. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  10. How High the Moon – Morgan Lewis, Nancy Hamilton
  11. Day In, Day Out – Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer
  12. Angel Eyes – Matt Dennis, Earl Brent
  13. I’m Always Chasing Rainbows – Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy
  14. Paper Doll – Johnny S. Black
  15. Them There Eyes – Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey
  16. Love for Sale – Cole Porter
  17. September Song – Kurt Weill, Maxwell Anderson
  18. Walkin’ Shoes – Gerry Mulligan
  19. The Peanut Vendor – Moisés Simons
  20. Artistry in Rhythm – Stan Kenton

Ahmed Abdul-Malik: East Meets West

In February 1960, “RCA Victor” label released “East Meets West”, the second Ahmed Abdul-Malik studio album. It was recorded in 1959, at “Webster Hall” in New York City, and was produced by Lee Schapiro.

Personnel:

  • Ahmed Abdul-Malik – surbahar, oud
  • Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
  • Johnny Griffin – tenor saxophone
  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • Jerome Richardson – flute
  • Naim Karacand – violin
  • Ahmed Yetman – kanoon
  • Al Harewood – drums
  • Bilal Abdurraham, Mike Hemway – darabeka
  • Jakarawan Nasseur – vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Ahmed Abdul-Malik

  1. E-Lail (The Night)
  2. La Ilbky (Don’t Cry)
  3. Takseem (Solo)
  4. Searchin’
  5. Isma’a (Listen)
  6. Rooh (The Soul)
  7. Mahawara
  8. El Ghada

Johnny “Hammond” Smith:That Good Feelin’

In December 1959, “New Jazz Label” released “That Good Feelin’”, the fourth Johnny “Hammond” Smith album. It was recorded in November 1959, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs”, New Jersey, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.

Personnel:

  • Johnny “Hammond” Smith – organ
  • Thornel Schwartz – guitar
  • George Tucker – bass
  • Leo Stevens – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks Johnny “Hammond” Smith except where noted.

  1. That Good Feelin’
  2. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
  3. Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma, Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert
  4. I’ll Remember April – Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye
  5. Billie’s Bounce – Charlie Parker
  6. My Funny Valentine – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  7. Puddin’

Lem Winchester: Winchester Special

In November 1959, “New Jazz” label released “Winchester Special”, the third Lem Winchester studio album. It was recorded in September 1959, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.

Personnel:

  • Lem Winchester – vibraphone
  • Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Wendell Marshall – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. Down Fuzz – Lem Winchester
  2. If I Were a Bell – Frank Loesser
  3. Will You Still Be Mine? – Tom Adair, Matt Dennis
  4. Mysticism – Len Foster
  5. How Are Things in Glocca Morra? – Burton Lane, Yip Harburg
  6. The Dude – Lem Winchester