Tag Archives: 1959

Quincy Jones: The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones

In December 1959, “Mercury” label released “The Great Wide World of Quincy Jones”, the sixth Quincy Jones album. It was recorded in November 1959, at “Fine Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Qunicy Jones.

Personnel:

  • Quincy Jones – conductor
  • Art Farmer, Lennie Johnson, Jimmy Maxwell, Lee Morgan, Ernie Royal, Nick Travis – trumpet
  • Billy Byers, Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Frank Rehak – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Porter Kilbert, Phil Woods – alto saxophone
  • Budd Johnson – tenor saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson – tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo
  • Sahib Shihab – baritone saxophone
  • Patti Bown – piano
  • Les Spann – guitar, flute
  • Buddy Jones, Buddy Catlett – bass
  • Don Lamond – drums
  • Ralph Burns, Al Cohn, Bill Potts, Ernie Wilkins – arranger

Track listing:

  1. Lester Leaps In – Lester Young
  2. Ghana – Ernie Wilkins
  3. Caravan – Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  4. Everybody’s Blues – Ernie Wilkins
  5. Cherokee (Indian Love Song) – Ray Noble
  6. Air Mail Special – Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Mundy
  7. They Say It’s Wonderful – Irving Berlin
  8. Chant of the Weed – Don Redman
  9. I Never Has Seen Snow – Harold Arlen, Truman Capote
  10. Eesom – Bill Potts

Ornette Coleman: The Art of the Improvisers

On November 2, 1970, “Atlantic” label released “The Art of the Improvisers”, the ninth Ornette Coleman album. It was recorded May – October 1959, July 1960, January – March 1961, and was produced by Nesuhi Ertegun.

Personnel:

  • Ornette Coleman — alto and tenor saxophone
  • Don Cherry — pocket trumpet; cornet
  • Charlie Haden — bass
  • Scott LaFaro — bass
  • Jimmy Garrison — bass
  • Billy Higgins — drums
  • Ed Blackwell — drums 

All tracks by Ornette Coleman.

  1. The Circle with a Hole in the Middle
  2. Just for You
  3. The Fifth of Beethoven
  4. The Alchemy of Scott LaFaro
  5. Moon Inhabitants
  6. The Legends of Bebop
  7. Harlem’s Manhattan

Ray Charles: The Genius Of

In October 1959, “Atlantic” label released “The Genius of Ray Charles”, the seventh Ray Charles album. It was recorded May – June 1959, at “6 West Recording” in New York City, and was produced by Nesuhi Ertegün and Jerry Wexler.

Personnel:

  • Ray Charles – vocals, piano
  • Allen Hanlon – guitar
  • Wendell Marshall – bass guitar
  • Ted Sommer – drums
  • Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Ernie Royal – trumpet
  • Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Snooky Young – trumpet
  • Marcus Belgrave – trumpet
  • John Hunt – trumpet
  • Melba Liston – trombone
  • Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Thomas Mitchell – trombone
  • Al Grey – trombone
  • Frank Wess – flute
  • Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Ernie Royal – trumpet
  • Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Snooky Young – trumpet
  • Marcus Belgrave – trumpet
  • John Hunt – trumpet
  • Melba Liston – trombone
  • Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Thomas Mitchell – trombone
  • Al Grey – trombone
  • Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone
  • Frank Wess – flute, alto and tenor saxophone
  • Marshal Royal – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Zoot Sims – tenor saxophone
  • Billy Mitchell – tenor saxophone
  • David “Fathead” Newman – tenor saxophone
  • Quincy Jones – arranger, conductor
  • Ernie Wilkins – arrangements
  • Ralph Burns – arrangements
  • Ralph Burns – arrangements
  • Johnny Acea – arrangements
  • Al Cohn – arrangements
  • Harry Lookofsky – concertmaster
  • Bill Schwartau, Tom Dowd – recording
  • Marvin Israel – cover design
  • Lee Friedlander – cover photography
  • Nat Hentoff – sleeve notes

Track listing:

  1. Let the Good Times Roll – Sam Theard, Fleecie Moore
  2. It Had to Be You – Gus Kahn, Isham Jones
  3. Alexander’s Ragtime Band – Irving Berlin
  4. Two Years of Torture – Percy Mayfield, Charles Joseph Morris
  5. When Your Lover Has Gone – Einar Aaron Swan
  6. Deed I Do – Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose
  7. Just for a Thrill – Lil Hardin Armstrong, Don Raye
  8. You Won’t Let Me Go – Bud Allen, Buddy Johnson
  9. Tell Me You’ll Wait for Me – Charles Brown, Oscar Moore
  10. Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’ – Joe Greene
  11. Am I Blue? – Grant Clarke, Harry Akst
  12. Come Rain or Come Shine – Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen

Ornette Coleman: Twins

On October 4, 1971, “Atlantic” label released “Twins”, the tenth Ornette Coleman album. It was recorded 1959 – 1961, assembled without Coleman’s input, comprising outtakes from recording sessions of 1959 to 1961 for “The Shape of Jazz to Come”, “This Is Our Music”, “Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation”, and “Ornette!”. Sessions for “Monk and the Nun” took place at “Radio Recorders” in Hollywood, for “First Take” at “A&R Studios” in New York City, and all others at “Atlantic Studios” in Manhattan. The album was produced by Nesuhi Ertegün.

Personnel:

  • Ornette Coleman – alto saxophone
  • Don Cherry – pocket trumpet; cornet
  • Charlie Haden – bass 
  • Scott LaFaro – bass 
  • Billy Higgins – drums 
  • Ed Blackwell – drums 
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet 
  • Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet 

Track listing:

All tracks by Ornette Coleman.

  1. First Take
  2. Little Symphony
  3. Monk and the Nun
  4. Check Up
  5. Joy of a Toy

Yusef Lateef: Cry! – Tender

In August 1960, “New Jazz” label released “Cry! – Tender”, the twelve Yusef Lateef album. It was recorded in October 1957 and in October 1959, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, NJ, and “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.

Personnel:

  • Yusef Lateef– tenor saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Lonnie Hillyer– trumpet
  • Wilbur Harden– flugelhorn
  • Hugh Lawson– piano
  • Ernie Farrow– bass
  • Herman Wright – bass
  • Frank Gant – drums, percussion
  • Oliver Jackson – drums, percussion

Track listing:

All tracks by Yusef Lateef except where noted.

  1. Seabreeze – Larry Douglas, Fred Norman, Rommie Bearden
  2. Dopolous
  3. Cry! – Tender
  4. Butter’s Blues
  5. Yesterdays – Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
  6. The Snow Is Green
  7. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
  8. Ecaps

Walter Davis Jr.: Davis Cup

In June 1960, “Blue Note” label released “Davis Cup”, the debut Walter Davis Jr. album. It was recorded in August 1959, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Walter Davis Jr.– piano
  • Donald Byrd– trumpet
  • Jackie McLean– alto saxophone
  • Sam Jones– bass
  • Art Taylor– drums

 Track listing:

 All tracks by Walter Davis Jr.

  1. ‘Smake It
  2. Loodle-Lot
  3. Sweetness
  4. Rhumba Nhumba
  5. Minor Mind
  6. Millie’s Delight

 

Bert Weedon

On April 20, 2012, Herbert Maurice William ‘Bert’ Weedon died aged 91. He was musician (guitar), whose style of playing was popular and influential during the 50s and 60s. Weedon was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the “UK Singles Chart”, in 1959. His “Play in a Day” guitar guide influenced some of the biggest names in rock and roll such as Eric Clapton, Brian May, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Dave Davies, Keith Richards, Pete Townshend, Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page. For his “services to music”, in 2001, Weedon was awarded an OBE.

Dizzy Reece: Star Bright

In March 1960, “Blue Note” label released “Star Bright”, the second Dizzy Reece album. It was recorded in November 1959, “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Reece- trumpet
  • Hank Mobley- tenor saxophone
  • Wynton Kelly- piano
  • Paul Chambers- bass
  • Art Taylor- drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Dizzy Reece except where noted.

  1. The Rake
  2. I’ll Close My Eyes – Kaye, Reid
  3. Groovesville
  4. The Rebound
  5. I Wished on the Moon – Dorothy Parker, Ralph Rainger
  6. A Variation on Monk

 

John Coltrane: Giant Steps

On January 27, 1960, “Atlantic” label released “Giant Steps”, the fifth John Coltrane studio album. It was recorded May – December 1959, and was produced by Nesuhi Ertegün.

Personnel:

  • John Coltrane– tenor saxophone
  • Tommy Flanagan– piano
  • Wynton Kelly– piano
  • Cedar Walton– piano
  • Paul Chambers– bass
  • Art Taylor– drums
  • Jimmy Cobb– drums
  • Tom Dowd – engineer
  • Phil Iehle – engineer
  • Marvin Israel– design
  • Lee Friedlander– photography
  • Nat Hentoff– liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by John Coltrane.

  1. Giant Steps
  2. Cousin Mary
  3. Countdown
  4. Spiral
  5. Syeeda’s Song Flute
  6. Naima
  7. P.C.

Bill Haley & His Comets: Bill Haley’s Chicks

On January 5, 1959, “Decca” label released “Bill Haley’s Chicks”, the eight Bill Haley & His Comets album. It was recorded February – June, 1958, in New York City, and was produced by Milt Gabler.

Personnel:

  • Bill Haley– vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Franny Beecher– lead guitar
  • Billy Williamson– vocal, steel guitar
  • Johnny Grande– piano
  • Al Rex– bass guitar
  • Ralph Jones– drums
  • Rudy Pompilli- tenor saxophone, clarinet

Track listing:

  1. Whoa Mabel! – Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra
  2. Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider – Eddie Leonard, Eddie Munson
  3. Eloise – Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra
  4. Dinah – Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Akst
  5. Skinny Minnie – Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra
  6. Mary Mary Lou – Cayet Mangiaracina
  7. Sweet Sue, Just You – Will J. Harris, Victor Young
  8. B. Betty – Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra
  9. Charmaine – Erno Rapee, Lew Pollack
  10. Corrine, Corrina – Bo Chatmon, Mitchell Parish,  Mayo Williams
  11. Marie – Irving Berlin
  12. Lean Jean – Stella Lee, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones, Rudy Pompilli