Tag Archives: 1963

Sonny Stitt: Soul Shack

In December 1963, “Prestige” label released “Soul Shack”, album by Sonny Stitt and Jack McDuff (the 47th Sonny Stitt album overall). It was recorded in September 1963, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

Personnel:

  • Sonny Stitt – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Brother Jack McDuff – organ
  • Leonard Gaskin – bass
  • Herbie Lovelle – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording, lacquer cut
  • Don Schlitten – design, photography
  • Dan Mongerstern – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Sonny Stitt except where noted.

  1. Sunday – Chester Conn, Jule Styne, Bennie Krueger, Ned Miller
  2. Soul Shack
  3. Love Nest – Louis Hirsch, Otto Harbach
  4. Hairy
  5. For You – Joe Burke, Al Dubin
  6. Shadows

Les McCann: Soul Hits

In December 1963, “Pacific Jazz” label released “Soul Hits”, the 15th Les McCann album. It was recorded in October 1963, at “Pacific Jazz Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Richard Bock.,

Personnel:

  • Les McCann – piano
  • Joe Pass – guitar
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Paul Humphrey – drums
  • Richard Bock – engineer, sleeve notes
  • Woody Woodward – design, photography

Track listing:

  1. Back at the Chicken Shack – Jimmy Smith
  2. Sack O’ Woe – Cannonball Adderley
  3. Groove Yard – Carl Perkins
  4. Sermonette – Nat Adderley
  5. Sonnymoon for Two – Sonny Rollins
  6. Bags’ Groove – Milt Jackson
  7. Shiny Silk Stockings – Frank Foster
  8. Sister Sadie – Horace Silver
  9. Li’l Darlin’ – Neal Hefti
  10. Work Song – Nat Adderley

Less McCann & The Jazz CRusaders: Jazz Waltz

In December 1963, “Pacific Jazz” label released “Jazz Waltz”, album by Less McCan and The Jazz Crusaders (the twelve Less McCan album overall). It was recorded in 1963, at “Pacific Jazz Studios” in Hollywood, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Les McCann – piano, electric piano, organ
  • Wilton Felder – tenor saxophone
  • Wayne Henderson – trombone
  • Joe Sample – piano, organ
  • Bobby Haynes – bass
  • Stix Hooper – drums
  • Richard Bock – engineer
  • Woody Woodward – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Les McCann except where noted.

  1. Spanish Castles – George Gruntz
  2. Blues for Yna Yna – Gerald Wilson
  3. Damascus
  4. 3/4 For God & Co.
  5. Bluesette – Toots Thielemans
  6. Big City – Marvin Jenkins
  7. This Here – Bobby Timmons
  8. Jitterbug Waltz – Fats Waller
  9. All Blues – Miles Davis
  10. Jazz Waltz – Bobby Haynes

V.A.: A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records

On November 22, 1963, “Philles” label released “A Christmas Gift for You from Philles Records”, an album of Christmas songs. It was recorded September – October 1963, at “Gold Star” in Hollywood, and was produced by Phil Spector. In 2003, the album was ranked at no. 142 on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”, and in 2019, it was ranked the greatest “Christmas Album of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Darlen Love – performer (White Christmas, Marshmallow World, Winter Wonderland, Christmas, Baby Please Come Home)
  • The Ronettes – performer (Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus)
  • Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans – performer (The Bells of St. Mary’s, Here Comes Santa Claus)  
  • The Crystals – performer (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers)
  • Phil Spector – performer (Silent Night)
  • Barney Kessel – guitar
  • Bill Pitman – guitar
  • Tommy Tedesco – guitar
  • Nino Tempo – guitar
  • Irv Rubins – guitar
  • Leon Russell – piano
  • Al De Lory – piano
  • Don Randi – piano
  • Ray Pohlman – bass
  • Jimmy Bond – bass
  • Hal Blaine – drums
  • Sonny Bono – percussion
  • Frank Capp – percussion
  • Jack Nitzsche – percussion, arrangements
  • Jay Migliori – saxophone
  • Steve Douglas – baritone saxophone
  • Roy Caton – trumpet
  • Lou Blackburn – horns
  • Johnny Vidor – strings
  • Larry Levine – engineer

Track listing:

  1. White Christmas – Irving Berlin
  2. Frosty the Snowman – Steve Nelson, Walter Rollins
  3. The bells of St. Mary’s – A. Emmet Adams, Douglas Furber
  4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town – J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie
  5. Sleigh Ride – Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish
  6. Marshmallow World – Carl Sigman, Peter DeRose
  7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Tommie Connor
  8. Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer – Johnny Marks
  9. Winter Wonderland – Felix Bernard, Dick Smith
  10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers – Leon Jessel
  11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home – Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Phil Spector
  12. Here Comes Santa Claus – Gene Autry, Oakley Haldeman
  13. Silent Night – Josef Mohr, Franz X. Gruber

Wes Montgomery: Guitar On The Go

In October 1966, “Riverside” label released “Guitar on the Go”, the seventh Wes Montgomery album. It was recorded 1959 – 1963, at “Plaza Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Wes Montgomery – guitar
  • Melvin Rhyne – organ
  • George Brown – drums
  • Jimmy Cobb – drums
  • Paul Parker – drums
  • Sam Alexander – design
  • Lee Tanner – photography
  • Steve Schapiro – photography
  • Bob Messinger – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. The Way You Look Tonight (alternate take) – Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
  2. The Way You Look Tonight – Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields
  3. Dreamsville – Ray Evans, Jay Livingston, Henry Mancini
  4. Geno – Wes Montgomery
  5. Missile Blues – Wes Montgomery
  6. For All We Know – J. Fred Coots, Sam M. Lewis
  7. Fried Pies – Wes Montgomery
  8. Mi Cosa (take 1) – Wes Montgomery

Paul Gonsalves: Tell It The Way It Is!

On September 24, 1963, “Impulse!” label released “Tell It the Way It Is!”, the sixth Paul Gonsalves album. It was recorded in 1963, and was produced by Bob Thiele.

Personnel:

  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Ray Nance – trumpet, violin
  • Rolf Ericson – trumpet
  • Walter Bishop Jr. – piano
  • Ernie Shepard – bass, vocals
  • Osie Johnson – drums

Track listing:

  1. Tell It the Way It Is! – Addison Amor, Walter Bishop Jr.
  2. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be – Johhny Mercer, Duke Ellington, Ted Persons
  3. Duke’s Place – Duke Ellington, Bob Katz, Bob Thiele
  4. Impulsive – Johnny Hodges
  5. Rapscallion in Rab’s Canyon – Johnny Hodges
  6. Body and Soul – Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour

Gil Evans: The Individualism Of Gil Evans

In September 1964, “Verve” label released “The Individualism of Gil Evans”, the sixth Gil Evans album. It was recorded September 1963, April, May, July and October 1964, at “A&R Studios” and “Webster Hall” in New York City, “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Gil Evans – piano, arrangements, conductor
  • Steve Lacy – soprano saxophone
  • Phil Woods – solo alto saxophone
  • Wayne Shorter – solo tenor saxophone
  • Johnny Coles – solo trumpet
  • Thad Jones – trumpet
  • Ernie Royal – trumpet
  • Bernie Glow – trumpet
  • Louis Mucci – trumpet
  • Jimmy Knepper – trombone
  • Frank Rehak – trombone
  • Jimmy Cleveland – solo trombone
  • Tony Studd – trombone
  • Bill Barber – tuba
  • Eric Dolphy – flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson – reeds, woodwinds
  • Bob Tricarico – reeds, woodwinds
  • Garvin Bushell – reeds, woodwinds
  • Andy Fitzgerald – reeds, woodwinds
  • George Marge – reeds, woodwinds
  • Al Block – solo flute
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gil Cohen – French horn
  • Don Corado – French horn
  • Bob Northern – French horn
  • Jimmy Buffington – French horn
  • Ray Alonge – French horn
  • Pete Levin – French Horn
  • Harry Lookofsky – tenor violin
  • Bob Maxwell – harp
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Barry Galbraith – guitar
  • Gary Peacock – bass
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Richard Davis – bass
  • Ben Tucker – bass
  • Milt Hinton – bass
  • Elvin Jones – solo drums
  • Osie Johnson – drums
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering
  • Bob Simpson – engineer
  • Phil Ramone – engineer
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Gene Lees – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Time of the Barracudas – Miles Davis, Gil Evans
  2. The Barbara Song – Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill
  3. Las Vegas Tango – Gil Evans
  4. Flute Song/Hotel Me – Miles Davis, Gil Evans
  5. El Toreador – Gil Evans

Herbie Hancock: My Point Of View

In September 1963, “Blue Note” label released “My Point of View”, the second Herbie Hancock studio album. It was recorded in March 1963, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock – piano
  • Grant Green – guitar
  • Chuck Israels – bass
  • Tony Williams – drums
  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Donald Byrd – trumpet
  • Grachan Moncur III – trombone
  • Reid Miles – design, photography
  • Ira Gitler – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Herbie Hancock

  1. Blind Man, Blind Man
  2. A Tribute to Someone
  3. King Cobra
  4. The Pleasure Is Mine
  5. And What If I Don’t

The Ventures: Let’s Go

In August 1963, “Dolton Records” label released “Let’s Go”, the 13th Ventures (The) album. It was recorded in 1963, and was produced by Bob Reisdorff.

Personnel:

  • Don Wilson – electric guitar, backing vocals, arrangements
  • Bob Bogle – electric guitar, backing vocals, arrangements
  • Nokie Edwards – electric bass, backing vocals, arrangements
  • Mel Taylor – drums, backing vocals, arrangements
  • The Moonstones – backing vocals
  • Eddie Brackett – engineer
  • Studio Five – design, photography

Track listing:

  1. Memphis – Chuck Berry
  2. Let’s Go – Lanny Duncan, Robert Duncan
  3. More (Theme from Mondo Cane – Nino Oliviero, Riz Ortolani
  4. El Watusi – Ray Barretto
  5. Walk Right In – Gus Cannon, Hosea Woods
  6. Sukiyaki – Ei Rokusuke, Nachidai Nakamura
  7. New Orleans – Frank Guida, Joseph Royster
  8. So Fine – John Otis
  9. Wipe Out – The Surfaris
  10. Hot Pastrami – Doug Phillips
  11. Runaway – Del Shannon, Max Crook
  12. Over the Mountain Across the Sea – Rex Garvin

Eddy Arnold: Cattle Call

In August 1963, “RCA Victor” label released “Cattle Call”, the eleventh Eddy Arnold album. It was recorded in 1963, and was produced by Chet Atkins.

Personnel:

  • Eddy Arnold – vocals, guitar
  • Jimmie Driftwood – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. The Streets of Laredo – traditional
  2. Cool Water – Bob Nolan
  3. Cattle Call – Tex Owens
  4. Leanin’ on the Old Top Rail – Charles Kenny, Nick Kenny
  5. Ole Faithful – Michael Carr, Jimmy Kennedy
  6. A Cowboy’s Dream – traditional
  7. The Wayward Wind – Stanley Lebowsky, Herb Newman
  8. Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Bob Nolan
  9. Cowpoke – Stan Jones
  10. Where the Mountains Meet the Sky – Sammy Kaye
  11. Sierra Sue – Joseph Buell Carey
  12. Carry Me Back to the Lone Prairie – Carson Robison
  13. (Jim) I Wore a Tie Today – Cindy Walker