Tag Archives: Billy Strayhorn

Duke Ellington: …And His Mother Called Him Bill

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In May 1968, “Bluebird/RCA” label released “…And His Mother Called Him Bill”, the    58th Duke Ellington album. It was recorded August – November 1967, at “Coast Recorders” in San Francisco, “RCA Victor” in New York City, and was produced by Steve Backer and Brad McCuen. In 1968, it won the “Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album”.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Mercer Ellington – trumpet
  • Cat Anderson – trumpet
  • Herbie Jones – trumpet
  • Cootie Williams – trumpet
  • Clark Terry – flugelhorn
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Buster Cooper – trombone
  • Chuck Connors – bass trombone
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Russell Procope – clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone
  • Aaron Bell – double bass
  • Jeff Castleman – double bass
  • Steve Little – drums
  • Sam Woodyard – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Strayhorn, except where noted.

  1. Snibor
  2. Boo-Dah
  3. Blood Count
  4. U.M.M.G.
  5. Charpoy
  6. After All
  7. The Intimacy of the Blues
  8. Raincheck
  9. Day Dream – Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington
  10. Rock Skippin’ at the Blue Note
  11. All Day Long
  12. Lotus Blossom

Duke Ellington: Blues In Orbit

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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

Joe Henderson: Lush Life: The Music Of Billy Strayhorn

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On February 18, 1992, “Verve” label released “Lush Life: The Music of Billy Strayhorn”, the 29th Joe Henderson album. It was recorded in September 1991, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Richard Seidel and Don Sickler.

Personnel:

  • Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
  • Wynton Marsalis – trumpet
  • Stephen Scott – piano
  • Christian McBride – bass
  • Gregory Hutchinson – drums
  • Don Sickler – arrangements, transcription
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, mixing
  • Maureen Sickler – engineer assistant 
  • Camille Tominaro – production assistant
  • Larry Offsey – design
  • William Claxton – photography
  • Susan Ragan – photography
  • Stanley Crouch – liner notes
  • Dean Pratt – liner notes

Track listing:

All tracks by Billy Strayhorn except where noted.

  1. Isfahan – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  2. Johnny Come Lately
  3. Blood Count
  4. Rain Check
  5. Lotus Blossom
  6. A Flower is a Lovesome Thing
  7. Take the ‘A’ Train
  8. Drawing Room Blues
  9. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
  10. Lush Life

Gerry Mulligan And Ben Webster: Gerry Mulligan Meets Ben Webster

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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

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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

Stan Getz: Captain Marvel

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In January 1975, “Columbia” label released “Captain Marvel”, the 70th Stan Getz album. It was recorded in March 1972, at “A&R” in New York City, and was produced by Stan Getz.

Personnel:

  • Stan Getz – tenor saxophone
  • Chick Corea – electric piano
  • Stanley Clarke – bass
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Tony Williams – drums
  • Dixon Van Winkle – recording
  • John Guerriere, Russ Payne – mixing
  • Teresa Alfieri – design
  • Gerard Huerta – logo design
  • Roger Huyssen – air brushing
  • Don Hunstein – back cover photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Chick Corea, except as noted.

  1. La Fiesta
  2. Five Hundred Miles High
  3. Captain Marvel
  4. Times Lie
  5. Lush Life – Billy Strayhorn
  6. Day Waves

Gigi Gryce: Reminiscin’

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In December 1960, “Mercury” label released “Reminiscin’”, the 13th Gigi Gryce album. It was recorded in November 1960, in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Richard Williams – trumpet
  • Eddie Costa – vibraphone
  • Richard Wyands – piano
  • George Duvivier, Julian Euell, Reggie Workman – bass
  • Walter Perkins, Bobby Thomas – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Gigi Gryce except where noted.

  • Blue Lights
  • Caravan – Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, Irving Mills
  • Reminiscing
  • Yesterdays – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
  • Gee Blues Gee – Randy Weston
  • A Night in Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
  • Dearly Beloved – Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer
  • Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn

Buddy Tate: Tate-a-Tate

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In November 1960, “Swingville” label released “Tate-a-Tate”, the sixth Buddy Tate album. It was recorded in October 1960, at “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Esmond Edwards.

Personnel:

  • Buddy Tate – tenor saxophone
  • Clark Terry – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Larry Gales – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

 All tracks by Clark Terry, except where noted.

  1. Groun’ Hog
  2. Tate-a-Tate
  3. Snatchin’ It Back
  4. #20 Ladbroke Square – Buddy Tate, Esmond Edwards
  5. All Too Soon – Duke Ellington, Carl Sigman
  6. Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn

Duke Ellington: Dance To The Duke!

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In November 1954, “Capitol” label released “Dance to the Duke!”, the eleventh Duke Ellington album. It was recorded 1953 in “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, 1954, in San Francisco and Chicago.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Rick Henderson – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry, Gerald Wilson  
  • Quentin Jackson, George Jean, Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Wendell Marshall, Oscar Pettiford – bass
  • Butch Ballard, Dave Black – drums
  • Ralph Collier – congas
  • Frank Rollo – bongos

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington except where noted.

  1. C Jam Blues
  2. Orson – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  3. Caravan – Juan Tizol
  4. Kinda Dukish
  5. Bakiff
  6. Frivolous Banta – Rick Henderson
  7. Things Ain’t What They Used To Be – Mercer Ellington
  8. Montevideo

Duke Ellington: Ellington Showcase

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In June 1955, “Capitol” label released “Ellington Showcase”, album by Duke Ellington. It was recorded April – December 1953 at “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles and “Universal Studios” in Chicago, January – June 1954 at “Capitol Studios” in New York, and May 1955.

Personnel:

  • Duke Ellington – piano, electric piano
  • Billy Strayhorn – piano
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, clarinet
  • Rick Henderson – alto saxophone
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
  • Cat Anderson, Willie Cook, Ray Nance, Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Quentin Jackson, George Jean, Juan Tizol, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • John Sanders – valve trombone
  • Wendell Marshall, Jimmy Woode – bass
  • Butch Ballard, Dave Black – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Duke Ellington, except where noted.

  1. Blossom – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  2. Big Drag
  3. Don’t Ever Say Goodbye
  4. Falling Like a Raindrop
  5. Gonna Tan Your Hide – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn
  6. Harlem Air Shaft
  7. La Virgen De La Macarena – Bernardo Bautista Monterde
  8. Clarinet Melodrama – Jimmy Hamilton
  9. Theme For Trambean – Jimmy Hamilton
  10. Serious Serenade