Tag Archives: Billy Strayhorn

Chaka Khan: Echoes Of The Era

On January 14, 1982, “Elektra” label released “Echoes of an Era”, the fifth Chaka Khan album. It was recorded 1981 -1982, at “Mad Hatter Studios”, Los Angeles, and was produced by Lenny White.

Personnel:

  • Chaka Khan- vocals
  • Joe Henderson- tenor saxophone
  • Freddie Hubbard- trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Chick Corea- piano
  • Stanley Clarke- acoustic bass
  • Lenny White- drums
  • Bernie Kirsch – engineer

Track listing:

  1. Them There Eyes – Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey
  2. All of Me – Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons
  3. I Mean You – Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk
  4. I Loves You Porgy – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  5. Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn
  6. I Hear Music – Burton Lane, Frank Loesser
  7. High Wire – The Aerialist – Chick Corea, Tony Cohen
  8. All of Me (Alternate take) – Gerald Marks, Seymour Simons
  9. Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most – Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf

Bobby Humphrey: Satin Doll

On December 1, 1974, “Blue Note” label released “Satin Doll”, the fourth Bobbi Humphrey studio album. It was recorded June – August 1974, at “Sound Factory” in Hollywood, and was produced by Larry Mizell.

Personnel:

  • Bobbi Humphrey– vocals, flute
  • Fonce Mizell– vocals, clavinet, trumpet
  • Jerry Peters- piano, clavinet
  • Larry Mizell– vocals, electric piano synthesizer, clavinet, arrangements, conductor
  • Phil Davis, Don Preston– synthesizer
  • Melvin “Wah Wah Watson” Ragin, John Rowin- guitar
  • Wayne Tweed, Chuck Rainey- electric bass
  • Harvey Mason- drums
  • King Errison- conga
  • Roger Sainte, Stephanie Spruill- percussion
  • Chuck Davis, Samantha Harris, Freddie Perren- backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Larry Mizell except where noted.

  1. New York Times
  2. Satin Doll – Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn
  3. San Francisco Lights – Chuck Davis
  4. Ladies Day
  5. Fun House – Terry McFaddin, Melvin “Wah-Wah Watson” Ragin
  6. My Little Girl
  7. Rain Again
  8. You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder

Ella Fitzgerald And Count Basie: Ella And Basie!

In September 1963, “Verve” label released “Ella and Basie!”, studio album by Ella Fitzgerald and Count Basie and his orchestra. It was recorded in July 1963, at “A&R Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Norman Ganz.

Personnel:

  • Ella Fitzgerald– vocals
  • The Count Basie Orchestra:
  • Count Basie– piano
  • Sonny Cohn, Al Aarons, Joe Newman, Don Rader– trumpet
  • Eric Dixon– flute, tenor saxophone
  • Frank Foster, Frank Wess– flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes– baritone saxophone
  • Freddie Green– guitar
  • Benny Powell, Urbie Green, Henry Coker, Grover Mitchell– trombone
  • Flip Ricard– trombone, trumpet
  • Marshal Royal– clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Buddy Catlett– double bass
  • Sonny Payne– drums
  • Quincy Jones– arranger
  • Val Valentin – recording
  • Jay Thompson – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Honeysuckle Rose – Andy Razaf, Fats Waller
  2. Deed I Do – Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose
  3. Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall – Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts
  4. Them There Eyes – Maceo Pinkard, Doris Tauber, William Tracey
  5. Dream a Little Dream of Me – Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt
  6. Tea for Two – Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans
  7. Satin Doll – Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn
  8. I’m Beginning to See the Light – Duke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James
  9. Shiny Stockings – Frank Foster, Ella Fitzgerald
  10. This Is My Last Affair – Haven Johnson
  11. Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Harry Brooks, Razaf, Waller
  12. On the Sunny Side of the Street – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh

Allen Toussaint: American Tunes

On June 10, 2016, “Nonesuch” label released “American Tunes”, the twentieth and the final Allen Toussaint album. It was recorded May 2013 – October  2015, and was produced by Joe Henry.

Personnel:

  • Allen Toussaint– vocals, piano
  • Rhiannon Giddens– vocals
  • Bill Frisell– electric guitar
  • Adam Levy– gut-string guitar
  • Van Dyke Parks– second piano, orchestral arrangement
  • David Piltch – upright bass
  • Jay Bellerose– drums, percussion
  • Greg Leisz– weissenborn
  • Charles Lloyd– tenor saxophone
  • Cameron Stone – cello
  • Amy Shulman – harp

Track listing:

  1. Delores’ Boyfriend – Allen Toussaint
  2. Viper’s Drag – Thomas “Fats” Waller
  3. Confessin’ (That I Love You) – Doc Daugherty, Ellis Reynolds, Al Neiburg
  4. Mardis Gras in New Orleans – Henry Roeland “Roy” Byrd
  5. Lotus Blossom – Billy Strayhorn
  6. Waltz for Debby – Bill Evareleased ns
  7. Big Chief – Earl King
  8. Rocks in My Bed – Duke Ellington
  9. Danza, Op. 33 – Louis Moreau Gottschalk
  10. Hey Little Girl – Henry Roeland “Roy” Byrd
  11. Rosetta – Earl “Fatha” Hines
  12. Come Sunday – Duke Ellington
  13. Southern Nights – Allen Toussaint
  14. American Tune – Paul Simon

Duke Ellington: Afro-Bossa

In April 1963, “Reprise” label released “Afro-Bossa”, album by Duke Ellington. It was recorded November 29, 1962, December 20, 1962 and January 4 – 5, 1963, at “Fine Studios” 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, clarinet, bass clarinet
  • Ray Nance– cornet, violin
  • Cat Anderson, Roy Burrowes, Cootie Williams– trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown, Buster Cooper– trombone
  • Chuck Connors – bass trombone
  • Jimmy Hamilton– clarinet, tenor saxophone
  • Ernie Shepard – bass
  • Sam Woodyard– drums

Track listing:

:All tracks by Duke Ellington except where noted.

  1. Afro-Bossa
  2. Purple Gazelle
  3. Absinthe – Billy Strayhorn
  4. Moonbow
  5. Sempre Amoré
  6. Caliné – Silk Lace
  7. Tigress – Billy Strayhorn
  8. Angu
  9. Volupté
  10. Bonga
  11. Pyramid – Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol
  12. Eighth Veil – Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn