Tag Archives: Chicago

Roland Kirk: Introducing Roland Kirk

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In July 1960, “Argo” label released “Introducing Roland Kirk”, the second Roland Kirk studio album. It was recorded in June 1960, in Chicago, Illinois.

Personnel:

  • Roland Kirk – tenor saxophone, manzello, whistle, stritch
  • Ira Sullivan – trumpet, tenor saxophone
  • William Burton – organ, piano
  • Donald Garrett – bass
  • Sonny Brown – drums
  • Ron Malo – engineer
  • Don Bronstein – design
  • Bill Claxton – cover photography
  • Jack Tracy – supervision

Track listing:

All tracks by Roland Kirk, except where noted.

  1. The Call
  2. Soul Station
  3. Our Waltz – David Rose
  4. Our Love Is Here To Stay – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  5. Spirit Girl
  6. Jack the Ripper – William Burton

Purple Mountains: Same

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On July 12, 2019, “Drag City” label released the self-titled, debut and only Purple Mountains studio album. It was recorded in 2018, at “Jamdek” in Chicago, Illinois, “Thump” in Brooklyn, New York and was produced by Jarvis Taveniere and Jeremy Earl.

Personnel:

  • David Berman – vocals, guitar
  • Aaron Neveu – guitar, bass, drums
  • Kyle Forester – piano, organ, Mellotron, harmonica, melodica
  • Jarvis Taveniere – bass, guitars
  • Jeremy Earl – vocals, drums, guitar, percussion, Mellotron
  • Justin Brown – pedal steel 
  • John Andrews – vocals, organ
  • Chris Stroffolino – Hammond organ
  • Cole Kamen-Green – trumpet
  • Anna St. Louis – vocals
  • Haley Fohr – vocals
  • Jarvis Taveniere – engineer, mixing
  • Cooper Crain – auxiliary recording
  • Peyton Pinkerton – auxiliary recording
  • Carl Saff – lacquer cut
  • Christian Patterson – center photography
  • Cassie Berman – dog photography
  • Dan Koretzky – executive production

Track listing:

All track by David Berman, except where noted.

  1. That’s Just the Way That I Deel
  2. All My Happiness Is Gone
  3. Darkness and Cold
  4. Snow Is Falling in Manhattan
  5. Margaritas at the Mall
  6. She’s making Friends, I’m Turning Stranger
  7. I Loved Being My Mother’s Son
  8. Nights That Won’t Happen
  9. Storyline Fever
  10. Maybe I’m the Only One for Me – David Berman, Dan Auerbach, Gate Pratt

Max Roach: Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene

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In July 1958, “EmArcy” label released “Max Roach + 4 on the Chicago Scene”, the seventh Max Roach album. It was recorded in June 1958, at “Universal Recorders” in Chicago.

Personnel:

  • Max Roach – drums
  • George Coleman – tenor saxophone
  • Booker Little – trumpet
  • Eddie Baker – piano
  • Bob Cranshaw – upright bass

Track listing:

  1. Shirley – George Coleman
  2. My Old Flame – Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston
  3. Sporty – Bill Lee
  4. Stella by Starlight – Ned Washington, Victor Young
  5. Stompin’ at the Savoy – Benny Goodman, Andy Razaf, Edgar Sampson, Chick Webb
  6. Memo: To Maurice – Eddie Baker

Tortoise: Same

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On June 22, 1994, “Thrill Jockey” label released the self-titled, debut Tortoise album. It was recorded November – December 1993, at “Idful Music” in Chicago, and was produced by Dan Bitney, Bundy K. Brown, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs and John McEntire.

Personnel:

  • Douglas McCombs – bass guitar, guitar, arrangements
  • John McEntire – drums, synthesizer, electronics, recording, mixing
  • Dan Bitney – percussion, arrangements
  • John Herndon – drums, arrangements
  • Bundy K. Brown – recording assistant, mixing assistant
  • Sam Prekop – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Dan Bitney, Bundy K. Brown, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs and John McEntire.

  1. Magnet Pulls Through
  2. Night Air
  3. Ry Cooder
  4. Onions Wrapped in Rubber
  5. Tin Cans & Twine
  6. Spiderwebbed
  7. His Second Story Island
  8. On Noble
  9. Flyrod
  10. Cornpone Brunch

Don Bryant: You Make Me Feel

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On June 19, 2020, “Fat Possum” label released “You Make Me Feel”, the third Don Bryant studio album. It was recorded in 2020, at “Reliable Recorders” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Scott Bomar.

Personnel:

  •  Don Bryant – vocals
  • Scott Bomar – guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion, engineer
  • Joe Restivo – guitar
  • Al Gamble – keyboards
  • Charles Hodges – organ
  • Archie “Hubble” Turner – keyboards
  • Howard Grimes – drums, percussion
  • Adam Hill – percussion, engineer
  • Art Edmaiston – saxophone
  • Kirk Smothers – saxophone
  • Marc Franklin – trumpet, strings, arrangements
  • Jennifer Puckett, Jessie Munson, Jonathan Kirkscey, Jordan Musgrave, Wen-Yih Yu – strings
  • Alex Hall – backing vocals, recording
  • Casey McDonough, Chris Barnes, Corey ‘2E’ Williams II, Courtney Barnes, J. Vito, Katrina Anderson, Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Reba Russell, Scott Ligon, The Flat Five, The Hamiltones, Tony Lelo – backing vocals
  • Matt Ross Spang – mixing
  • Gavin Lurssen – mastering
  • Jeff Powell – lacquer cut
  • Kerri Mahoney – artwork
  • Lawrence Matthews III – front and back cover photography
  • Jacob Blickenstaff – inner photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Bryant.

  1. Your Love Is to Blame
  2. 99 Pounds
  3. Is It Over
  4. I Die a Little Every Day
  5. Don’t Turn Your Back on Me
  6. Your Love Is Too Late
  7. I’ll Go Crazy – James Cross, Johnnie Frierson, Mary Frierson
  8. Cracked Up Over You
  9. A Woman’s Touch
  10. Walk All Over God’s Heaven

Donny Hathaway: Extension Of A Man

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On June 18, 1973, “Atco” label released “Extension of a Man”, the fourth and final Donny Hathaway studio album. It was recorded October – November 1972, at “A&R”, “Bell Sound”, “Regent Sound” and “Atlantic” in New York City, “Universal” in Chicago, and was produced by Arif Mardin.

Personnel:

  • Donny Hathaway – lead vocals, Fender Rhodes electric piano, all pianos, Hammond organ, keyboards, bass, arrangements
  • Cornell Dupree – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Hugh McCracken – banjo, guitar
  • Willie Weeks, Russ Savakus, Stanley Clarke, Gordon Edwards – bass
  •  Grady Tate, Fred White, Rick Marotta, Ray Lucas – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, Julien Barber, Noel DaCosta, Sanford Allen, Theodore Israel – violin
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Kermit Moore – cello
  • Gloria Agostini – harp 
  • David Newman – saxophone
  • Marvin Stamm, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal – trumpet
  • Dominick Gravine, Garnett Brown, Paul Faulise, Wayne Andre, Tony Studd, Garnett Brown – trombone
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • Don Butterfield – tuba
  • Phil Bodner – clarinet, alto saxophone
  • Seldon Powell – clarinet, reeds, tenor saxophone
  • Vincent Abato – clarinet
  • Romeo Penque, William Slapin – reeds
  • Jim Buffington, Julius Watkins, Tony Miranda – French horn
  • Henry Schuman – oboe
  • Myrna Summers & The Interdenominational Singers – choir 
  • Cissy Houston, Myrna Smith, Sylvia Shemwell, Jimmy Douglass, Mario “Big M” Medious, Richard Wells, William “Mac” McCollum – backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Donny Hathaway, except where noted.

  1. I Love the Lord; He Heard My Cry (Parts I & II)
  2. Someday We’ll All Be Free – Donny Hathaway, Edward Howard
  3. Flying Easy
  4. Valdez in the Country
  5. I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know – Al Kooper
  6. Come Little Children
  7. Love, Love, Love – J.R. Bailey, Ken Williams
  8. The Slums
  9. Magdalena – Danny O’Keefe
  10. I Know It’s You – Leon Ware
  11. Lord Help Me – Joe Greene, Billy Preston

The Buddy Rich Big Band: The New One!

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In May 1968, “Pacific Jazz” label released “The New One!”, album by the Buddy Rich Big Band (the 23rd Buddy Rich album overall). It was recorded June – November 1967, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Buddy Rich – piano
  • Ray Starling – piano
  • Russel Turner, Jr. – piano
  • Richie Resnicoff – guitar
  • James Gannon – bass
  • Ronald Fudoli – bass
  • Ernie Watts – alto saxophone
  • Charles Owens – alto saxophone
  • James Mosher – alto saxophone
  • Jay Corre – tenor saxophone
  • Pascel LaBarbera – tenor saxophone
  • Robert Keller – tenor saxophone
  • Frank Capi – baritone saxophone
  • Meyer Hirsch – baritone saxophone
  • Chuck Findley – trumpet
  • John Sotille – trumpet
  • Yoshito Murakami – trumpet
  • Russell Iverson – trumpet
  • Ollie Mitchell – trumpet
  • Robert Brawn – trombone
  • John Boice – trombone
  • Sam Burtis – trombone
  • Jack Spurlock – trombone
  • James Trimble – trombone

Track listing:

  1. Away We Go – Allyn Ferguson
  2. Machine – Bill Reddie
  3. The Rotten Kid – Buddy Greco
  4. New Blues – Don Piestrup
  5. Something for Willie – William Boice
  6. Standing up in a Hammock – Bill Potts
  7. Chicago – Fred Fisher
  8. Luv – Gerry Mulligan
  9. I Can’t Get Started – Vernon Duke, Ira Gershwin
  10. Group Shot – Don Piestrup
  11. Diabolus – Allyn Ferguson

Steve Albini

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On May 7, 2024, Steve Albini died aged 61. He was singer-songwriter, musician (guitar, bass, drums), audio engineer and music journalist, member the bands Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac. Albini was the founder, owner, and principal engineer of the Chicago studio “Electrical Audio”. He recorded and produced thousands of albums, for various acts including Nirvana, The Pixies, Fugazi, Chris Connely, Volcano Suns, The Breeders, Superchunk, Ty Segall, The Wedding Present, Cheap Trick, Guided By Voices, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, PJ Harvey, Manic Street Preachers, Will Oldham, Red Crayola, The Jesus Lizard and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

Oscar Peterson: Oscar Peterson Plays The Jerome Kern Songbook

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In May 1960, “Verve” label released “Oscar Peterson Plays the Jerome Kern Songbook”, the 73rd Oscar Peterson album. It was recorded July – August 1959, at “Universal” in Chicago, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums
  • Merle Shore – artwork

Track listing:

All lyrics as noted, all music by Jerome Kern.

  1. I Won’t Dance – Dorothy Fields, Oscar Hammerstein II, Otto Harbach, Jimmy McHugh
  2. Bill – Oscar Hammerstein
  3. The Song Is You – Oscar Hammerstein
  4. A Fine Romance – Dorothy Fields
  5. Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man – Oscar Hammerstein
  6. Ol’ Man River – Oscar Hammerstein
  7. Long Ago (and Far Away) – Ira Gershwin
  8. Lovely to Look At – Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
  9. Pick Yourself Up – Dorothy Fields
  10. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes – Ott Harbach
  11. The Way You Look Tonight – Dorothy Fields
  12. Yesterdays – Otto Harbach

Oscar Peterson: Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Songbook

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In May 1960, “Verve” label released “Oscar Peterson Plays the Harold Arlen Songbook”, album by Oscar Peterson. It was recorded July – August 1959, at “Universal Recorders” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Oscar Peterson – piano
  • Herb Ellis – guitar 
  • Ray Brown – double bass
  • Ed Thigpen – drums
  • Merle Shore – design

Track listing:

  1. As Long as I Live – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  2. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  3. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  4. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  5. I’ve Got the World on a String – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  6. That Old Black Magic – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  7. Let’s Fall in Love – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  8. Stormy Weather – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
  9. Over the Rainbow – Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg
  10. Happiness is a Thing Called Joe – Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg
  11. The Man that Got Away – Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin
  12. Ill Wind – Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler