Tag Archives: Creed Taylor

George Benson: Good King Bad

In June 1976, “CTI” label released “Good King Bad”, the thirteenth George Benson studio album. It was recorded July – October – December 1975, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • George Benson – vocals, guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar
  • Don Grolnick – clavinet
  • Bobby Lyle – keyboards
  • Roland Hanna – keyboards
  • Ronnie Foster – keyboards
  • Gary King – bass, rhythm arrangements
  • Andy Newmark – drums
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Dennis Davis – drums
  • Sue Evans – percussion
  • David Friedman – vibraphone
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
  • Frank Vicari – tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone 
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Fred Wesley – trombone
  • Joe Farrell – flute
  • Romeo Penque – flute
  • David Tofani – flute
  • David Matthews – arrangements
  • Bob James – conductor
  • Max Ellen – violin
  • Paul Gershman – violin
  • Harry Glickman – violin
  • Emanuel Green – violin
  • Harold Kohon – violin
  • David Nadien – violin
  • John Pintavalle – violin
  • Max Pollikoff – violin
  • Harold Coletta – viola
  • Theodore Israel – viola
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Alan Shulman – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Rene Schumacher – design
  • Pete Turner – cover and liner photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Theme from Good King Bad – David Matthews
  2. One Rock Don’t Make No Boulder – David Matthews
  3. Em – Philip Namanworth
  4. Cast Your Fate to the Wind – Vince Guaraldi
  5. Siberian Workout – David Matthews
  6. Shell of a Man – Eugene McDaniels

Randy Weston: Blue Moses

In June 1972, “CTI” label released “Blue Moses”, the 21st Randy Weston album. It was recorded March – April 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Randy Weston – electric piano
  • Grover Washington, Jr. – tenor saxophone
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • John Frosk, Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Garnett Brown, Warren Covington – trombone
  • Wayne Andre – trombone, baritone horn
  • Paul Faulise – bass trombone
  • James Buffington, Brooks Tillotson – French horn
  • Hubert Laws – flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo
  • Romeo Penque – clarinet, flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn
  • George Marge – clarinet, flute, alto flute, bass flute, English horn
  • David Horowitz – synthesizer
  • Ron Carter, Vishnu Bill Wood – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Phil Kraus, Airto Moreira, Azzedin Weston – percussion
  • Madame Meddah – vocals
  • Don Sebesky – arrangements, conductor
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Bob Ciano – design

Track listing:

All tracks by Randy Weston.

  1. Ifrane
  2. Ganawa (Blue Moses)
  3. Night in Medina
  4. Marrakesh Blues

Bill Evans: Trio 65

In June 1965, “Verve” label released “Trio ’65”, the 27th Bill Evans album. It was recorded in 1965, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Bill Evans – piano
  • Chuck Israels – bass
  • Larry Bunker – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Val Valentin – engineer
  • Acy R. Lehman – design
  • Fred Seligo – liner notes
  • Don Nelsen – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Israel – John Carisi
  2. Elsa – Earl Zindars
  3. ‘Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams
  4. Our Love Is Here to Stay – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
  5. How My Heart Sings – Earl Zindars
  6. Who Can I Turn To? – Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
  7. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  8. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman

Johnny Hodges: Johnny Hodges With Billy Strayhorn And The Orchestra

In June 1962, “Verve” label released “Johnny Hodges with Billy Strayhorn and the Orchestra”, the 22nd Johnny Hodges album. It was recorded in December 1961, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Hodges – alto saxophone
  • Billy Strayhorn – arrangements, conductor
  • Russell Procope – alto saxophone, reeds, clarinet
  • Jimmy Hamilton – tenor saxophone, reeds
  • Paul Gonsalves – tenor saxophone, reeds
  • Harry Carney – baritone saxophone, reeds, bass clarinet
  • Bill Berry – trumpet
  • Cat Anderson – trumpet
  • Ed Mullens – trumpet
  • Shorty Baker – trumpet
  • Howard McGhee – trumpet
  • Lawrence Brown – trombone
  • Quentin Jackson – trombone
  • Chuck Connors – bass trombone
  • Jimmy Jones – piano
  • Aaron Bell – bass
  • Sam Woodyard – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Stanley Dance – liner notes
  • Charles Stewart – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Get Around Much Any More – Bob Russell, Duke Ellington
  2. I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good – Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
  3. Gal from Joe’s – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  4. Your Love has Faded – Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington
  5. I’m Just a Lucky So and So – Duke Ellington, Mack David
  6. Jeep’s Blues – Duke Ellington, Johnny Hodges
  7. Day Dream – Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, John Latouche
  8. Juice-A-Plenty – Johnny Hodges
  9. Azure – Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
  10. Tailor Made – Ed Mullins, Johnny Hodges
  11. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish

Joe Roland: Joe Roland Quintette

In June 1955, “Bethlehem” label released “Joe Roland Quintette”, the second Joe Roland studio album. It was recorded in March 1955, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Joe Roland – vibraphone
  • Fredie Redd – piano
  • Dick Garcia – guitar
  • Dante Martucci – bass
  • Ron Jefferson – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Burt Goldblatt – design

Track listing:

  1. Easy Living – Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin
  2. Stairway to the Steinway – Fredie Redd
  3. Soft Winds – Benny Goodman
  4. Teach Me Tonight – Gene De Paul, Sammy Cahn
  5. Robin – Ismael Ugarte
  6. Sweet Lorraine – Cliff Burwell, Mitchell Parish
  7. Goodbye Bird – Joe Roland
  8. After You’ve Gone – Turner Layton, Henry Creamer
  9. Anticipation – Dick Garcia
  10. I Cover the Waterfront – Johnny Green, Edward Heyman
  11. The Moon Got in My Eyes – Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke
  12. Street of Dreams – Victor Young, Sam M. Lewis

George Benson: Beyond the Blue Horizon

In May 1971, “CTI” label released “Beyond the Blue Horizon”, the seventh George Benson album. It was recorded in February 1971, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • George Benson – guitar
  • Clarence Palmer – Hammond organ
  • Ron Carter – double bass, electric cello
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Michael Cameron – percussion
  • Albert Nicholson – percussion
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Bob Ciano – design
  • Chuck Stewart – photography
  • Pete Turner – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by George Benson, except where noted.

  1. So What – Miles Davis
  2. The Gentle Rain – Luiz Bonfa, Matt Dubey
  3. All Clear
  4. Ode to a Kudu
  5. Somewhere in the East

Cal Tjader: Breeze From The East

In May 1964, “Verve” label released “Breeze from the East”, the 37th Cal Tjader album. It was recorded November – December 1963, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Cal Tjader – vibraphone
  • Lonnie Hewitt – piano
  • Dick Hyman – electronic organ
  • Stan Applebaum – celesta, arrangements
  • Jerry Dodgion – flute
  • George Duvivier – double bass
  • Johnny Rae – drums
  • Willie Bobo – percussion
  • Phil Ramone – engineer
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering
  • John Murello – design
  • Al “Jazzbo” Collins, Jack Maher – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Sake and Greens – Stan Applebaum
  2. Cha – Stan Applebaum
  3. Leyte – Cal Tjader, Lonnie Hewitt
  4. Shoji – Stan Applebaum
  5. China Nights – Nobuyuki Takeoka, Sedores, Yaso Saijo
  6. Fuji – Cal Tjader
  7. Black Orchid – Cal Tjader
  8. Theme from Burke’s Law – Herschel Burke Gilbert
  9. Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish
  10. Poinciana – Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon
  11. East of the Sun (and West of the Moon) – Brooks Bowman

Jimmy Smith: Hobo Flats

In April 1963, “Verve” label released “Hobo Flats”, Jimmy Smith’s second album for the company. It was recorded in March 1963, in New York, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Smith – Hammond organ
  • Oliver Nelson – arrangements, conductor
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering
  • Bob Simpson – engineer
  • Ray Hall – engineer
  • Chuck Stewart – photography
  • Del Shields – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Hobo Flats – Oliver Nelson
  2. Blueberry Hill – Al Lewis, Larry Stacks, Vincent Rose
  3. Walk Right In – Erik Darling, Willard Svanoe
  4. Trouble in Mind – Larry Jones
  5. The Preacher – Horace Silver
  6. Meditation – Antonio Carlos Jobim,  Newton Ferreira de Mendonca, Norman Gimbel
  7. I Can’t Stop Loving You – Don Gibson

Gary McFarland: Soft Samba

In March 1966, “Verve” label released “Soft Samba”, the fourth Gary McFarland album. It was recorded June, September and October 1964, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Gary McFarland – arranger, vibraphone
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Seldon Powell, Spencer Sinatra – flute
  • Patty Bowen – piano
  • Antônio Carlos Jobim, Kenny Burrell – guitar
  • Richard Davis – double bass
  • Arnie Wise, Sol Gubin, Willie Bobo – percussion
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Val Valentin – director of engineering
  • Michael J. Malatak – design
  • Lester Bookbinder – cover photography
  • Wally King – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Ringo, Won’t You Marry Me – Linda Laurie, Jerry Mack
  2. From Russia with Love – Lionel Bart
  3. She Loves You – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  4. A Hard Day’s Night – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  5. The Good Life – Sacha Distel, Jack Reardon
  6. More (Theme from Mondo Cane) – Riz Ortolani, Nino Oliviero, Marcello Ciorciolini, Norman Newell
  7. And I Love Her – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
  8. The Love Goddess – Percy Faith, Mack David
  9. I Want to Hold Your Hand – John Lennon, McCartney
  10. Emily – Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer
  11. California, Here I Come – Buddy DeSylva, Al Jolson, Joseph Meyer
  12. La Vie en Rose – Pierre Louiguy, Édith Piaf, Mack David