Tag Archives: Don Ellis

Don Ellis: Jazz Jamboree

In November 1962, “Polskie Nagrania Muza” label released “Jazz Jamboree”, the sixth Don Ellis album. It was recorded in October 1962, at the “National Philharmonic Hall” in Warsaw, Poland, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Don Ellis – trumpet
  • Wojciech Karolak – piano
  • Roman Dyląg – bass
  • Andrzej Dąbrowski – drums

Track listing:

  1. Soloes – Don Ellis
  2. What Is Things Called Love – Cole Porter
  3. Lover – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  4. Now’s the Time – Charlie Parker

Don Ellis: How Time Passes

In November 1960, “Candid“ label released “How Time Passes”, the debut Don Ellis album. It was recorded in October 1960, at “Nola Penthouse Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Nat Hentoff.

Personnel:

  •  Don Ellis – trumpet
  • Jaki Byard – piano, alto saxophone
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Ellis, except where noted.

  1. How Time Passes
  2. Sallie
  3. A Simplex One
  4. Waste – Jaki Byard
  5. Improvisational Suite #1

Charles Mingus: Mingus Dynasty

In May 1960, “Columbia” label released “Mingus Dynasty”, the 18th Charles Mingus album. It was recorded in November 1959, at “CBS 30th Street Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Teo Macero. In 1999, the album was inducted in the “Grammy Hall of Fame”.

Personnel:

  • Charles Mingus – bass
  • John Handy – alto sax
  • Booker Ervin – tenor sax
  • Benny Golson – tenor sax
  • Jerome Richardson – baritone sax, flute
  • Richard Williams – trumpet
  • Don Ellis – trumpet
  • Jimmy Knepper – trombone
  • Roland Hanna – piano
  • Nico Bunink – piano
  • Dannie Richmond – drums
  • Teddy Charles – vibes
  • Maurice Brown – cello
  • Seymour Barab – cello
  • Honi Gordon – vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Charles Mingus, except where noted.                         

  1. Slop
  2. Diane
  3. Song with Orange
  4. Gunslinging Bird (originally titled If Charlie Parker Were a Gunslinger, There’d Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats) 
  5. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be – Mercer Ellington
  6. Far Wells, Mill Valley
  7. New Now Know How
  8. Mood Indigo – Barney Bigard, Duke Ellington
  9. Put Me in That Dungeon

Michael Lang

On August 5, 2022, Michael Anthony Lang died aged 80. He was musician (piano, keyboards, organ, synthesizer) and composer, recorded more than 2500 film scores, and worked with some of the biggest names of modern music such as Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Vince Gill, Milt Jackson, Lee Konitz, Diana Krall, Arturo Sandoval, Josh Groban, Frank Zappa, Lee Ritenour, Oliver Nelson, Bud Shank, Kenny Rogers, Barbra Streisand, Solomon Burke, Tom Waits, Peggy Lee, Vanessa Williams, Jose Feliciano, Bette Midler, Russell Watson, Michael Bolton, Don Ellis, Robbie Williams, Paul Anka, Sarah Vaughan, Amy Grant, Willie Nelson, Natalie Cole, Dusty Springfield, Melissa Manchester, Neil Diamond, Shelly Manne and Stan Kenton.  

Thomas Tedesco

On November 10, 1997, Thomas J. Tedesco died aged 67. He was a musician (guitar), part of the loose collective of Los Angeles area’s session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. As he played on hundreds studio recordings, “Guitar Player” magazine described him as “the most recorded guitarist in music history”. He recorded with the Beach Boys, Chet Baker, the Mamas & the Papas, the Everly Brothers, the Association, Bobby Darrin, Barbra Streisand, Jan and Dean, the 5th Dimension, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Zappa, Ricky Nelson, Cher, Neil Diamond, Van Dyke Parks, Michael Franks, Nancy and Frank Sinatra, Richard Harris, Peggy Lee, Johnny Rivers, Al Kooper, Michael Nesmith, Paul Anka, Don Ellis, Minnie Riperton, Maria Muldaur, Leon Russell, Aretha Franklin, Art Garfunkel, J.J. Cale, Quincy Jones, Stephen Bishop, Kenny Loggins, Jack Nitzsche, Sarah Vaughan, Lalo Schifrin, Randy Newman, Hugh Masakela, and Joan Baez. Tedesco performed on soundtracks including The French Connection, Jaws, The Godfather, Field of Dreams, and The Deer Hunter. As a leader he released ten albums.

Gary Peacock

On September 5, 2020, Gary Peacock died aged 85. He was a musician (bass), one of the most important figures in modern jazz history. He recorded and performed with major jazz figures such as Albert Ayler, Paul Bley, Bill Evans, Keith Jarret, Frank Amsallem, Bill Carrothers, Marc Copland, Marilyn Crispell, Don Ellis, Clare Fischer, Barney Kessel, Sonny Simmons, Prince Lasha, Misha Mengelberg, Don Pullen, Bud Shank, Ravi Shankar, John Surman, Ralph Towner, Mal Waldrom, Tony Williams, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Woods, Toninho Horta, and Masabumi Kikuchi. As leader, he released twelve albums.

Steppenwolf: Slow Flux

In August 1974, “Mums” label released “Slow Flux”, the seventh Steppenwolf studio album. It was recorded in 1974, at “John Kay’s Studio” and was produced by John Kay, Goldy McJohn, Bobby Cochran, George Biondo, and Jerry Edmonton.

Personnel:

  • John Kay– vocals, guitar
  • Goldy McJohn– keyboards
  • Bobby Cochran– guitar
  • George Biondo– bass guitar, backing vocals
  • Jerry Edmonton– drums
  • Charles Black, Don Ellis, Gil Rathel, John Rosenberg, Sam Falzone – horns
  • Skip Konte– Chamberlin
  • Ed Bannon – engineer
  • Arnie Acosta – mastering
  • Jerry Edmonton – art direction, design
  • Tom Gundelfinger – front cover photography
  • Ed Caraeff– back cover and sleeve photography

Track listing:

  1. Gang War Blues – Goldy McJohn, Jerry Edmonton, John Kay, Kim Fowley
  2. Children of the Night – John Kay
  3. Justice Don’t be Slow – John Kay, Joseph B. Richie
  4. Get Into the Wind – Bobby Cochran, Casey Van Beek
  5. Jeraboah – Jack Conrad
  6. Straight Shootin’ Woman – Jerry Edmonton
  7. Smokey Factory Blues – Albert Hammond, Mike Hazlewood
  8. Morning Blue – George Biondo
  9. A Fool’s Fantasy – Goldy McJohn
  10. Fishin; in the Dark – John Kay

Don Ellis: Essence

In August 1962, “Pacific Jazz” label released “Essence” the fourth Don Ellis album. It was recorded in July 1962, in Los Angeles, and was produced by Richard Bock.

Personnel:

  • Don Ellis- trumpet
  • Paul Bley- piano
  • Gary Peacock- bass
  • Nick Martinis, Gene Stone – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Don Ellis except where noted.

  1. Johnny Come Lately – Billy Strayhorn
  2. Slow Space
  3. Ostinato
  4. Donkey – Carla Bley
  5. Form
  6. Angel Eyes – Earl Brent, Matt Dennis
  7. Irony
  8. Lover – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart

Al Kooper: I Stand Alone

In February 1969, “Columbia” label released “I Stand Alone”, the debut Al Kooper album. It was recorded in 1968, and was produced by Al Kooper.

Personnel:

  • Al Kooper – vocals, piano, organ, ondioline, guitars, orchestrations
  • Wayne Moss– guitar
  • Jerry Kennedy– guitar
  • “Big” Charlie Daniels– guitar
  • Charlie McCoy– electric bass, orchestrations
  • Ken Buttrey– drums
  • The Blossoms– backing vocal
  • Charlie Calello– orchestrations
  • Don Ellis– orchestrations
  • Jimmy Wisner– orchestrations
  • Brian Ross-Myring, Charlie Bragg, Don Puluse, Fred Catero, Glen Kolotkin, Neil Wilburn – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks by Al Kooper, except where noted.

  1. Overture
  2. I Stand Alone
  3. Camille – Al Kooper, Tony Powers
  4. One – Harry Nilsson
  5. Coloured Rain – Steve Winwood, Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood
  6. Soft Landing on the Moon
  7. I Can Love a Woman
  8. Blue Moon of Kentucky – Bill Monroe
  9. Toe Hold – Isaac Hayes, David Porter
  10. Right Now for You
  11. Hey, Western Union Man – Jerry Butler, Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff
  12. Song and Dance for the Unborn, Frightened Child

Paul Bley

On January 3, 2016, Hyman Paul Bley died aged 83. He was musician   (piano) and composer, one of the most important figures of the free jazz movement of the 60s and for his innovations and influence on trio playing. He has recorded and performed with many famous musicians, including: Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Percy Heath, Al Levitt, Dave Pike, Charlie Haden, Lennie McBrowne, Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins, Steve Swallow, Pete LaRoca, Dewey Johnson,  Marshall Allen, Eddie Gómez, Milford Graves, Kent Carter, Barry Altschul, Mark Levinson, Paul Motian, Billy Elgart, John Gilmore, Annette Peacock, Dick Youngstein, Glen Moore, Frank Tusa, Steve Hass, Bobby Moses, Han Bennink, Dave Holland, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorius, Bruce Ditmas, Jimmy Giuffre, Bill Connors, Lee Konitz, George Cross McDonald, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Jesper Lundgaard, Aage Tanggaard, John Surman, Bill Frisell, Ron McClure, John Abercrombie, Red Mitchell, Michal Urbaniak, Bob Cranshaw,  Keith Copeland, Hans Koch, Franz Koglmann, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Tony Oxley, Jane Bunnett, Herbie Spanier, Geordie McDonald, Evan Parker, Barre Phillips, Furio Di Castri, David Eyges, Bruce Ditmas, Sonny Greenwich, Rich Perry, Jay Anderson, Victor Lewis, Masahiko Togashi, Jakob Bro, Don Ellis, Sonny Rollins and Andreas Willers.