Tag Archives: George Ricci

Moondog: Same

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On October 1, 1969, “Columbia Masterworks Records” label released the self-titled, sixth Moondog album. It was recorded in 1969, at “Old Church” in New York City, and was produced by James William Guercio and Al Brown.

Personnel:

  • Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin) – conductor
  • Wally Kane – baritone saxophone
  • Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Danny Repole – bass trumpet
  • Tony Studd, Charles Small, Buddy Morrow – tenor trombone
  • Paul Faulise – bass trombone
  • Don Butterfield, Bill Stanley – tuba
  • Bill Stanley, Bill Elton, John Swallow, Phil Giardina – tenor tuba
  • Harold Bennet, Andrew Lolya, Harold Jones, Hubert Laws – flute
  • Henry Shuman, Irving Horowitz – English horn
  • James Buffington, Richard Berg, Ray Alonge, Brooks Tillotson – French horn
  • Jimmy Abato, George Silfies, Phil Bodner – clarinet
  • Ernie Bright – bass clarinet
  • Jack Knitzer, Don Macourt, Ryohei Nakagawa, George Berg, Wally Kane, Joyce Kelly – bassoon
  • Paul Gershman, Aaron Rosand – violin
  • Emanuel Vardi, David Schwartz, Eugene Becker, Raoul Poliakin – viola
  • George Ricci, Charles McCracken – cello
  • Joe Tekula – contrabass cello
  • George Duvivier, Ron Carter, Alfred Brown, Louis Hardin – bass
  • Jack Jennings, Dave Carey, Elayne Jones, Bob Rosengarden – percussion
  • Raoul Poliakin, Eugene Becker – tenor

Track listing:

All tracks by Louis Thomas Hardin (Moondog)

  1. Theme
  2. Stamping Ground
  3. Symphonique #3 (Ode to Venus)
  4. Symphonique #6 (Good for Goodie)
  5. Minisym #1
    I. Allegro
    II. Andante Adagio
    III. Vivace
  6. Lament 1 (Bird’s Lament)
  7. Witch of Endor
    I. Dance
    II. Trio: A. Adagio (The Prophecy), B. Andante (The Battle), C. Agitato (Saul’s Death)
    III. Dance (reprise)
  8. Symphonique #1 (Portrait of a Monarch)

Al Cohn And His Orchestra: That Old Feeling

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In June 1956, “RCA Victor” label released “That Old Feeling”, album by Al Cohn and His Orchestra (the fifth Al Cohn album overall). It was recorded in May 1955, at “Webster Hall” in New York City, and was produced by Jack Lewis.

Personnel:

  • Al Cohn – tenor saxophone
  • Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Hank Jones – piano
  • Freddie Green – guitar
  • Milt Hinton – bass
  • Osie Johnson – drums
  • Gene Orloff – concertmaster, violin
  • Fred Buldrini, Max Hollander, Harry Katzman, Leo Kruczek, Milton Lomask, Harry Lookofsky, Harry Melnikoff, Seymour Miroff, Julius Schnachter, Paul Winter – violin
  • Bernie Greenhouse, George Ricci, Lucien Schmidt, Morris Stonzek – viola
  • Manny Albam, Ralph Burns, Al Cohn, Ernie Wilkins – arrangements

Track listing:

  1. That Old Feeling – Sammy Fain, Lew Brown
  2. Gone With The Wind – Allie Wrubel, Herb Magidson
  3. Sweet and Lovely – Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias, Jules LeMare
  4. Soft as Spring – Alec Wilder
  5. I’ll Take Romance – Ben Oakland, Oscar Hammerstein II
  6. Azure-Té (Paris Blues) – Don Wolf, Bill Davis
  7. I’ll Be Around – Alec Wilder
  8. Swingin’ the Blues – Count Basie, Eddie Durham
  9. Trouble Is a Man – Alec Wilder
  10. Honey Blonde – Jerry Leshay
  11. Willow Weep for Me – Ann Ronell
  12. In a Mellow Tone – Duke Ellington

Hank Crawford: We Got A Good Thing Going

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In November 1972, “Kudu” label released “We Got a Good Thing Going”, the thirteenth Hank Crawford album. It was recorded September – October 1972, at “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Hank Crawford – alto saxophone
  • Richard Tee – piano, electric piano, organ
  • George Benson, Cornell Dupree – electric guitar
  • Ron Carter, Gordon Edwards – double bass, electric bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Phil Kraus – vibraphone, orchestra bells
  • Art Jenkins – congas, tambourine
  • Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice – violin
  • Al Brown, Harold Coletta, Ted Israel – viola
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • Bob James, Don Sebesky – arrangements, conductor
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. We Got a Good Thing Going – The Corporation
  2. I Don’t Know – Bill Withers
  3. Down to Earth – Ron Miller, Avery Vandenberg
  4. I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So – Duke Ellington, Mack David
  5. Imagination – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
  6. Little Tear – Don Sebesky
  7. The Christmas Song – Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
  8. Winter Wonderland – Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
  9. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  10. Dirt Dobbler – Alfred Ellis
  11. Betcha by Golly, Wow – Thom Bell, Linda Creed
  12. This Is All I Ask – Gordon Jenkins
  13. Jazz Bridge – Don Sebesky

Stanley Turrentine: Don’t Mess With Mister T.

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In September 1973, “CTI” label released “Don’t Mess with Mister T.”, album by Stanley Turrentine. It was recorded March – June 1973, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood, Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  1. Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone
  2. Bob James – piano, electric piano, arrangements, conductor
  3. Harold Mabern – electric piano
  4. Richard Tee – organ
  5. Eric Gale – guitar
  6. Ron Carter – bass
  7. Idris Muhammad – drums
  8. Billy Cobham – drums
  9. Rubens Bassini – percussion
  10. Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone
  11. Joe Farrell – tenor saxophone
  12. Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
  13. Randy Brecker – trumpet
  14. John Frosk – flugelhorn
  15. Alan Raph – bass trombone
  16. Harry Cykman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Guy Lumia, David Nadien, John Pintaualle, Irving Spice – violin
  17. Harold Coletta, Emanuel Vardi – viola
  18. Seymour Barab, George Ricci – cello
  19. Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. Don’t Mess with Mister T. – Marvin Gaye
  2. Two for T. – Stanley Turrentine
  3. Too Blue – Stanley Turrentine
  4. I Could Never Repay Your Love – Bruce Hawes

Don Sebeski: Giant Box

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In July 1973, “CTI” label released “Giant Box”, the third Don Sebeski album. It was recorded April – May 1973, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Don Sebesky – electric piano, organ, clavinet, accordion, arrangements, conductor
  • Jackie Cain, Roy Kral – vocals
  • Lani Groves, Carl Caldwell, Tasha Thomas – vocals
  • Hubert Laws – soprano saxophone, flute
  • Joe Farrell – soprano saxophone
  • Romeo Penque – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn
  • Grover Washington, Jr. – alto saxophone
  • Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
  • Phil Bodner – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo
  • George Marge – soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, English horn
  • Walt Levinsky – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Randy Brecker, Alan Rubin, Joe Shepley – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Garnett Brown – trombone
  • Wayne Andre, Warren Covington – trombone, baritone horn
  • Paul Faulise, Alan Raph – bass trombone, baritone horn
  • Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin – French horn
  • Tony Price – tuba
  • Dave Friedman, Phil Kraus, Ralph MacDonald, Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Alfred Brown, Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice – violin
  • Seymour Barab, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Alan Shulman – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • George Benson – electric guitar
  • Bob James – organ
  • Ron Carter – bass, electric bass, piccolo bass
  • Homer Mensch – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Rubens Bassini – conga
  • Milt Jackson – vibraphone
  • Bob Ciano – design

Track listing:

 All tracks, by Don Sebesky, except where noted.

  1. Firebird/Birds of Fire – Igor Stravinsky, John McLaughlin
  2. Song to a Seagull – Joni Mitchell
  3. Free as a Bird
  4. Psalm 150 – Jimmy Webb
  5. Vocalise – Sergei Rachmaninoff
  6. Fly/Circles
  7. Semi-Tough

Hubert Laws: Wild Flower

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On July 22, 1972, “Atlantic” label released “Wild Flower”, the seventh Hubert Laws album. It was recorded October – November 1971, in New York City, and was produced by Joel Dorn.

Personnel:

  • Hubert Laws – flute, alto flute, piccolo, electric flute
  • Chick Corea – piano
  • Gary Burton – vibraphone
  • Ron Carter, Richard Davis – double bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Ramon “Mongo” Santamaría – congas
  • Joe Chambers, Airto Moreira, Warren Smith – percussion
  • Bernard Eichen, Paul Gershman, Harry Lookofsky, Guy Lumia, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, John Pintavalle, Matthew Raimondi, Aaron Rosand – violin
  • Julian Barber, Selwart Clarke, Harold Coletta, Richard Dickler, Harry Zaratzian – viola
  • Seymour Barab, Richard Bock, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Alan Shulman – cello
  • John Murtaugh – arrangements, conductor

Track listing:

  1. Wild Flower – John Murtaugh
  2. Pensativa – Clare Fischer
  3. Equinox – John Coltrane
  4. Ashanti – John Murtaugh
  5. Motherless Child – traditional
  6. Yoruba – John Murtaug

Grover Washington Jr.: All The King’s Horses

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On July 1, 1972, “Kudu” label released “All the King’s Horses”, the second Grover Washington Jr. studio album. It was recorded May – June 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Grover Washington Jr. – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Gene Bertoncini – guitar
  • Cornell Dupree – guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar
  • David Spinozza – guitar
  • Bob James – electric piano, harpsichord, arrangements, conductor
  • Richard Tee – organ
  • Gordon Edwards – bass
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald – congas
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn

Brass and Woodwind Section

  • George Marge – alto saxophone, flute, English horn, oboe, recorder
  • Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
  • Arthur Clarke – baritone saxophone, flute
  • Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise, Tony Studd – trombone
  • Jon Faddis, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Ernie Royal, Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Ray Alonge, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Brooks Tillotson – French horn

String Section

  • Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, John Pintaualle, Irving Spice – violin
  • Richard Dickler, Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp

String Trio

  • David Nadien – violin
  • Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • George Ricci – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Bob Ciano – design
  • Pete Turner – photography

Track listing:

  1. No Tears, in the End – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  2. All the King’s Horses – Aretha Franklin
  3. Where Is the Love – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  4. Body and Soul (Montage) – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green
  5. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  6. Lover Man – Jimmy Davis, James Sherman, Ram Ramirez
  7. Love Song 1700 – Henry Purcell

Roberta Flack: First Take

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On June 20, 1969, “Atlantic” label released “First Take”, the debut Roberta Flack studio album. It was recorded in February 1969, at “Atlantic” in New York City, and was produced by Joel Dorn. In 2020, “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “First Take” at number 451 on its list of “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Roberta Flack – vocals, piano
  • Bucky Pizzarelli – guitars
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Ray Lucas – drums, percussion
  • Seldon Powell, Frank Wess – saxophone
  • Jimmy Nottingham, Joe Newman – trumpet
  • Benny Powell – trombone
  • Emanuel Green, Gene Orloff – violin
  • Alfred Brown, Selwart Clarke, Theodore Israel – viola
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello
  • William S. Fischer – horn and string arrangements, string conducting
  • William Arlt – recording
  • Bob Liftin – remix
  • Stanislaw Zagorski – design
  • Ken Heinen – photography

Track listing:

  1. Compared to What – Gene McDaniels
  2. Angelitos Negros – Andrés Eloy Blanco, Manuel Álvarez Maciste
  3. Our Ages or Our Hearts – Robert Ayers, Donny Hathaway
  4. I Told Jesus – traditional, arranged by Roberta Flack
  5. Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye – Leonard Cohen
  6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Ewan MacColl
  7. Tryin’ Times – Donny Hathaway, Leroy Hutson
  8. Ballad of the Sad Young Men – Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf

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