Tag Archives: Gigi Gryce

Gigi Gryce: Reminiscin’

Leave a comment

In December 1960, “Mercury” label released “Reminiscin’”, the 13th Gigi Gryce album. It was recorded in November 1960, in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Richard Williams – trumpet
  • Eddie Costa – vibraphone
  • Richard Wyands – piano
  • George Duvivier, Julian Euell, Reggie Workman – bass
  • Walter Perkins, Bobby Thomas – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Gigi Gryce except where noted.

  • Blue Lights
  • Caravan – Duke Ellington, Juan Tizol, Irving Mills
  • Reminiscing
  • Yesterdays – Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach
  • Gee Blues Gee – Randy Weston
  • A Night in Tunisia – Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli
  • Dearly Beloved – Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer
  • Take the “A” Train – Billy Strayhorn

Lee Morgan: City Lights

Leave a comment

In June 1958, “Blue Note” label released “City Lights”, the sixth Lee Morgan album. It was recorded in August 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • George Coleman – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Ray Bryant – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Art Taylor – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording, mastering
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. City Lights – Benny Golson
  2. Tempo de Waltz – Benny Golson
  3.  You’re Mine You – Johnny Green, Edward Heyman
  4. Just by Myself – Benny Golson
  5. Kin Folks – Gigi Gryce

Art Blakey And The Jazz Messengers: Tough!

Leave a comment

In January 1966, “Cadet” label released “Tough!”, the fourth Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers album. It was recorded in 1957, at “Swedien Recording Studio” in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Jackie McLean – alto saxophone
  • Bill Hardman – trumpet
  • Sam Dockery – piano
  • Spanky DeBrest – bass
  • Bruce Swedien – engineer
  • Michael Reid Design – design
  •  Don S. Bronstein – photography
  • Herb Wong – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Scotch Blues – Duke Jordan
  2. Flight to Jordan – Duke Jordan
  3. Transfiguration – Gigi Gryce
  4. Exhibit A – Gigi Gryce
  5. Gershwin Medley: Rhapsody in Blue/Summertime/Someone to Watch Over Me/The Man I Love – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin

Benny Golson: Benny Golson And The Philadelphians

Leave a comment

In December 1958, “United Artists” label released “Benny Golson and the Philadelphians”, the third Benny Golson album. It was recorded in November 1958, at “Nola’s Penthouse Sound Studios” in New York City.

Personnel:

  • Benny Golson – tenor saxophone
  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Ray Bryant — piano
  • Percy Heath – bass
  • Philly Joe Jones – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Benny Golson except where noted.

  1. You’re Not the Kind – Gigi Gryce
  2. Blues on My Mind
  3. Stablemates
  4. Thursday’s Theme
  5. Afternoon in Paris – John Lewis
  6. Calgary – Ray Bryant

Gigi Gryce Orchestra And Quartet: Nica’s Tempo

Leave a comment

In December 1955, “Signal” label released “Nica’s Tempo”, album by Gigi Gryce Orchestra and Quartet (the second Gigi Gryce album overall). It was recorded in October 1955, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Ozzie Cadena.

Personnel:

Gigi Gryce Orchestra

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone
  • Danny Bank – baritone saxophone
  • Art Farmer – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Eddie Bert – trombone
  • Julius Watkins – French horn
  • Gunther Schuller – French horn
  • Bill Barber – tuba
  • Horace Silver – piano
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Oscar Pettiford – bass
  • Kenny Clarke – drums
  • Ernestine Anderson – vocals

Gigi Gryce Quartet

  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Thelonious Monk – piano
  • Percy Heath – bass
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Ira Gitler – liner notes

Track listing:

Gigi Gryce Orchestra

  1. Speculation – Horace Silver
  2. In a Meditating Mood – Gigi Gryce
  3. Social Call – Gigi Gryce, Jon Hendricks
  4. Smoke Signal – Gigi Gryce
  5. (You’ll Always Be) The One I Love – Gigi Gryce
  6. Kerry Dance – traditional

Gigi Gryce Quartet

  1. Shuffle Boil – Thelonious Monk
  2. Brake’s Sake – Thelonious Monk
  3. Gallop’s Gallop – Thelonious Monk
  4. Nica’s Tempo – Gigi Gryce

Curtis Fuller: Sliding Easy

Leave a comment

In October 1959, “United Artists” label released “Sliding Easy”, the sixth Curtis Fuller album. It was recorded in March 1959, at “Nola’s Penthouse Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Tom Wilson.

Personnel:

  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • Hank Mobley – tenor saxophone
  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Tommy Flanagan – piano
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Elvin Jones – drums
  • Benny Golson – arrangements 
  • Gigi Gryce – arrangements

Track listing:

All tracks by Curtis Fuller, except where noted.

  1. Bit of Heaven
  2. Down Home
  3. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone – Buddy Johnson
  4. Bongo Bop – Charlie Parker
  5. When Lights Are Low – Benny Carter, Spencer Williams
  6. C.T.A. – Jimmy Heath

Mal Waldron: Mal-1

Leave a comment

In May 1957, “Prestige” label released “Mal-1”, the debut Mal Waldron album. It was recorded in November 1956, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Mal Waldron – piano
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone
  • Idrees Sulieman – trumpet
  • Julian Euell – bass
  • Arthur Edgehill – drums

Track listing:

  1. Stablemates – Benny Golson
  2. Yesterdays – Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern
  3. Transfiguration – Lee Sears, Gigi Gryce
  4. Bud Study – Mal Waldron
  5. Dee’s Dilemma – Mal Waldron
  6. Shome – Idrees Sulieman

Dizzy Gillespie: The Greatest trumpet Of Them All

Leave a comment

In December 1957, “Verve” label released “The Greatest Trumpet of Them All”, the 26th Dizzy Gillespie album. It was recorded in December 1957, in New York City, and was produced by Norman Granz.

Personnel:

  • Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone, arrangements
  • Benny Golson – tenor saxophone, arrangements
  • Pee Wee Moore – baritone saxophone
  • Henry Coker – trombone
  • Ray Bryant – piano
  • Tommy Bryant – bass
  • Charlie Persip – drums

Track listing:

  1. Blues After Dark – Benny Golson
  2. Sea Breeze – Larry Douglas, Fred Norman, Rommie Beardon
  3. Out of the Past – Benny Golson
  4. Shabozz – Gigi Gryce
  5. Reminiscing – Gigi Gryce
  6. A Night at Tony’s – Gigi Gryce
  7. Smoke Signals – Gigi Gryce
  8. Just by Myself – Benny Golson

Thelonious Monk: Monk’s Music

Leave a comment

In November 1957, “Riverside” label released “Monk’s Music”, an album by Thelonious Monk Septet. It was recorded in June 1957, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews. In 2001, the album was inducted into the “Grammy Hall of Fame”.

Personnel:

  • Thelonious Monk – piano
  • Gigi Gryce – alto saxophone, arrangements
  • Coleman Hawkins – tenor saxophone
  • John Coltrane – tenor saxophone
  • Ray Copeland – trumpet
  • Wilbur Ware – double bass
  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Jack Higgins – recording
  • Paul Bacon – design
  • Paul Weller – cover photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Thelonious Monk, except where noted.

  1. Abide with Me – Henry Francis Lyte, William Henry Monk
  2. Well, You Needn’t
  3. Ruby, My Dear
  4. Off Minor
  5. Epistrophy – Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke
  6. Crepuscule With Nellie

Kenny Dorham: Jazz Contrasts

Leave a comment

In October 1957, “Riverside” label released “Jazz Contrasts”, the fifth Kenny Dorham album. It was recorded in May 1957, at “Reeves Sound Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Kenny Dorham – trumpet
  • Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone
  • Hank Jones – piano
  • Oscar Pettiford – bass
  • Max Roach – drums
  • Betty Glamann – harp 
  • Jack Higgins – engineer
  • Keith Goodwin – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Falling in Love with Love – Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
  2. I’ll Remember April – Gene de Paul, Patricia Johnston, Don Raye
  3. LaRue – Clifford Brown
  4. My Old Flame – Sam Coslow, Arthur Johnston
  5. But Beautiful – Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen
  6. La Villa – Kenny Dorham, Gigi Gryce