Tag Archives: Herbie Hancock

Kenny Dorham: Una Mas

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In January 1964, “Blue Note” label released “Una Mas”, the 17th Kenny Dorham album. It was recorded in April 1963, at “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Kenny Dorham – voice, trumpet
  • Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone
  • Herbie Hancock – piano
  • Butch Warren – bass
  • Tony Williams – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Kenny Dorham, except where noted

  1. Una Mas (One More Time)
  2. Straight Ahead
  3. Sao Paulo
  4. If Ever I Would Leave You – Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe

Melvin Ragin

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On October 24, 2018, Melvin M. Ragin aka Wah Wah Watson died aged 67. He was musician (guitar), famous for his unique skills with wah-wah pedal. He was member of The Funk Brothers, the studio band for “Motown Records”, recorded and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, John Lee Hooker, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Vanessa Williams, Thelma Houston, The Four Tops, The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Marvin Gaye, The Supremes, Michael Jackson, Maxwell, The Beach Boys, George Benson, Bobbi Humphrey, Janet Jackson, Yung Berg, Blondie, Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth, Donald Byrd, Labelle, Love Unlimited, Cher, Meshell Ndegeocello, Gloria Gaynor, The Temptations (his guitar work on “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”), Pointer Sisters, Martha Reeves, Rose Royce, Bob Scaggs and Herbie Hancock. As leader, Wah Wah Watson released one solo album (Elementary, 1976).

Donald Byrd: Free Form

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In October 1966, “Blue Note” label released “Free Form”, the 20th Donald Byrd album. It was recorded in December 1961, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Donald Byrd – trumpet
  • Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
  • Herbie Hancock – piano
  • Butch Warren – bass
  • Billy Higgins – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Donald Byrd except where noted.

  1. Pentecostal Feelin’
  2. Night Flower – Herbie Hancock
  3. Nai Nai
  4. French Spice
  5. Free Form

Miles Davis: Seven Steps to Heaven

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On July 15, 1963, “Columbia” label released “Seven Steps to Heaven”, the eighth Miles Davis studio album. It was recorded April – May 1963, at “Columbia Studios” in Los Angeles, “CBS 30th Street Studio” in New York City, and was produced by Teo Macero.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • George Coleman – tenor saxophone
  • Herbie Hancock – piano
  • Victor Feldman – piano
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Frank Butler – drums
  • Tony Williams – drums

Track listing:

  1. Basin Street Blues – Spencer Williams
  2. Seven Steps to Heaven – Victor Feldman, Miles Davis
  3. I Fall in Love Too Easy – Jule Styne
  4. So Near, So Far – Tony Crombie, Benny Green
  5. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home – Clarence Williams, Charles Warfield
  6. Joshua – Victor Feldman

Lee Morgan: Search for the New Land

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In July 1966, “Blue Note” label released “Search for the New Land”, the fifteenth Lee Morgan album. It was recorded in February 1964, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Lee Morgan – trumpet
  • Wayne Shorter – tenor sax
  • Herbie Hancock – piano
  • Grant Green – guitar
  • Reggie Workman – bass
  • Billy Higgins – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer, remastering
  • Bob Blumenthal – liner notes
  • Micaela Boland – art direction, graphic design
  • Francis Wolff – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Lee Morgan

  1. Search for the New Land
  2. The Joker
  3. Mr. Kenyatta
  4. Melancholee
  5. Morgan the Pirate

Herbie Hancock: Sunlight

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On June 15, 1978, “Columbia” label released “Sunlight”, the 19th Herbie Hancock album. It was recorded in 1977, and was produced by David Rubinson and Herbie Hancock.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock – lead and background vocals (vocoder), keyboards, synthesizers, string, brass and woodwind arrangements
  • Patrick Gleeson – additional synthesizers
  • Bennie Maupin – soprano saxophone solo
  • Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar
  • Byron Miller, Paul Jackson, Jaco Pastorius – electric bass
  • Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, James Levi, Harvey Mason, Sr., Tony Williams – drums
  • Raul Rekow, Bill Summers – percussion
  • Baba Duru – table
  • Bobby Shew, Maurice Spears, Robert O’Bryant, Garnett Brown – brass
  • Ernest J. Watts, Fred Jackson, Jr., Jack Nimitz, David Willard Riddles – woodwind
  • Terry Adams, Roy Malan, Nathan Rubin, Linda Wood, Emily VanValkenburgh – strings
  • David Rubinson, Fred Catero, Chris Minto, Cheryl Ward – engineer
  • Steve Mantoani – engineer
  • Terry Becker – engineer assistant
  • Phill Brown – mastering

Track listing:

All tracks by Herbie Hancock, except where noted.

  1. I Thought It Was You – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin, Jeffrey Cohen
  2. Come Running to Me – lyrics by Allee Willis
  3. Sunlight
  4. No Means Yes
  5. Good Question

David Williams

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On March 6, 2009, David Williams died aged 58. He was musician (guitar, bass guitar), vocalist, song writer and music producer, known as a prominent and most in demand session guitarist. He worked with The Dells, The Temptations, Madonna, Michael Jackson,  Chanson, The Pointer Sisters, Peter Allen, Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Julio Iglesias, George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer, Michael McDonald, Melissa Manchester, Stevie Nicks, Rod Stewart, Dionne Warwick, Shalamar, Go West, ABC, Boz Scaggs, Karen Carpenter, Mariah Carey, Julian Lennon, Bryan Ferry, Paul McCartney, Johnny Mathis, Del Shannon, Chaka Khan, Paul Hardcastle, Kenny Loggins, Steve Perry, Lionel Richie, Jessica Simpson, Diana Ross, the Crusaders, Andraé Crouch, Eddie Murphy, Herbie Hancock, Peter Cetera, Whitney Houston and Monkey Business. As leader he released two albums.

Ronald Montrose

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On March 3, 2012, Ronald Douglas Montrose died aged 64. He was musician (guitar), songwriter and music producer, worked with many musicians including Van Morrison, Herbie Hancock, Beaver & Krause, Boz Scaggs, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, The Beau Brummels, Dan Hartman, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Marc Bonilla and Sammy Hagar. He was founding member and leader of the bands Montrose and Gamma. He released ten solo albums.

Miles Davis: Jack Johnson

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On February 24, 1971, “Columbia” label released “Jack Johnson”, the 39th Miles Davis album. It was recorded February – April 1970, at “30th Street” in New York City, and was produced by Teo Macero.

Personnel:

  • Miles Davis – trumpet
  • Steve Grossman – soprano saxophone
  • Bennie Maupin – bass clarinet
  • John McLaughlin – electric guitar
  • Sonny Sharrock – electric guitar
  • Herbie Hancock – organ
  • Chick Corea – electric piano
  • Dave Holland – electric bass
  • Michael Henderson – electric bass
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Brock Peters – narration
  • Teo Macero – conduction of “unknown orchestra”
  • Stan Tonkel – engineering

Track listing:

All tracks by Miles Davis.

  1. Right Off
  2. Yesternow

Chick Corea

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On February 9, 2020, Armando Anthony “Chick” Corea died aged 79. He was musician (piano, keyboards, percussion), composer and bandleader. He is regarded as one of the major piano players to emerge in jazz during the post-John Coltrane era. Recorded and performed with the most important Jazz musicians including Miles Davis, Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, Blue Mitchell, Herbie Mann, Stan Getz, Roy Haunes, Miroslav Vitous, Stanley Clarke, Richard Davis, Joe Farrell, Joe Henderson, Eric Kloss, Hubert Laws, Herbie Mann, Blue Mitchell, John Patitucci, Wayne Shorter, Cal Tjader, Sonny Stitt, Dave Pike, Armando Peraza, Marion Brown, Sadao Watanabe, Larry Coryell, John Surman, Elvin Jones, Rolf Kühn, Airto Moreira, Antony Braxton, Pete La Roca, Al Di Meola, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ron Carter, Gábor Szabó, Donald Byrd, Tete Montoliu, Chaka Khan, Eddie Gomez, Wallace Rooney, Herbie Hancock, Antonio Sanches, Gary Burton and Hiromi Uehara. Corea formed and lead Return to Forever, Circle, Chick Corea Elektric Band, Chick Corea Akoustic Band and Five Peace Band. As leader he released 77 studio and 23 live albums. Corea won 23 “Grammy Awards”.