In March 1958, “Blue Note” label released “The Congregation”, the fourth Johnny Griffin studio album. It was recorded in October 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Alfred Lion.
On January 16, 2021, Julian Clifford Mance, Jr. aka Junior Mance died aged 92. He was musician (piano) and composer, one of the main figures of the Hard bop jazz scene. He recorded and performed with some of the biggest names of jazz, blues and soul music including Gene Amons, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, Sonny Stitt, Dinah Washington, Wynton Kelly, Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, Nat Adderley, Joe Gordon, Bennie Green, Al Grey, Ernie Andrews, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey, Cliford Brown, Benny Carter, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Cleveland, Arnett Cobb, Red Holloway, Jose James, Ray Crawford, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Eddie Jefferson, Aretha Franklin, Etta Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Irene Kral, Jay Leonhart, Les McCann, Paul Gonsalves, Howard McGhee, The Metronomes, Virgil Gonsalves, James Moody, Wild Bill Moore, Barbara Morrison, Sandy Mosse, Leo Parker, Ken Peplowski, Billie Poole, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Alvin Queen, Jimmy Scott, Arnold Sterling, Sonny Stitt, Clark Terry, Frank Vignola, Wilbur Ware, Ben Webster, Joe Williams, Marion Williams, and Leo Wright. As leader, Monce released 56 albums (live and studio). In 2007, Mance and his wife Gloria started their own record label “JunGlo”.
In December 1957, “Riverside” label released “The Chicago Sound”, the only Wilbur Ware album. It was recorded in October – November 1957, at “Reeves Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.
On December 17, 2020, Stanley Cowell died aged 79. He was musician (piano), co-founder of the “Strata-East Records” label, and professor at the “Music Department of the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers”, the “State University of New Jersey”. He recorded with many famous jazz musicians including Gary Bartz, Larry Coryell, Richard Davis, Sonny Fortune, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath, The Heath Brothers, Stan Getz, Johnny Griffin, Bobby Hutcherson, J. J. Johnson, Clifford Jordan, Oliver Nelson, Jimmy Owens, Art Pepper, Buddy Terry, Charles Sullivan, Charles Toliver, Roland Kirk, Marion Brown, Harold Land, and Max Roach. As leader Cowell released 34 albums.
In December 1958, “Riverside” label released “Branching Out”, the fourth Nat Adderley album. It was recorded in September 1958, at “Reeves Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.
Personnel:
Nat Adderley – cornet
Johnny Griffin – tenor saxophone
Gene Harris – piano
Andy Simpkins – bass
Bill Dowdy – drums
Track listing:
All tracks by Nat Adderley except where noted.
Sister Caroline
Well, You Needn’t – Thelonious Monk
Don’t Get Around Much Anymore – Duke Ellington, Bob Russell
I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’ – George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
Branching Out – Harold Mabern
I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody (Like I’m Loving You) – Raymond B. Egan, Roy Marsh, Thomas Pitts
In December 1957, “Bethlehem” label released “Hard Drive”, the ninth Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers album. It was recorded in 1957, in New York City and was produced by Lee Kraft.
On July 1, 1997, “Savant” label released “The Opening Round”, subtitled “The Groove Masters Series Vol. 1”, the 43rd Houston Person album. It was recorded in February 1997, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Houston Person.
Personnel:
Houston Person– tenor saxophone
Joey DeFrancesco– Hammond B3 organ
Rodney Jones– guitar
Tracy Wormworth– electric bass
Bernard Purdie– drums
Track listing:
Sweet Sucker – Johnny Griffin
Let’s Stay Together – Al Green, Al Jackson Jr., Willie Mitchell
Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
What’s Going On? – Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson, Al Cleveland
When a Man Loves a Woman – Calvin Lewis, Andrew Wright
