Tag Archives: Johnny Mercer

James Taylor: American Standard

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On February 28, 2020, “Fantasy” label released “American Standard”, the twentieth James Taylor studio album. It was recorded at “The Barn” in Washington, MA, “United Recording Studios” in Hollywood, “Capitol Studios” in Los Angeles, “Treasure Isle Studios” and “Blackbird Studios” in Nashville, TN, and was produced by Dave O’Donnell, John Pizzarelli and James Taylor. “American Standard” won “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album” at the 63rd “Annual Grammy Awards”.

Personnel:

  • James Taylor – vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Kate Markowitz – vocals
  • Arnold McCuller – vocals
  • Caroline Taylor – vocals
  • John Pizzarelli – rhythm guitar
  • Michael Landau – lead guitar
  • Larry Goldings – piano, keyboards
  • Jimmy Johnson – bass
  • Viktor Krauss – double bass
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Luis Conte – percussion
  • Dorian Holley – vocals
  • Louis Marini, Jr. – saxophones, flute, clarinet
  • Walter Fowler – trumpets, flügelhorn
  • Andrea Zonn – vocals, violin
  • Stuart Duncan – violin
  • Jerry Douglas – dobro, engineer
  • Ted Jensen – mastering
  • Justin Shturtz – mastering assistant
  • Carrie Smith – art direction, design

Track listing:

  1. My Blue Heaven – Walter Donaldson, George A. Whiting
  2. Moon River – Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer
  3. Teach Me Tonight – Gene de Paul,, Sammy Cahn
  4. As Easy as Rolling Off a Log – M.K. Jerome, Jack Scholl
  5. Almost Like Being in Love – Frederick Loewe, Alan Jay Lerner
  6. Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat – Frank Loesser
  7. The Nearness of You – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
  8. You’ve Got to be carefully Taught – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
  9. God Bless the Child – Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog Jr.
  10. Pennies from Heaven – Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke
  11. My Heart Stood Still – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  12. Ol’ Man River – Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II
  13.  It’s Only a Paper Moon – Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg, Billy Rose
  14. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top – Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II

Art Blakey Jazz Messengers: Caravan

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In February 1963, “Riverside” label released “Caravan”, album by Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. It was recorded In October 1962, at “Plaza Sound Studios” in New York City, and was produced by Orrin Keepnews.

Personnel:

  • Art Blakey – drums
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Curtis Fuller – trombone
  • Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone
  • Cedar Walton – piano
  • Reggie Workman – bass

Track listing:

  1. Caravan – Juan Tizol
  2. Sweet ‘n’ Sour – Wayne Shorter
  3. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning – David Mann, Bob Hilliard
  4. This Is for Albert – Wayne Shorter
  5. Skylark – Hoagy Carmichael, Johnny Mercer
  6. Thermo – Freddy Hubbard

Stanley Turrentine: Dearly Beloved

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In February 1962, “Blue Note” label released “Dearly Beloved”, the sixth Stanley Turrentine album. It was recorded in June 1961, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Alfred Lion.

Personnel:

  • Stanley Turrentine – tenor saxophone
  • Shirley Scott – organ
  • Roy Brooks – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Reid Miles – design
  • Francis Wolff – photography

Track listing:

  1. Baia – Ary Barroso
  2. Wee Hour Theme – Stanley Turrentine
  3. My Shining Hour – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  4. Troubles of the World – traditional
  5. Dearly Beloved – Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer
  6. Nothing Ever Changes My Love for You – Marvin Fisher, Jack Segal

Dinah Washington: Dinah Jams

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In February 1955, “EmArcy” label released “Dinah Jams”, the second Dinah Washington studio album. It was recorded in August 1954, and was produced by Bob Shad.

Personnel:

  • Dinah Washington – vocals
  • Clifford Brown – trumpet
  • Maynard Ferguson – trumpet
  • Clark Terry – trumpet
  • Herb Geller – alto saxophone
  • Harold Land – tenor saxophone
  • Richie Powell – piano
  • Junior Mance – piano
  • George Morrow – double bass
  • Keter Betts – double bass
  • Max Roach – drums

Track listing:

  1. Lover, Come Back to Me – Oscar Hammerstein II, Sigmund Romberg
  2. Alone Together – Arthur Schwartz
  3. Summertime – George Gershwin
  4. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  5. No More – Tutti Camarata, Bob Russell
  6. I’ve Got You Under My Skin – Cole Porter
  7. There Is No Greater Love – Isham Jones, Marty Symes
  8. You Go to My Head – John Frederick, Havem Gillespie

The Peddlers: Birthday

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In December 1969, “CBS” label released “Birthday”, the third Peddlers (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1969, at “IBC Studios” in London, and was produced by Cyril Smith.

Personnel:

  • Roy Phillips – vocals, acoustic guitar, organ, piano, arranger
  • Tab Martin – electric bass, arranger
  • Trevor Morais – percussion, arranger
  • Ted Sharp – engineer
  • Andy Johns – engineer
  • Mike Claydon – engineer
  • John Hays – design
  • Terence Donovan – cover artwork, photography
  • Chris Hopper – inner photography

Track listing:

  1. Where Have All the Flowers Gone – Pete Seeger
  2. Little Red Rooster – Willie Dixon
  3. Southern Woman – Roy Philips
  4. By the Time I Get to Phoenix – Jimmy Webb
  5. Girlie P.S. I Love You Girlie – Roy Philips
  6. Day In Day Out – Johnny Mercer, Rube Bloom
  7. City Living – Anthony Richard
  8. Lockshen Pudding – Roy Philips, Tab Martin, Trevor Morais
  9. Birth – Roy Philips

Mark Lanegan: Imitations

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On September 17, 2013, “Vagrant Records” and “Heavenly Records” labels released “Imitations”, the eighth Mark Lanegan studio album. It was recorded in 2012, and was produced by Martin Feveyear.

Personnel:

  • Mark Lanegan – vocals
  • Billy Stover – piano
  • Mike Johnson – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Alain Johannes – cigfiddle, mellotron, acoustic and ebo guitar
  • Jeff Fielder – acoustic and electric guitar
  • Andrew Joslyn – violin, viola
  • Rebecca Filice – cello
  • Mark Hoyt – backing vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Jason Staczek – harpsichord
  • Eric Padget – trumpet
  • Tom Yoder – trombone
  • Drew Church – bass
  • Duff McKagan – bass
  • Barrett Martin – vibraphone, tambourine, drums, percussion
  • Bill Rieflin – drums, percussion, pump organ, mellotron
  • Mark Pickerel – drums

Track listing:

  1. Flatlands – Chelsea Wolve
  2. She’s Gone – Vern Gosdin
  3. Deepest Shade – Greg Dulli
  4. You Only Live Twice – Leslie Bricusse, John Barry
  5. Pretty Colors – Al Gorgoni, Chip Taylor
  6. Brompton Oratory – Nick Cave
  7. Solitaire – Neil Sedaka, Phil Cody
  8. Mack the Knife – Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht (English lyrics by Manheim – Willett)
  9. I’m Not the Loving Kind – John Cale
  10. Lonely Street – Carl Belew, Kenny Sowder, W.S.Stevenson
  11. Élégie Funèbre – Gérard Manset
  12. Autumn Leaves – Joseph Kosma, Jacques Prévert (English lyrics by Johnny Mercer)

James Brown: Out of Sight

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In September 1964, “Smash Records” label released “Out of Sight”, the ninth James Brown studio album. It was recorded in 1964, and was produced by James Brown.

Personnel:

  • James Brown – vocals
  • Bobby Byrd – organ, backing vocals
  • Ernie Hayes – piano, organ
  • Les Buie – guitar
  • Billy Butler – guitar
  • Wallace Richardson – guitar
  • Lucas Fats Gonder – organ
  • Bernard Odum – bass
  • Sam Thomas – bass
  • Al Lucas – bass
  • David “Panama” Francis – drums
  • Melvin Parker – drums
  • Nat Kendrick – drums
  • Nat Jones – alto saxophone
  • George Dorsey – alto saxophone
  • Haywood Henry – baritone saxophone
  • Maceo Parker – baritone saxophone
  • Jerome Richardson – tenor saxophone
  • Sam “The Man” Taylor – tenor saxophone
  • Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone
  • Al Brisco Clark – tenor saxophone
  • Eldde Williams – tenor saxophone
  • St. Clair Pinckney – tenor saxophone
  • Joe Dupars – trumpet
  • McKinley Johnson – trumpet
  • Ron Tooley – trumpet
  • Teddy Washington – trumpet
  • Richard Harris – trombone
  • Wilmer Milton – trombone
  • New York Studio Orchestra
  • New York Studio Chorus
  • Sammy Lowe – conductor, arranger
  • Eugen “Baby Lloyd” Stallworth, Bobby Bennett – backing vocals

Track listing:

  1. Out of Sight – Ted Wright
  2. Come Rain or Come Shine – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  3. Good Rockin’ Tonight – Roy Brown
  4. Till Then – Eddie Seiler, Guy Wood, Sol Marcus
  5. Nature Boy – Eden Ahbez
  6. I Wanna be Around – Johnny Mercer, Sadie Vimmerstedt
  7. I Got You – Ted Wright
  8. Maybe the Last Time – Ted Wright
  9. Mona Lisa – Jay Livingston, Ray Evans
  10. I Love You, Porgy – George Gershwin, DuBose Heyward
  11. Only You – Ande Rand, Buck Ram
  12. Somethin’ Else – Ted Wright

Ahmad Jamal: Ballades

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On September 13, 2019, “Jazz Village” label released “Ballades”, the 69th Ahmad Jamal album.

Personnel:

  • Ahmad Jamal – piano
  • James Cammack – bass 

Track listing:

All tracks by Ahmad Jamal, except where noted.

  1. Marseille
  2. Because I Love You
  3. I Should Care – Paul Weston, Axel Stordahl, Sammy Cahn
  4. Poinciana – Nat Simon, Buddy Bernier
  5. Land of Dreams – Eddie Heywood, Jr., Norman Gimbel
  6. What’s New? – Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke
  7. So Rare – Jerry Herst, Jack Sharpe
  8. Whisperings
  9. Spring is Here – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart / Your Story – Bill Evans
  10. Emily – Johnny Mandel, Johnny Mercer

Mel Tormé: Tormé: A New Album

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In June 1977, “Gryphone Records” label released “Tormé: A New Album”, the 15th Mel Tormé album. It was recorded in June 1977, in London.

Personnel:

  • Mel Tormé – vocals, arranger
  • Phil Woods – alto saxophone
  • Gordon Beck – keyboards
  • Barry Miles – piano
  • Vic Juris – guitar
  • Brian Hodges – electric bass
  • Terry Silverlight – drums
  • Christopher Gunning – arranger, conductor

Track listing:

  1. All in Love Is Fair – Stevie Wonder
  2. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face – Ewan MacColl
  3. New York State of Mind – Billy Joel
  4. Stars – Janis Ian
  5. Send in the Clowns – Stephen Sondheim
  6. Ordinary Fool – Paul Williams
  7. Medley
  8. (Ah, the Apple Trees) When the World Was Young -M. Philippe Gerard, Angela Vannier, Johnny Mercer
  9. Yesterday When I was Young – Charles Aznavour, Herbert Kretzmer
  10. Bye Bye Blackbird – Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson

Jimmy Smith: The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith

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In May 1962, “Verve” label released “Bashin’: The Unpredictable Jimmy Smith”, the 20th Jimmy Smith album. It was recorded in March 1962, at “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, and was produced by Cred Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Jimmy Smith – organ
  • Oliver Nelson – arranger, conductor
  • Phil Woods, Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone
  • Bob Ashton, Babe Clarke – tenor saxophone
  • George Barrow – baritone saxophone
  • Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Doc Severinsen, Joe Wilder – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland, Urbie Green, Britt Woodman – trombone
  • Tom Mitchell – bass trombone
  • Barry Galbraith – guitar
  • Quentin Warren – guitar
  • George Duvivier – bass
  • Ed Shaughnessy – drums
  • Donald Bailey – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Del Shields – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Walk on the Wild Side – Elmer Bernstein, Mack David
  2. Ol’ Man River – Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern
  3. In a Mellow Tone – Duke Ellington, Milt Gabler
  4. Step Right Up – Oliver Nelson
  5. Beggar for the Blues – Ray Rasch, Dotty Wayne
  6. Bashin’ – Jimmy Smith
  7. I’m an Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande) – Johnny Mercer