Tag Archives: Lead Belly

Gil Evans: Gil Evans & Ten

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In March 1958, “Prestige” label released “Gil Evans & Ten”, the debut Gil Evans album. It was recorded September – October 1957, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Hackensack, New Jersey, and was produced by Bob Weinstock.

Personnel:

  • Gil Evans – piano
  • Steve Lacy – soprano saxophone
  • Lee Konitz – alto saxophone
  • Jack Koven – trumpet
  • John Carisi – trumpet
  • Louis Mucci – trumpet
  • Jimmy Cleveland – trombone
  • Bart Varsalona – bass trombone
  • Willie Ruff – French horn
  • Dave Kurtzer – bassoon
  • Paul Chambers – bass
  • Jo Jones – drums
  • Nick Stabulas – drums
  • Rudy Van Gelder – recording
  • Mark Rice – design
  • Bob Weinstock – supervision

Track listing:

  1. Remember – Irving Berlin
  2. Ella Speed – Lead Belly (Huddie Ledbetter), Alan Lomax
  3. Big Stuff – Leonard Bernstein
  4. Nobody’s Heart – Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart
  5. Just One of Those Things – Cole Porter
  6. If You Could See Me Now – Tadd Dameron, Carl Sigman
  7. Jambangle – Gil Evans

Johnny Cash: The Sound of Johnny Cash

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On June 4, 1962, “Columbia” label released “The Sound of Johnny Cash”, the eighth Johnny Cash studio album. It was recorded April 1961 – February 1962, and was produced by Frank Law and Frank Jones.

Personnel:

  • Johnny Cash – vocals, rhythm guitar
  • Luther Perkins – lead guitar
  • Ray Edenton – guitar
  • Don Helms – steel guitar
  • Floyd Cramer – piano
  • Marshall Grant – bass
  • Buddy Harman – drums
  • Leigh Wiener – photography

Track listing:

  1. Lost on the Desert – Dallas Frazier, Buddy Mize
  2. Accidentally on Purpose – Darrell Edwards, George Jones
  3. In the Jailhouse Now – Jimmie Rodgers
  4. Mr. Lonesome – Tompall Glaser
  5. You Won’t Have Far to Go – Charles Glaser
  6. Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song) – Lead Belly
  7. Delia’s Gone – Karl Silbersdorf, Dick Toops
  8. I Forgot More than You’ll Ever Know – Cecil A. Null
  9. You Remembered Me – Johnny Cash
  10. I’m Free from the Chain Gang Now – Lou Herscher, Saul Klein
  11. Let Me Down Easy – Tompall Glaser, Jim Glasser
  12. Sing It Pretty, Sue – Johnny Cash

Lead Belly

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On December 6, 1949, Huddie William Ledbetter aka Lead Belly died aged 61. He was musician (guitar, piano, mandolin, harmonica, violin, windjammer), regarded as one of the pioneers of the blues and folk music. His songs covered a wide range of genres including folk, blues, and gospel, some of them like “Goodnight, Irene”, “Midnight Special”, “Cotton Fields”, and “Boll Weevil” became standards, and influenced generations of musicians. In 1988, Lead Belly was posthumously inducted into the “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”, and in 2008 in the “Louisiana Music Hall of Fame”.

Long John Baldry: It Ain’t Easy

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In June 1971, “Warner Music” label released “It Ain’t Easy”, the fifth Long John Baldry album. It was recorded December 1970 – February 1971, at “Morgan Studios” and “IBC Studios” in London, and was produced by Elton John and Rod Stewart.

Personnel:

  • Long John Baldry – vocals, 12-string guitar
  • Maggie Bell– vocals
  • Ron Wood– guitar, 12-string guitar
  • Caleb Quaye– guitar
  • Joshua M’Bopo – guitar
  • Sam Mitchell – dobro, guitar, slide guitar
  • Ray Jackson– mandolin
  • Madelene Bell – tambourine
  • Elton John– organ, piano
  • Ian Armitt – piano
  • Ricky Brown – bass guitar
  • Dave Glover – bass guitar
  • Mick Waller– drums
  • Roger Pope – drums
  • Alan Skidmore– tenor saxophone
  • Lesley Duncan, Tony Hazzard, Doris Troy, Tony Burrows, Kay Garner, Liza Strike – backing vocals
  • Lesley Duncan – chorus caster
  • Ed Thrasher– art director
  • Judith Sims – liner notes
  • Jimi Horowitz – executive producer

Track listing:

  1. Intro: Conditional Discharge – Long John Baldry, Ian Armitt
  2. Don’t Try to Lay No Boogie-Woogie on the King of Rock and Roll – Jeff Thomas
  3. Black Girl – traditional, Lead Belly
  4. It Ain’t Easy – Ron Davies
  5. Morning, Morning – Tuli Kupferberg
  6. I’m Ready – Willie Dixon
  7. Let’s Burn Down the Cornfield – Randy Newman
  8. Rubin – Lesley Duncan
  9. Rock Me When He’s Gone – Elton John, Bernie Taupin
  10. Flying – Ronnie Wood, Rod Stewart, Ronnie Lane

Davy Graham: Folk, Blues and Beyond

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In January 1965, “Decca” label released “Folk, Blues and Beyond”, the second Davey Graham studio album. It was recorded in 1964, and was produced by Ray Horricks.

Personnel:

  • Davey Graham – vocals, guitar, classical guitar
  • Gus Dudgeon – engineer
  • Edley Odowd – design
  • Crispian Woodgate – photography
  • David Fricke – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Leavin’ Blues – Lead Belly
  2. Cocaine – Reverend Gary Davis
  3. Sally Free and Easy – Cyril Tawney
  4. Black Is the Colour of My True Love’s Hair – traditional
  5. Rock Me Baby – Big Bill Broonzy
  6. Seven Gypsies –traditional
  7. Ballad of the Sad Young Men – Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf
  8. Moanin’ – Bobby Timmons
  9. Skillet (Good’n’greasy) – Davey Graham
  10. Ain’t Nobody’s Business What I Do – Porter Grainger, Everett Robbins
  11. Maajun (A Taste of Tangier) – Davey Graham
  12. I Can’t Keep from Cryin’ Sometimes – Blind Willie Johnson
  13. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – Bob Dylan
  14. My Babe – Willie Dixon
  15. Goin’ Down Slow – Oden
  16. Better Get Hit in Yo’ Soul – Charles Mingus

Ry Cooder: Into the Purple Valley

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into-the-purple-valley

In January 1972, “Reprise” label released “Into the Purple Valley”, the second Ry Cooder studio album. It was recorded in 1971, and was produced by Jim Dickinson, Van Dyke Parks and Lenny Waronker. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album cover at number 12 on its list of the “100 Greatest Album Covers”.

Personnel:

  • Ry Cooder – guitar, bass, mandolin, vocals
  • Jim Dickinson– piano
  • Van Dyke Parks– keyboards
  • Gloria Jones– vocals
  • Claudia Lennear– vocals
  • Donna Washburn – vocals
  • Donna Weiss– vocals
  • Chris Ethridge– bass
  • Fritz Richmond– bass
  • John Craviotta – drums
  • Milt Holland– percussion
  • Jerry Jumonville – saxophone
  • George Bohanon– horns
  • Joe Lane Davis – horns
  • Ike Williams – horns

Track listing:

  1. How Can You Keep Moving (Unless You Migrate Too) – Agnes “Sis” Cunningham
  2. Billy the Kid – traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder
  3. Money Honey – Jesse Stone
  4. FDR in Trinidad – Fitz Maclean
  5. Teardrops Will Fall – Dickey Doo, Marion Smith
  6. Denomination Blues – George Washington Phillips
  7. On a Monday – Lead Belly
  8. Hey Porter – Johnny Cash
  9. Great Dream from Heaven – Joseph Spence
  10. Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us Al – traditional; arranged by Ry Cooder
  11. Vigilante Man – Woody Guthrie