Tag Archives: Max Ellen

Bob James: BJ4

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On February 24, 1977, “CTI” label released “BJ4”, the fourth Bob James studio album. It was recorded November – December 1976, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, in New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Bob James – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, arrangements
  • Eric Gale – guitars
  • Gary King – bass
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Eddie Daniels – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
  • Romeo Penque – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor recorder
  • Art Farmer – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • John Frosk – trumpet
  • John Gatchell – trumpet
  • Hubert Laws – flute, alto flute
  • George Marge – alto recorder
  • Sidney Weinberg – oboe, English horn
  • Max Ellen – violin
  • Paul Gershman – violin
  • Harry Glickman – violin
  • Emanuel Green – violin
  • Harold Kohon – violin
  • Charles Libove – violin
  • David Nadien – violin
  • Matthew Raimondi – violin
  • Lamar Alsop – viola
  • Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Alan Shulman – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Sib Chalawick – design
  • Carole Kowalchuck – design
  • Wendie Lombardi – cover photography
  • White Gate Art Company – liner photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Bob James, except where noted.

  1. Pure Imagination – Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley
  2. Where the Wind Blows Free
  3. Tappan Zee
  4. Nights Are Forever Without You – Parker McGee
  5. Treasure Island
  6. El Verano

Hank Crawford: We Got A Good Thing Going

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In November 1972, “Kudu” label released “We Got a Good Thing Going”, the thirteenth Hank Crawford album. It was recorded September – October 1972, at “Van Gelder Studios” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Hank Crawford – alto saxophone
  • Richard Tee – piano, electric piano, organ
  • George Benson, Cornell Dupree – electric guitar
  • Ron Carter, Gordon Edwards – double bass, electric bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Phil Kraus – vibraphone, orchestra bells
  • Art Jenkins – congas, tambourine
  • Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice – violin
  • Al Brown, Harold Coletta, Ted Israel – viola
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • Bob James, Don Sebesky – arrangements, conductor
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer

Track listing:

  1. We Got a Good Thing Going – The Corporation
  2. I Don’t Know – Bill Withers
  3. Down to Earth – Ron Miller, Avery Vandenberg
  4. I’m Just a Lucky So-and-So – Duke Ellington, Mack David
  5. Imagination – Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke
  6. Little Tear – Don Sebesky
  7. The Christmas Song – Mel Tormé, Robert Wells
  8. Winter Wonderland – Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith
  9. Alone Again (Naturally) – Gilbert O’Sullivan
  10. Dirt Dobbler – Alfred Ellis
  11. Betcha by Golly, Wow – Thom Bell, Linda Creed
  12. This Is All I Ask – Gordon Jenkins
  13. Jazz Bridge – Don Sebesky

Don McLean: Homeless Brother

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In October 1974, “United Artists” label released “Homeless Brother”, the fifth Don McLean studio album. It was recorded in 1974, at “Regent Sound Studios” in New York City, “Clack Studios”, and was produced by Joel Dorn.

Personnel:

  • Don McLean – vocals, acoustic guitar, banjo
  • Hugh McCracken – guitars
  • David Spinozza – guitars
  • Arthur Jenkins, Jr. – keyboards
  • Richard Tee – keyboards
  • Willie Weeks – bass guitar
  • George Duvivier – bass
  • Andrew Smith – drums
  • David Carey – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Willis Jackson – tenor saxophone
  • Charlie Fowlkes – baritone saxophone
  • Yusef Lateef – flute
  • Joe Wilder, Garnett Brown, Wally King, James Buffington, Jonathan Dorn, Billy Slapin, Seldon Powell, George Barrow, Charles Williams, Dany Moore, Peter Gordon, Ray Alonge, George Marge, Brooks Tillotson – horns
  • William Eaton – arrangements, conductor
  • Alfred Brown, Selwart Clarke, Emanuel Vardi, Sanford Allen, Joseph Malignaggi, Avram Weiss, Diana Halprin, Charles Libove, Harry Cykman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, Matthew Raimondi, Kermit Moore, Charles McCracken, Max Ellen, Max Pollikoff, Gene Orloff, David Nadien, Kathryn Kienke, Julius Schachter, Harold Kohon, Julius Held, Guy Lumia – strings
  • Gerry Teifer – whistling
  • The Persuasions – backing vocals
  • Pete Seeger – backing vocals
  • Kenny Vance, Cissy Houston, Renelle Stafford, Ned Albright, Steven Soles, Deidre Tuck, Linda November, Joel Dorn, Helene Miles, Arlene Martell, Marlene VerPlanck, Norma Holes – backing vocals
  • Bob Liftin – recording, remix
  • Joe Ferla – additional recording
  • Marcote – cover painting

Track listing:

All tracks by Don McLean, except where noted.

  1. Winter Has Me in Its Grip
  2. La La Love You
  3. Homeless Brother
  4. Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond) – George Harrison
  5. The Legend of Andrew McCrew
  6. Wonderful Baby
  7. You Have Lived
  8. Great Big Man
  9. Tangled (Like a Spider in Her Hair)
  10. Crying in the Chapel – Artie Glenn
  11. Did You Know

Bob James: Three

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On September 3, 1976, “CTI” label released “Three”, the third Bob James studio album. It was recorded November 1975 and January 1976, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Bob James – keyboards, arrangements, conductor
  • Jeff Mironov – guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar solo, guitar
  • Hugh McCracken – guitar
  • Gary King – bass guitar
  • Will Lee – bass guitar
  • Andy Newmark – drums
  • Harvey Mason – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Eddie Daniels – alto and tenor saxophone, flute
  • Grover Washington Jr. – soprano and tenor saxophone, tin whistle
  • Jon Faddis – trumpet
  • John Frosk – trumpet
  • Lew Soloff – trumpet
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet
  • Wayne Andre – trombone
  • Dave Bargeron – bass trombone, tuba
  • Dave Taylor – bass trombone
  • Jerry Dodgion – flute
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • Frederick Buldrini – violin
  • Harry Cykman – violin
  • Lewis Eley – violin
  • Max Ellen – violin
  • Emanuel Green – violin
  • Harold Kohon – violin
  • David Nadien – violin
  • Matthew Raimondi – violin
  • Al Brown – viola
  • Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Alan Shulman – cello
  • Gloria Agostini – harp
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Rene Schumacher – design
  • Richard Alcorn – photography

Track listing:

  1. One Mint Julep – Rudy Toombs
  2. Women of Ireland – Seán Ó Riada
  3. Westchester Lady – Bob James
  4. Storm King – Bob James
  5. Jamaica Farewell – Lord Burgess

Don Sebeski: Giant Box

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In July 1973, “CTI” label released “Giant Box”, the third Don Sebeski album. It was recorded April – May 1973, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Don Sebesky – electric piano, organ, clavinet, accordion, arrangements, conductor
  • Jackie Cain, Roy Kral – vocals
  • Lani Groves, Carl Caldwell, Tasha Thomas – vocals
  • Hubert Laws – soprano saxophone, flute
  • Joe Farrell – soprano saxophone
  • Romeo Penque – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo, oboe, English horn
  • Grover Washington, Jr. – alto saxophone
  • Paul Desmond – alto saxophone
  • Phil Bodner – soprano saxophone, clarinet, flute, piccolo
  • George Marge – soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, English horn
  • Walt Levinsky – tenor saxophone, clarinet
  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet
  • Randy Brecker, Alan Rubin, Joe Shepley – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Garnett Brown – trombone
  • Wayne Andre, Warren Covington – trombone, baritone horn
  • Paul Faulise, Alan Raph – bass trombone, baritone horn
  • Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin – French horn
  • Tony Price – tuba
  • Dave Friedman, Phil Kraus, Ralph MacDonald, Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Alfred Brown, Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Elliot Rosoff, Irving Spice – violin
  • Seymour Barab, Charles McCracken, George Ricci, Alan Shulman – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp
  • George Benson – electric guitar
  • Bob James – organ
  • Ron Carter – bass, electric bass, piccolo bass
  • Homer Mensch – bass
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Jack DeJohnette – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Rubens Bassini – conga
  • Milt Jackson – vibraphone
  • Bob Ciano – design

Track listing:

 All tracks, by Don Sebesky, except where noted.

  1. Firebird/Birds of Fire – Igor Stravinsky, John McLaughlin
  2. Song to a Seagull – Joni Mitchell
  3. Free as a Bird
  4. Psalm 150 – Jimmy Webb
  5. Vocalise – Sergei Rachmaninoff
  6. Fly/Circles
  7. Semi-Tough

Bob James: Touchdown

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On July 20, 1978, “Tappan Zee” label released “Touchdown”, the sixth Bob James album. It was recorded in 1978, at “CBS Studios”, “Sound Mixers” and “A&R Recording” in New York, and was produced by Bob James.

Personnel:

  • Bob James – acoustic piano, Yamaha electric grand piano, Fender Rhodes, Oberheim Polyphonic synthesizer, arrangements, conductor
  • Eric Gale – electric guitar
  • Hiram Bullock – vocals, electric guitar
  • Earl Klugh – acoustic guitar
  • Richard Resnicoff – rhythm acoustic guita
  • Gary King – electric bass
  • Ron Carter – acoustic bass, piccolo bass
  • Idris Muhammad – drums
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Mongo Santamaria – percussion
  • Phil Bodner – alto saxophone, flute, oboe
  • Jerry Dodgion – alto saxophone, flute
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone solo
  • Harvey Estrin – tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute
  • George Marge – tenor saxophone, English horn, flute, oboe, recorder
  • Howard Johnson – baritone saxophone, contrabass clarinet
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Jon Faddis – trumpet
  • Mike Lawrence – trumpet
  • Ron Tooley – trumpet
  • Wayne Andre – trombone
  • Dave Bargeron – trombone
  • Alan Raph – trombone
  • Hubert Laws – flute
  • David Nadien – concertmaster
  • Harry Cykman, Lewis Eley, Max Ellen, Louis Gabowitz, Diana Halprin, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, John Pintavalle, Matthew Raimondi, Herbert Sorkin, Richard Sortomme – violin
  • Jean Dane, Theodore Israel, Sue Pray and Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Jonathan Abramowitz, Seymour Barab, Richard Locker, Charles McCracken – cello
  • Joe Jorgensen – engineer, associate producer
  • Tim Bomba – engineer assistant
  • Ted Bronson – engineer assistant
  • Lou Jannone – engineer assistant
  • Harold Tarowsky – engineer assistant
  • Vlado Meller – mastering
  • Paula Scher – art direction, design
  • Buddy Endress – photography
  • Jay Chattaway – associate producer
  • Marion Orr – production coordinator

Track listing:

All tracks by Bob James.

  1. Angela (Theme from Taxi)
  2. Touchdown
  3. I Want to Thank You (Very Much)
  4. Sun Runner
  5. Caribbean Nights

Grover Washington Jr.: All The King’s Horses

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On July 1, 1972, “Kudu” label released “All the King’s Horses”, the second Grover Washington Jr. studio album. It was recorded May – June 1972, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • Grover Washington Jr. – alto and tenor saxophone
  • Gene Bertoncini – guitar
  • Cornell Dupree – guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar
  • David Spinozza – guitar
  • Bob James – electric piano, harpsichord, arrangements, conductor
  • Richard Tee – organ
  • Gordon Edwards – bass
  • Ron Carter – bass
  • Bernard Purdie – drums
  • Billy Cobham – drums
  • Airto Moreira – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald – congas
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn

Brass and Woodwind Section

  • George Marge – alto saxophone, flute, English horn, oboe, recorder
  • Pepper Adams – baritone saxophone
  • Arthur Clarke – baritone saxophone, flute
  • Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise, Tony Studd – trombone
  • Jon Faddis, John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Ernie Royal, Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Ray Alonge, Donald Corrado, Fred Klein, Brooks Tillotson – French horn

String Section

  • Alexander Cores, Bernard Eichen, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, John Pintaualle, Irving Spice – violin
  • Richard Dickler, Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello
  • Margaret Ross – harp

String Trio

  • David Nadien – violin
  • Emanuel Vardi – viola
  • George Ricci – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Bob Ciano – design
  • Pete Turner – photography

Track listing:

  1. No Tears, in the End – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  2. All the King’s Horses – Aretha Franklin
  3. Where Is the Love – Ralph MacDonald, William Salter
  4. Body and Soul (Montage) – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green
  5. Lean on Me – Bill Withers
  6. Lover Man – Jimmy Davis, James Sherman, Ram Ramirez
  7. Love Song 1700 – Henry Purcell

George Benson: Good King Bad

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In June 1976, “CTI” label released “Good King Bad”, the thirteenth George Benson studio album. It was recorded July – October – December 1975, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taylor.

Personnel:

  • George Benson – vocals, guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar
  • Don Grolnick – clavinet
  • Bobby Lyle – keyboards
  • Roland Hanna – keyboards
  • Ronnie Foster – keyboards
  • Gary King – bass, rhythm arrangements
  • Andy Newmark – drums
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Dennis Davis – drums
  • Sue Evans – percussion
  • David Friedman – vibraphone
  • David Sanborn – alto saxophone
  • Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone
  • Frank Vicari – tenor saxophone
  • Ronnie Cuber – baritone saxophone 
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet
  • Fred Wesley – trombone
  • Joe Farrell – flute
  • Romeo Penque – flute
  • David Tofani – flute
  • David Matthews – arrangements
  • Bob James – conductor
  • Max Ellen – violin
  • Paul Gershman – violin
  • Harry Glickman – violin
  • Emanuel Green – violin
  • Harold Kohon – violin
  • David Nadien – violin
  • John Pintavalle – violin
  • Max Pollikoff – violin
  • Harold Coletta – viola
  • Theodore Israel – viola
  • Charles McCracken – cello
  • Alan Shulman – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Rene Schumacher – design
  • Pete Turner – cover and liner photography
  • Leonard Feather – liner notes

Track listing:

  1. Theme from Good King Bad – David Matthews
  2. One Rock Don’t Make No Boulder – David Matthews
  3. Em – Philip Namanworth
  4. Cast Your Fate to the Wind – Vince Guaraldi
  5. Siberian Workout – David Matthews
  6. Shell of a Man – Eugene McDaniels

Bob James: Two

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On May 29. 1975, “CTI” label released “Two”, the fourth Bob James album. It was recorded December 1974 – January 1975, at “Van Gelder Studio” in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, and was produced by Creed Taulor.

Personnel:

  • Bob James – electric piano, clavinet, ARP Odyssey, Yamaha YC-30 combo organ, arrangements, conductor
  • Richard Resnicoff – guitar
  • Eric Gale – guitar, bass
  • Gary King – bass
  • Andrew Smith – drums
  • Steve Gadd – drums
  • Arthur Jenkins – percussion
  • Ralph MacDonald – percussion
  • Patti Austin – vocals, lead vocal
  • Frank Floyd – vocals
  • Lani Groves – vocals
  • Zachary Sanders – vocals
  • Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • John Frosk – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Victor Paz – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Lew Soloff – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Wayne Andre – trombone
  • Eddie Bert – trombone
  • Tom Mitchell – trombone
  • Tony Studd – trombone
  • Hubert Laws – flute, electric flute
  • Eddie Daniels – clarinet
  • James Buffington – French horn
  • Peter Gordon – French horn
  • Al Richmond – French horn
  • Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Harry Glickman, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin, David Nadien, Gene Orloff and Matthew Raimondi – violin
  • Seymour Barab, Alla Goldberg, Warren Lash, Jesse Levy, George Ricci, Alan Shulman and Anthony Sophos – cello
  • Rudy Van Gelder – engineer
  • Bob Ciano – design
  • Greg Laurents – cover photography

Track listing:

  1. Take Me to the Mardi Gras – Paul Simon
  2. I Feel a Song (In My Heart) – Tony Camillo, Mary Sawyer
  3. The Golden Apple – Bob James
  4. Farandole – Georges Bizet
  5. You’re as Right as Rain – Thom Bell, Linda Creed
  6. Dream Journey – Bob James